[ad_1]
BENGALURU: A Bengaluru woman sued e-commerce major Flipkart for selling her a bottle of shampoo above its MRP (maximum retail price) during its famous Big Billion Days sale. A city consumer court that heard her case slammed the firm for unfair trade practice and ordered it to pay the customer a compensation of Rs 20,000, apart refunding her Rs 96 collected in excess from her towards the product.
Drawn by advertisements on the Flipkart sale, Palace Guttahalli resident Sowmya P ordered a bottle of Patanjali Kesh Kanti protein hair cleanser in October 2019.On October 3, she received the shampoo and paid Rs 191 through PhonePe. But much to her shock, she noticed that the MRP printed on the bottle was Rs 95, but the invoice mentioned Rs 191. Further examination revealed that the same product on Flipkart app was listed as costing Rs 140 with an additional Rs 99 for shipping.
Sowmya contacted the customer care of Flipkart only to be told to return the product and receive a refund. She was assured that the firm would change its policy on such sales, but noticed that no action had been initiated by Flipkart against the shampoo seller HBK Enterprises from Surat.
The same month, the 34-year-old woman approached the Bangalore IVth additional district consumer disputes redressal commission in Shantinagar with a complaint against Flipkart Internet Private Limited in Varthur Hobli and HBK Enterprises for charging more than the prescribed MRP for the shampoo.
The woman presented her case on her own with photographs and other documents. Flipkart’s counsel, however, denied the allegations and said that there was no service deficiency on its part. However, despite several contentions in court, the counsel failed to justify why the firm, through its seller, sold the product at a price more than the MRP.
In a verdict pronounced on October 13, 2023, the judges of the consumer forum said Flipkart’s argument wasn’t substantiated and its defence wasn’t tenable under law and couldn’t be considered on merits. It’s crystal clear that the e-commerce company had sold the shampoo at an excess price to make unlawful gain, which is an act of unfair trade practice, the judges said.
The court ordered Flipkart to refund Rs 96 collected in excess from the Bengaluru woman for the shampoo and pay Rs 10,000 as compensation for deficiency in service. The court further ordered the firm to also pay her Rs 5,000 for the unfair trade practice and Rs 5,000 towards her court expenses.
Drawn by advertisements on the Flipkart sale, Palace Guttahalli resident Sowmya P ordered a bottle of Patanjali Kesh Kanti protein hair cleanser in October 2019.On October 3, she received the shampoo and paid Rs 191 through PhonePe. But much to her shock, she noticed that the MRP printed on the bottle was Rs 95, but the invoice mentioned Rs 191. Further examination revealed that the same product on Flipkart app was listed as costing Rs 140 with an additional Rs 99 for shipping.
Sowmya contacted the customer care of Flipkart only to be told to return the product and receive a refund. She was assured that the firm would change its policy on such sales, but noticed that no action had been initiated by Flipkart against the shampoo seller HBK Enterprises from Surat.
The same month, the 34-year-old woman approached the Bangalore IVth additional district consumer disputes redressal commission in Shantinagar with a complaint against Flipkart Internet Private Limited in Varthur Hobli and HBK Enterprises for charging more than the prescribed MRP for the shampoo.
The woman presented her case on her own with photographs and other documents. Flipkart’s counsel, however, denied the allegations and said that there was no service deficiency on its part. However, despite several contentions in court, the counsel failed to justify why the firm, through its seller, sold the product at a price more than the MRP.
In a verdict pronounced on October 13, 2023, the judges of the consumer forum said Flipkart’s argument wasn’t substantiated and its defence wasn’t tenable under law and couldn’t be considered on merits. It’s crystal clear that the e-commerce company had sold the shampoo at an excess price to make unlawful gain, which is an act of unfair trade practice, the judges said.
The court ordered Flipkart to refund Rs 96 collected in excess from the Bengaluru woman for the shampoo and pay Rs 10,000 as compensation for deficiency in service. The court further ordered the firm to also pay her Rs 5,000 for the unfair trade practice and Rs 5,000 towards her court expenses.
[ad_2]
Source link