Upskilling attempt for promotion turns to year-long legal battle, Bengaluru woman wins Rs 62,000

Bengaluru: When a techie enrolled for a cybersecurity certification course hoping it would help her earn a promotion at work, she expected a structured classroom training on a schedule that the institute had promised to tailor around her professional commitments.Instead, the institute pushed unwanted online alternatives, and held on to nearly Rs 79,000 of her money for over two years despite its own written confirmation of a refund leading to a legal battle.The saga began when Rachana S Rao of Jeevan Bima Nagar enrolled for a CISSP classroom training course at Hackers University, run by APC Learning Solutions in Ashok Nagar. The institute allegedly assured her the course would be conducted through in-person classes on a fixed schedule suited to her work commitments and holiday plans.

Based on these assurances, she paid Rs 78,949 on Dec 5, 2023, towards training fees and an exam voucher.As the course date neared, no classroom sessions were scheduled, and the institute instead offered online and video classes, which she declined. With her certification deadline approaching and promotion prospects dependent on the course, she sought a refund within 10 working days. She alleged the institute delayed repayment for six months, citing audits, approvals and finance issues, despite her making over 120 calls, emails and visits.

After she threatened police action, Rs 20,000 was refunded. She later approached the national consumer helpline, where she alleged the institute continued to deny her refund and accused her of using a harsh tone. She then filed a consumer complaint on April 29, 2025.In its defence, Hackers University claimed it had provided study materials and training recordings as scheduled, and alleged that Rachana’s insistence on classes tailored to her convenience made delivery difficult.

The institute argued that online and video classes were reasonable alternatives and that her refusal amounted to abandoning the services. It also cited a seven-day refund policy, saying her request on the 10th day made her ineligible for a full refund.

It alleged that after receiving a partial refund, she spread false and malicious information that harmed the institute’s reputation.After hearing both sides, the commission noted that the institute had neither substantiated its 7-day refund policy claim nor demonstrated in any way that it had delivered the service it had promised. It held that the institute had collected money by giving false assurances and failed to render the agreed in-person classroom training without providing any proper or acceptable reasons, clearly stating deficiency of service and unfair trade practicesThe commission bench, comprising president Vijaykumar M Pawale and member Anuradha V, on May 6 ordered Hackers University to refund Rs 58,949 with 6% interest per annum from Dec 5 until realisation and Rs 3,000 as litigation costs.