Noida: A consumer commission has ordered Winspark Innovation Learning Private Ltd to refund Rs 45,170 with 6% interest to the mother of a student who discontinued an English-speaking course after attending three trial classes. The commission on Tuesday found the refund claim justified and imposed an additional Rs 1,000 fine on the company.Mamta Pal filed an application at the commission on Aug 5, 2024. She told the panel that she enrolled her daughter, Advika Pal, in PlanetSpark online spoken English classes on Feb 3, 2024, paying the course fee in advance.PlanetSpark offers online public speaking lessons to kids and working professionals. The institute offers three types of classes: live, practice and performance. “Advika attended one class of each type but was unable to concentrate due to her young age. So, we decided to discontinue. During pre-enrolment counselling, it was said that if the student was not satisfied with the classes, the institute would refund the entire amount,” she told the commission.She said she sent an email requesting a refund on April 24, but it went unanswered. Following this, she sent a legal notice through her lawyer on Feb 1, 2025. After the company failed to file a response, she filed a complaint with the consumer commission.A notice was issued to the company, but once again the institute remained unresponsive, following which proceedings were initiated in their absence on July 18, 2025.The commission president Anil Kumar Pundir and member Anju Sharma said that according to the terms and conditions provided by the institute, the student was supposed to continue only if she was satisfied with the classes and ordered a refund.“After one or two classes, the woman’s daughter was unable to concentrate and immediately informed the opposite party that she was unable to understand. Therefore, the amount should be returned. The opposite party has repeatedly delayed and failed to return the deposited amount, despite the complainant’s evidence proving her statement,” the commission said.
