BHUBANESWAR: In a move towards curbing overcharging by automobile dealers and protecting customers’ interest, the State Transport Authority (STA) has directed the dealers to mention all the charges collected from a customer in the money receipts.
It has also made it mandatory for the vehicle dealers to display all the details of the payments to be made by a customer on a notice board in their showrooms. The dealers have to place the notice board at a conspicuous place stating that no extra payment should be made other than what has been publicly displayed. And RTOs have been asked to inspect showrooms and ensure that this direction is complied with.
“Automobile dealers can not charge any amount from a customer without giving a proper receipt. An order in this regard has been issued to all RTOs and they have been instructed to take action against the defaulting dealers,” said the STA on Thursday. It informed that the Commerce and Transport department has started issuing driving license and registration certificates digitally from January 1 this year. Under the process, vehicle registration fee has been reduced from Rs 282 to Rs 140.
However, STA officers observed that some dealers are not passing on this benefit to the customers and still charging the old vehicle registration fee from customers. If the dealers need to charge any amount for a value-added service, a proper receipt must be issued for the same.