Consumer forum asks D-Mart to compensate Hyderabad customer for charging for carry bag with logo

HYDERABAD: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission ordered D-Mart to pay Rs 1,500 in compensation for selling a carry bag with its logo.

Pakolu Naresh, a resident of Sanath Nagar, went to D-Mart Sanath Nagar on September 24, 2019, and purchased monthly supplies for Rs.263 which was billed along with a D-Mart carry bag costing Rs.3.50.

According to Naresh's complaint, a carry bag with no logo printed on it can be charged but not one with the Company's mark printed on it. However, D-Mart charged Rs.3.50 for the carry bag with their own logo.

Naresh claimed that instead of providing free branded carry bags, D-Mart charged customers for them and, when challenged, behaves aggressively and inhumanly, hurting its customers. According to Naresh's complaint, the D-Mart's behaviour amounts to deficiency of service and unfair trade practice that must be compensated.

The Court noted that the mentioned carry bag bore a large, prominent logo, as well as the precise locations of all its branches and the MRP of Rs.5 inclusive of all taxes.

The court stated that it was clear from the exhibit that D-Mart imposed a price for the carry bag with its logo printed on it and purposefully sold it to its customers to carry the goods that they had purchased in their stores, as well as using it unauthorizedly as a medium of advertisement.

According to the Court, using consumers as a means of advertisement for brand propagation is an unfair trade practise. Instead of discouraging the use of plastic bags, the D-Mart charged Naresh for the carry bag with their Brand logo printed on both sides with additional information of their branch details and advertisement on daily offers, which not only amounted to illegal advertisement but also unjust enrichment at the expense of consumers.

Hence, the consumer court gave the judgement in favour of the complainant Naresh. The court ordered D-Mart to pay a compensation of Rs 500 towards compensation for the hardship caused and Rs.1,000 towards costs of litigation within 45 days of this order.