NEW DELHI: A Coimbatore resident, who had to pay Rs 4 more on the retail price of a pack of five soaps, finally had the last laugh after the National Consumer Commission slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on the Pazhamudir Super Market for overcharging.
In its order, the commission said the fine was the only solution to dissuade other traders from indulging into such practices.
S Jayaraman, a consumer activist, went to the supermarket and bought a pack of five Chandrika soaps in 2012 for a discount price of Rs 75, but he was charged Rs 79 for the same. Feeling cheated, he approached the District Consumer Forum raising the complaint, citing deficiency in service by the supermarket.
However, it was dismissed in 2013, followed with a dismissal of complaint by State Commission in 2015. Jayaraman then moved the National Consumer Commission, which found that imposition of fine on the supermarket is the necessity as then only such practices will be curbed.
A bench said, “The complainant is a consumer activist who is concerned on account of such malpractices on the part of traders, and that is why he is insisting upon payment of appropriate compensation so that other traders are dissuaded from indulging into such practices.”
In its response, the supermarket said, “Since college students were employed by them, a bonafide mistake was committed by charging a sum of Rs 79 as against MRP, after discount of Rs 75.”
The commission has asked the supermarket to deposit the amount of Rs 10,000 as compensation with the Legal Aid Account of NCDRC.