Spencer's ordered to pay Rs 6,290 for charging over MRP
A Hyderabad customer was compensated with Rs 6,290 by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission after Spencer's was found to have overcharged for White and Blue Whisky
HYDERABAD: A Hyderabad customer was compensated with Rs 6,290 by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission after Spencer's was found to have overcharged for White and Blue Whisky.
Velpula Shashikanth (38) of Chikkadpalli, Hyderabad, visited Spencer's on September 9, 2021 and was billed Rs 1,060 for a bottle of White and Blue Whisky. In his complaint, Shashikanth stated that the actual MRP of the said bottle was Rs 770 inclusive of all taxes but Spencer's charged an additional amount of Rs 290, which amounts to unfair trade practice and thus filed the current complaint seeking appropriate relief.
However, the management of Spencer's claimed that the price of the alcohol had increased in accordance with the notification dated December 16, 2019, issued by Telangana State Beverages Corporation Ltd. The whisky purchased by the complainant is priced at Rs 1,060 according to the price list of the branded products.
According to the excise department's notification, all A4 shops have been instructed to sell the brands they own as of December 16, 2019 at the old MRP rates only. Stocks purchased on or after December 16, 2019 will be sold at revised MRP rates, with any violations taken seriously.
However, the consumer forum established that Telangana State Beverages Corporation Ltd's directions in its notification that charging more than the declared Maximum Retail Price(MRP) on a package — in this case, Rs 1,060 at the revised price of Rs 290 — is in violation of both provisions contemplated under the Standard of Weights and Measures Act, 1976 and Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 — as well as the notification issued by Telangana State Beverages Corporation Ltd itself.
As a result, the forum ruled in favour of the complainant. The consumer forum ordered Spencer's Retail Ltd to pay the extra Rs.290 charged above the MRP, plus 24 percent interest per annum from September 28, 2021, until the date of realisation. The forum also ordered the payment of Rs 5,000 in compensation and Rs 1,000 in litigation costs.