Consumer Case

India Post directed by forum to pay back consumer 50 paise, plus Rs 15,000

Not returning 50 paisa to a consumer and 'rounding it off' has cost the India Post dearly, which has been directed by a consumer disputes redressal commission to refund it, in addition to providing a compensation of Rs 10,000 to him for causing mental agony, unfair trade practice and deficiency in service. Also, the Kancheepuram district consumer disputes redressal commission has asked the Department of Posts (DoP) to pay Rs 5,000 towards litigation cost. According to the complainant, A Manasha, he paid Rs 30 in cash for a registered letter at Pozhichalur post office near here on December 13, 2023, but the receipt showed only Rs 29.50. Though he offered to remit the exact amount through UPI, it was declined by postal personnel due to some technical issues. In his plaint, he said lakhs of transactions happened daily and not accounting them properly had consequences including loss to the government and termed it illegal which caused him 'serious mental agony.' The department submitte

Lufthansa fined Rs 1 lakh for not informing passenger about Schengen visa

A Gujarat consumer court ruled in favour of a passenger who alleged that the German airline failed to inform him about Schengen visa rules, causing him 'mental agony'

Govt data reveals over 50,000 real estate cases pending in consumer courts

Over 50,000 cases related to real estate are pending in consumer courts, according to the government data. In a written reply to Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Food and Consumer Affairs B L Verma informed about the details of cases pending in consumer commissions relating to real estate. As per the data, there have been 2,44,813 cases filed in consumer courts at national, state and district levels. Out of that 1,94,555 cases have been disposed and 50,258 cases are pending as on July 31, 2024. "The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 provides for three tier quasi-judicial machinery at district, state and central levels commonly known as 'Consumer Commissions' for protection of the rights of consumers and to provide simple and speedy redressal of consumer disputes," Verma said. The Act provides for simplification of the adjudication process in the consumer commissions; filing of a complaint by a consumer in the consumer commission; virtual hearing; deemed admissibility of complaints if .

Force majeure plea must be backed by evidence

The National Commission relied on past Supreme Court judgments to conclude that failure to hand over timely possession entitled the allottee to a refund along with interest

Airtel ordered to pay Rs 5 lakh fine for harassing customer in 2013 case

Airtel began harassing a customer for non-payment of dues despite the funds being credited to telecom giant's accounts

NCDRC resolves 854 consumer cases in Aug, with disposal rate of 188%

The National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission (NCDRC) and the Department of Consumer Affairs have successfully resolved 854 consumer cases in August, the government said on Tuesday. "The filing of cases during this period is 455 making it the highest disposal rate of 188 per cent in the year of 2023," an official statement said. This significant disposal of cases reflects NCDRC's dedication to providing consumers with a fair and efficient mechanism for addressing their concerns, it added. The NCDRC has significantly improved the disposal of consumer cases in the commission this year. This achievement underscores their unwavering commitment to safeguarding consumer rights and ensuring prompt redressal of grievances. "With proactive steps from the President of NCDRC, streamlined processes and advanced technology like E-daakhil, cases are being resolved faster than ever before," the statement said. To monitor consumer cases, the Department has organized various oneday regional .

Govt to pay fee ranging Rs 3k-5k to empanelled mediators in consumer cases

Empanelled mediators in consumer cases will now be paid a fee in the range of Rs 3,000-5,000 by the government which will lead to the settlement of more complaints through mediation cells, the Consumer Affairs Ministry said on Friday. The ministry took a decision in this regard after a series of consultations with various stakeholders, and during regional workshops held in northeastern and northern states, an official release said. It was observed that a substantial number of cases are not resolved through mediation because the parties in the disputes are observed to be reluctant in paying the fee of the mediator. Based on the suggestions, the ministry has "decided to pay the fees of the empanelled mediator from the Consumer Welfare Fund," the release said. According to the consumer affairs ministry release, the amount of dispute, or the fee of the mediator as set by the President of the Commission, or the fees prescribed below, whichever is least, will be paid to the mediator. A

Consumer court asks hotel to pay Rs 2 cr in damages to model for haircut

A bench of President RK Agrawal and Member Dr SM Kantikar directed the hotel to pay a compensation of Rs 2 crores to the woman.

Snapdeal partners with Sama for online dispute resolution, sees success

In the pilot, which looked at a few hundred cases, Snapdeal and Sama helped settle a 100, with an overall success rate of 50 per cent

Company, too, can file consumer complaint

According to the National Commission, a company is also a consumer in case of goods and services purchased for self-use and not for profit generation

All cases aren't time barred

When neither delivery is given nor money refunded to the consumer of a disputed product, limitation will not apply

Fight your own consumer case

You can save Rs 35,000-Rs 50,000 in lawyer's fee at a district forum and several lakhs at the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission