Restaurant fined for charging tip

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 28

The district consumer disputes redressal forum has directed a restaurant to refund Rs 50 charged from a customer as a tip. The forum has also directed the opposite party to pay Rs 3,000 as compensation and Rs 2,000 as litigation expenses.

Surinder Sehgal had filed a complaint against Haveli Restaurant and Resort, GT Road, stating that he had dined there on January 14. He alleged that he was made to pay Rs 50 as a tip over and above all the taxes and the food bill.

Despite serving a notice, no representative of the opposite party turned up before the forum. So the forum had to proceed the complaint ex-parte.

The forum observed that the evidence adduced by the complainant has gone unrebutted on record as the opposite party, despite due service, did not opt to appear and contest the complaint and thereby the opposite party impliedly admitted the claim of the complainant, which further shows that it had no defence to offer.

Customers give tip voluntarily to the serving staff if they are overwhelmed with the service.

It is a common practice. However, this was a stray case in which any restaurant charged ‘tip charges’ from the customer’s debit card, the complainant had maintained.