VILLUPURAM: The Villupuram District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has ordered Hotel Balamurugan to pay ₹35,025 as compensation to a customer owing to the failure of including pickle in a meal parcel.
C Arokiyasamy, a resident of Vazhudareddy, Villupuram, purchased 25 meals from Hotel Balamurugan on November 28, 2022, to distribute meal parcels to aged people on the occasion of a relative's first death anniversary. The hotel charged ₹2,000 for the meals in total and provided a handwritten receipt despite Arokiyasamy's request for a printed one.
After distributing the meals, Arokiyasamy discovered that the pickle, which was included in the quotation, was missing from the parcels. He contacted the hotel management, who confirmed that the staff had forgotten to include the pickle packets, priced at ₹1 each. When Arokiyasamy demanded a refund of ₹25 for the missing pickles, the management refused and did not provide a satisfactory response.
"Arokiyasamy filed a complaint with the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission on September 2023. The commission's president D Sathish Kumar, and members SM Meera Mohideen and K Amala inquired about the complaint," said a source.
After hearing submissions from both sides, the commission ordered the hotel to pay ₹35,000 as compensation for the mental anguish caused to the complainant, ₹5,000 for litigation costs, and ₹25 for the missing pickle packets, totalling ₹35,025. "The hotel must pay this amount within 45 days, failing to which they will incur a nine per cent interest on the amount," the commission observed.
Sources noted that Arokiyasamy is the state president of All Consumer, Public, and Environmental Welfare Association.