SAMBALPUR: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Sambalpur has ordered a shop owner to pay a compensation of Rs 25,000 for not returning Rs 3 to a customer after he paid the photostat copy charges.
According to the complainant, a city-based journalist, Prafulla Kumar Dash, on April 28 this year, he had gone to Goyal Printing Zone for a photostat copy of a document. The complainant paid Rs 5 and asked the shopkeeper to return Rs 3 as the price of photocopying is Rs 2 per copy. However, the shopkeeper refused to return the balance amount of Rs 3 and allegedly abused the complainant. After repeated requests, the person sitting in the owner’s chair returned the Rs 5 and insulted the complainant. Further, the shopkeeper also did not give a receipt or bill.
The action of the shopkeeper caused considerable mental agony, harassment, and inconvenience apart from financial loss for which he is liable to compensate the complainant, the court observed. On the other hand, the shopkeeper failed to file his version in court on time. From the facts put forth by the complainant, it was found that the shopkeeper had not given any receipt or bill which is an unfair trade practice adopted by him. Further the shopkeeper is collecting excess money per photocopy as compared to the market rate. Hence there is a deficiency in service and it is an exploitation to a consumer, the commission headed by President, Ramakanta Satapathy and member, Sadananda Tripathy, ruled.
In the order, the commission has directed the proprietor of Goyal Printing Zone, to refund Rs 3 towards the excess money received for photocopy. He has also been ordered to pay Rs 25,000 as compensation towards mental agony and harassment to the complainant within 30 days from the date of order, failing which the amount will carry 9 per cent interest per annum till realisation. The complainant Dash said, “I am happy that action was taken against the dishonest shopkeepers. I hope this serves as an example for several other shop owners who cheat their consumers.”