AHM Shafiquzzaman, the Director General of the Directorate of National Consumers Right Protection (DNCRP), announced that approximately 100 Evaly customers will receive their refunds on 30th January.
Speaking at a discussion on Consumer Rights in E-Commerce and E-Services: What Should Be Done organised by the Bangladesh Mobile Phone Consumers’ Association (BMPCA) at Dhaka Reporters Unity, Shafiquzzaman revealed that there are currently 6,500 complaints pending against Evaly.
The initial phase involves returning funds to 100 customers, with no specific mention of the monetary amounts involved.
To date, Evaly has refunded Taka 10 crore, and the CEO, Mohammad Rassel, is expected to provide a detailed plan outlining when and how the remaining funds will be reimbursed, according to Shafiquzzaman.
Evaly, which commenced operations on 16th December 2018, faced customer complaints regarding undelivered products despite receiving advance payments amounting to hundreds of crores of taka.
The company allegedly owes Taka 400 crore to both customers and merchants, although law enforcement estimates the amount to be around Taka 1,000 crore.
The absence of proper documentation at Evaly’s end poses a challenge for creditors seeking reimbursement, as an audit into the company’s books, commissioned by a court-appointed board last year, found no documentation to verify owed amounts.