Swede lands in a coir knot

KOCHI: A Swedish buyer of coir products from Kerala with over 20 years of experience has accused the state-owned Foam Mattings (India) Ltd of cheating her with inferior quality products.  Rita Anderson, the aggrieved buyer, says she has placed an order for coir products worth $28,969 with the Alapuzha-based company in January 2017 and the consignment was shipped in May 2017. But she says the quality of some of the goods delivered was not up to the standard and specifications mentioned in the order. “Although I have brought the matter to the notice of the company and sought compensation for the faulty goods the company is refusing to do so”, she told DC. 

According to her, the rejected pieces are worth $ 7,211, and she has incurred labour cost of $ 3,834 for the logistics in connection with placing the order.  According to Ms Anderson, the company is refusing to pay the compensation on the ground that she was present in the factory before the shipment. “This is partly true because I was their mentor in designing, colouring etc. and did some visits to the company to make sure the colours and design were correct”, she said.  "But that does not mean that I have approved the quality of the products. Under no circumstances is the standard of quality the responsibility of the buyer.”

The company meanwhile denied her charges and said that she was present at every stage of production.  The company has also informed her that she can put up the defective products at 30 percent of the purchase price and the remaining 70 percent of the cost being split equally between Foam Mattings and the buyer.  The company also rejected the claim for labour charges and other expenses. Ms Anderson, however, says the company is not showing fairness in the matter, and she will have no option other than to share her bitter experience with other buyers in Europe and elsewhere.