Hotel charges Rs 58 extra on food bill, told to shell out Rs 17,000

Ishrat S Banwait

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 22

For having overcharged Rs 58, Hotel Western Court has been penalised Rs 17,000 by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum here. Even though it offered 30 per cent discount on the food bill, the final amount was Rs 58 extra, according to Sector 33 resident Manish Sharma, who approached the forum.

According to the complaint, on March 31, 2018, Manish had visited the hotel along with a friend for lunch.  After having lunch, he paid a sum of Rs 672 after getting 30 per cent discount on the food bill of Rs 835. On checking the bill, Manish noticed that after deducting 30 per cent as discount on the food bill of Rs 835, the final bill should have been Rs 614, but the hotel charged Rs 672 from him. He immediately pointed out the anomaly to the restaurant manager, but it bore no fruit.

No one appeared on behalf of the hotel to contest the claim. The forum observed that by not contesting the claim, it was established beyond all reasonable doubts that the complaint was genuine. The harassment suffered by the complainant is also writ large. At any rate, the opposite party has certainly indulged in unfair trade practice as it ought to have resolved the matter by refunding Rs 58.

By not doing so, the hotel “propelled this unwarranted, uncalled for litigation upon the complainant”. The forum found the hotel deficient in service and indulging in unfair trade practices. The forum thus ordered the hotel to refund Rs 58 and pay Rs 10,000 to the complainant on account of deficiency in service and causing mental agony and harassment. In addition, the hotel was also asked to pay Rs 7,000 as litigation costs.