Consumer body issues notice to Brand Factory

| | BHUBANESWAR
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Consumer body issues notice to Brand Factory

Friday, 21 February 2020 | PNS | BHUBANESWAR

The Khordha District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has issued a notice to the Saheednagar-based retail store Brand Factory for charging customers to provide carry bags.  

The forum gave the direction based on a case filed by a customer, Bobin Mohanty, a railway engineer. The next hearing of the case is scheduled for March 12.

Mohanty had purchased some garments from Brand Factory on November 27, 2019. The outlet had charged Rs 10 for paper carry bag in addition to the cost of garments.

Mohanty refused to pay but staffs of the store didn’t agree. Finally, he was forced to pay for the carry bag. Then Mohanty lodged a complaint against Brand Factory at the Consumer Counselling Centre at Khandagiri. But the dispute could not be settled.

So, finally Mohanty filed the case in the District Consumer Forum and the court admitted the case and issued the notice to Brand Factory.

In the petition, Mohanty stated that that the stores are compelling customer to purchase carry bags at last moment without displaying any information about the same at the entrance or other suitable locations.

He alleged that this is unfair trade practice and restrictive trade practice. As per Sales of Goods Act, the vendor should bear the cost of carry bag. Hence Brand Factory has been violating the Act since long.

Mohanty argued that when small shops and even big local shops like Kalamandir and Amber provide carry bags free of cost, then it is illegal to charge for carry bags by big shops having chain of stores throughout the country. He added that there is no rule to charge for carry bags.  Prior to 2011, all shops were providing all types of carry bags free of cost.

But in 2011, it was made mandatory in Plastic Waste Rules that, “No plastic carry bag shall be made available free of cost by retailers to customers” and the same provision was also dropped in March 2018. But these big malls have continued charging for carry bags from gullible customers.

In eecent past, Chandigarh State Consumer Redressal Commission had fined several retailers like Bata India, Dominos and Big Bazaar for charging customers for carry bags, Mohanty said.

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