The East District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum said Delhi resident Neeru Mittal and her son had gone to PVR Spice in Noida from Sunder Nagar here after booking tickets to watch 'Bas Ek Pal', which as per newspaper advertisements by the company was to be screened there at 6 pm, but found another film being shown in that time slot.
"It is clear from their (PVR) own averment that the picture 'Bas Ek Pal' was not screened at the scheduled time and another picture was playing when the complainant (Mittal) along with her son reached the PVR at Noida from Sunder Nagar, Delhi.
"This came as a great disappointment and inconvenience to the complainant who had acted in good faith upon the representation made by respondent (PVR) through newspaper. She incurred expenses on transport apart from valuable time of the two persons... Taking all the facts and circumstances into consideration, we award a sum of Rs 10,000 as compensation to her," the bench presided by N A Zaidi said.
Mittal in her complaint had said she and her son had gone to watch the movie in PVR Spice cinema at Noida from Delhi on September 17, 2006 evening on the basis of show timings in newspapers, as her son was leaving for the UK the next day, but when they reached there they found that another movie was playing.
In response to the woman's plea, PVR contended that she was not a consumer as per the Consumer Protection Act.
The forum, however, rejected the contention saying she had set out to watch the movie "after making payment at the respondent's office... And on the representation made by the respondent that at 6.00 pm movie 'Bas Ek Pal' shall be screened... In such circumstances, she shall be deemed to be a consumer as defined under the consumer protection act."