The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Rohtak, has directed a shoe company to refund the cost of a carry bag and pay compensation to a customer after holding that charging separately for a carry bag amounted to deficiency in service and an unfair trade practice.
In his complaint, Anil Kumar of Rohtak said he had purchased a pair of shoes from a local showroom of the company in Rohtak on April 1, 2023, for Rs 2,069.70. Along with the purchase, the showroom charged him Rs 10 for a carry bag.
He alleged that despite requesting a free carry bag, the store refused and informed him that charging for the bag was company policy. He subsequently approached the consumer commission seeking a refund of the amount along with compensation and litigation expenses.
In its defence, the company argued that charging for carry bags was intended to encourage environmentally friendly practices and reduce unnecessary use of bags. The company also claimed that customers were informed in advance to bring their own bags and that purchasing a carry bag was optional.
After examining the evidence and hearing both parties, the commission observed that the purchase invoice clearly showed a separate charge of Rs 10 for the carry bag. The commission further noted that statements made in the affidavit submitted on behalf of the company effectively acknowledged that the amount had been charged unnecessarily.
The commission, headed by president Nagendra Singh Kadian, held that goods sold to customers should be provided in a deliverable state and that charging separately for a carry bag in such circumstances constituted deficiency in service and amounted to an unfair trade practice.
Allowing the complaint, the commission directed the company to refund Rs 10 to the complainant and pay Rs 4,000 as compensation on account of deficiency in service, along with Rs 4,000 towards litigation expenses. The order is to be complied with within 30 days, failing which the company will have to pay an additional Rs 50 per week to the complainant.
