Hyderabad’s once iconic CTC market now riddled with scams, unsafe conditions, say customers

In a widely shared Reddit post, a user detailed a troubling encounter where they were charged Rs 600 without prior approval, simply for a laptop inspection. The post also highlighted other similar incidents, including one involving ARN Computers, where a customer reportedly paid Rs 2,500 in advance, only to end up with a damaged motherboard and a demand for an additional Rs 7,000.

Hyderabad: Once a tech paradise in the early 2000s, Hyderabad’s Chenoy Trade Centre (CTC) is reeling under sharp barbs from customers. With the influx of recent visitors, CTC is being derogated as “death trap” and “scam zone”.

One user, who posted his horrible experience on Reddit, narrated how he got charged Rs 600 without his consent, merely for checking for a laptop. Among several instances cited by him, ARN Computers was a horror story where a customer paid Rs 2,500 in advance for a motherboard and was then told the board was damaged, requesting him to pay another Rs 7,000.

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Other users echoed. One claimed their pre-built PC contained “refurbished” parts sold as new; another alleged being sold a ten-year-old hard drive with fresh packaging. But quite the scariest was one account about a parking attendant slashing a car tyre after a dispute over inflated parking charges—Rs 20 suddenly became Rs 120, without an explanation or a receipt.

The infrastructure itself, apart from scams, is in bad shape. Corridors that are cramped, lifts operating without any safety features—manually pressed buttons by operators—and shop exteriors that are falling apart—all this adds to the mad chaos. Users criticized the authorities for ignoring repeated fines and allowing the so-called “parking mafia” to thrive.

CTC, while Hyderabad paves ahead with its “Future City” initiative, is stuck in the past, they say-alive with greed, decay, and no accountability. As online shopping becomes ever more prominent, many would say that unless CTC gets a serious makeover, it stands to be wiped out.