Store ordered to pay Rs 21,000 compensation to customer for charging Rs 12 for carry bag

New Delhi: Clothing retailer Central has been asked to pay a compensation of R 21,000 to a customer for charging him Rs 12 for a carry bag. The decision taken by Andhra Pradesh's Vizag city’s consumer court is one of the many such orders taken against offline retailers that charge for carry bags.

Central, which is a division of Future Lifestyle Fashions, was also directed by the Members of the Visakhapatnam District Consumers Commission-I to pay the Rs 12 back to the complainant named Seepana Rama Rao. Notably, Rao himself is an advocate and resides in Vizag city.

The commission has also directed the store to pay Rs 21,000 towards compensation for mental harassment. According to a report by The Times of India, the store was also ordered to pay Rs 1,500 towards the legal cost.  

Rao had reportedly purchased clothes worth Rs 628.96 from Central on July 14, 2019. However, the store cashier asked him to pay an extra Rs 12 for the bag in which his clothes were kept. 

Initially, Rao resisted paying for the carry bag. He noticed that the carry bag had Central’s logo on both sides, and he explained to the store manager that charging for a carry bag that advertises a brand was illegal. But the store manager reportedly didn’t give two hoots about its request. 

Moreover, the cashier kept insisting on the payment, and after speaking with the store manager, who also refused to provide the bag for free, paid for the carry bag. He finally decided to file a complaint and approached the consumer forum seeking compensation for mental harassment. 

 

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