Charge on carry bags: Hyderabad consumer forum orders IKEA to pay 6K

HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has ordered IKEA to pay Rs 6,000 in compensation and to stop charging for carry bags stamped with their brand logo.

Kevin Sukirthy, 35, of Tarnaka, visited IKEA Hyderabad on January 26, 2020 and made a few purchases worth Rs.1,071. Since he didn't have a carry bag with him, the person at the billing counter asked him if he needed one. He had no choice but to acquire the carry bag. He discovered later that the carry bag bore the IKEA brand and he was charged Rs 20 for it.

In his complaint, Kevin claimed that he suffered mental anguish as a result of a deficiency in service and that the bag displaying the brand name or advertising the brand name or advertising the brand at the expense of the consumer amounted to unfair trade practice. As a result, he filed a complaint with the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.

On the complainant's allegations, IKEA officials filed a written response in which they stated that the complaint was neither maintainable in law nor on facts and was therefore subject to dismissal. They, however, admitted to charging Rs 20 for the carry bag but claimed that it was only with the prior consent and intimation of the respective customers.

They also claimed that the billing staff had informed the complainant about the charge of Rs.20 for the carry bag. Since the complainant expressed his willingness and acceptance to purchase the said carry bag to carry articles, the claim that the complainant was not informed about the charges is false.

They further claimed that they sell paper carry bags of various specifications to meet the needs of their customers, that they are displayed as any other product and that a few customers come only to buy the paper carry bags displayed at their store, and that the product also has a barcode, and that their company does not sell any loose products, as in the case of super markets, and that the majority of their products are packed.

They also claimed that they provide trolleys for customers to carry their purchased products, and that customers are permitted to take the trolleys up to the parking lot or even to the exit, where they can keep the products in their vehicles and leave the trolleys. IKEA officials also claimed that they had installed display boards at the entry gate as well as mentions of the said carry bags on their website and at billing counters in their stores.

The consumer court ruled, after hearing from both sides, that IKEA was not allowed to charge for carry bags, even if they bear their name. This court stated that charging for carry bags indicated unfair trade practices on the part of the business entity.

Therefore, the consumer court ordered IKEA to stop charging for carry bags bearing the brand and to reimburse the complainant for the Rs. 20 that was inadvertently taken in exchange for the carry bag bearing the IKEA logo. Additionally, they ordered IKEA to pay Rs. 1,000 in compensation for mental anguish and to deposit Rs. 5,000 in the Consumer Legal Aid Account as a token of creating awareness of the Consumer Protection Act and to file the proof of deposit with this commission within 45 days from the date of receipt of these orders.