Pantaloons charges for carry bags, penalised
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 22
Disposing of three complaints, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed Pantaloons, Elante Mall, to pay Rs 600 each and refund Rs 5 each charged for carry bags.
In a complaint, Inderjit Singh, a resident of Mohali, submitted that he purchased a pair of shoes worth Rs 499 from Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited, Pantaloons, Elante Mall. He went to the billing counter for payment. At the time of billing, the cashier told him that he was required to pay Rs 5 on account of paper carry bag for carrying the articles. It was alleged that on the entire shop premises it was nowhere mentioned that the store would charge for a carry bag also.
It was also alleged that the consumers who were shopping from the store were not allowed to take any carry bag inside the store. He resisted and told the cashier that it was illegal to charge for a paper carry bag but to no effect.
Similar complaints were filed by Abhishek Siwach, a resident of Sector 44-D, Chandigarh, and Anish Narula, a resident of Mohali.
In its written statement, the store pleaded that the names of the brand are not printed for any advertisement purposes and printed merely for information purpose, which indicates that the products are purchased from a particular brand.
It has been further pleaded that the store, honouring the directions passed by the forum in a case, has stopped charging the carry bags and has stated providing free carry bags to all its customers forthwith who purchase articles from their shop.
“Since the store has apologised for its mistake and stopped charging for the paper carry bags and has remorse and repentant on its mistake, therefore, we think that if somebody learnt a lesson then a lenient view should be taken qua that person,” observed the forum.
It directed the store to refund the cost of carry bags to the complainants and pay Rs 100 each towards compensation for harassment and mental agony and Rs 500 as litigation expenses in each complaint.
