Eight rupee paper bag ends up costing Reliance store Rs 25,000

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Charging Rs 8 for a paper bag proved costly for a Reliance Clothing India store after a Punekar dragged the company to the consumer forum for 'extortion'. The court has ordered the retail company to pay the customer R8 along with interest and an additional compensation of Rs 25,000.

Pune District Grievance Redressal Forum's president Umesh Jawalikar along with members, Kshitija Kulkarni and Sangita Deshmukh, passed the order recently after Devendra Siha, a resident of the Security section, Air Force in Pune's Viman Nagar approached the forum against the Store Manager of a Reliance Clothing India Private Limited store located in Vimannagar on August 30, 2019.

Siha chose two pairs of shoes from Reliance Trends's Viman Nagar outlet on April 25 and while paying, asked for a paper bag. "I was asked to pay R8 for the carry bag. I claimed this was extortion as the carry bag did not mention the MRP. They also charged SGST and CGST amount of R1.22 for it."

"The store forced me to pay the amount. I emailed them demanding an apology and the R8. While they replied to my email with an apology, they refused to provide a refund. Hence, I approached the consumer forum for Rs 8 along with rate of interest and compensation of R1 lakh."

The company's representatives were not present for the hearing at the forum. The forum observed, "... it is brought to notice that there is no MRP printed but the (company's) name has been mentioned (on the carry bag). This leads to malpractice. Thus we partially allow the plaint moved in which we direct the company to repay R8 with a rate of interest at nine per cent from April 25, 2019 till the payment, as well as pay R25,000 for mental and physical torture."

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