Multinational company Woodland has been asked not to sell products other than its own brand in its stores by a consumer forum here, which termed this as "unfair trade practice" and "highly unethical" saying that a large number of consumers would have suffered due to this.
A bench of Central Delhi District Consumer Forum, presided over by Rakesh Kapoor, made the observations on a complaint of Delhi resident Hitendera Kumar Nahata and asked the company to pay a fine of over Rs one lakh.
"In the present case, there was neither any indication nor a representation that the store was also dealing in any other brand products... The store which was supposed to be exclusively dealing in brand 'Woodland' was also selling away other brand products such as 'Woods' without disclosing the fact to the consumers," the forum said.
Condemning company's refusal to refund the cost of the shoe, it said that the company and the showroom were bound to refund cost of pair of shoes or replace it as the pair sold to Nahata was "not of marketable quality and had a latent defect which was not visible to naked eye."
"Not only the complainant (Nahata) but a large number of other consumers would have also suffered because of the above stated unfair trade practice being resorted to" by the company and its showroom, it said, while terming it as "highly unethical" which amounted to "unfair trade practice".
The forum further directed the company not to sell products other than "Woodland" brand in their stores and file an undertaking to this effect.
"Deposit a sum of Rs one lakh as damages with the Consumer Welfare Fund maintained at Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission... Pay to the complainant a sum of Rs 6,995... And a sum of Rs 5000 as cost of litigation," it said.
Nahata had told the forum that he had purchased a pair of shoes from a Woodland showroom in March 2012 and within three months of the warranty period, some defects started appearing.
He said he approached the showroom and the company and sought the refund, which was declined, following which, he approached the forum. He also prayed for refund of the cost of the shoes along with compensation and cost of litigation.
During the hearing, the company, however, had denied allegations that the pair of shoes had an inherent defect, claiming that the product was used in a rough and negligent manner and there was no manufacturing defect.
It had also said that Nahata had actually purchased the pair of shoes of the brand "Woods" which was a separate brand.
