Bhopal: A shop owner has been slapped a fine amounting to Rs 15,014 for charging Rs 14 for a carry bag.
As per rules, it is illegal for a firm to charge for a carry bag that has its branding. If a retailer or shop owner charges customers for carry bags that have their logo then it amounts to violation of consumer rights.
Sanidhya Jain, a resident of Bhopal, had filed a petition at the consumer forum in Bhopal in 2023, complaining that she had bought few items from a store for newborn baby and kids on Kolar Road. Since she was not carrying any bag with her, the shop owner had added Rs 14 as carry bag charge in the bill.
When Sanidhya questioned the shop owner as to why the carry bag cost was added without her knowledge, she was told that it was the company's policy. The shop owner had told her that if a customer does not bring a carry bag then the shop provides one and charges for it. After this she approached the consumer forum.
During the hearing, consumer forum president Yogesh Dutt and member Pratibha Pandey, stated, "It is wrong and unfair for FirstCry to charge for a carry bag having the company's logo without even informing the customer."
After listening to the shop owner's argument, the forum said that he should have informed the customer about the price of the carry bag before adding the cost to the bill. This practice comes under the category of unfair behaviour, they said.
The forum ordered the shop owner to refund Rs 14 that was charged for the carry bag and pay Rs 10,000 for the mental agony suffered by the customer along with Rs 5000 for the court expenses. Thus, the shop owner has been asked to pay a total of Rs 15,014 to the customer.
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