A Hotel That Charged ₹20 Extra for a Water Bottle Had to Pay a Hefty Fine of ₹20,000

Here’s something every Indian ought to know but may not be aware of – restaurants and hotels in the country that price their products higher than the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) are in clear violation of the law and should be held accountable.

And that’s exactly what Ch. Kondaiah, a resident of Andhra Pradesh did when a hotel charged him ₹ 20 extra for a bottle of water last year. The hotel in question is Hotel Sarvi, which claimed that the additional charge was for the ambiance. Kondaiah disagreed and went to the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-II to lodge a complaint.

But it looks like Kondaiah had the last laugh. The forum not only ruled in his favour but even ordered the hotel to pay ₹ 20,000 to Kondaiah.

It has also asked the hotel to pay him an additional ₹ 5,000 along with the ₹ 20 they had originally overcharged him with.

Image for representation. Photo source: Wikimedia

According to a report in The Hindu, the Forum ruled, “The opposite party is entitled to fix any rate and maintain a menu card with the price list for the food products prepared by them …. but in no way they have any authority to charge a rate above the MRP rate for packaged goods.”

What you ought to know

When shops or restaurants charge over the MRP of products, they end up violating the Legal Metrology (packaged commodities) Rules 2011. And even if one believes it is best to be ignored if the amount is deemed not that excessive, it is still violating the law.

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And as Kondaiah found out, standing up for your right may just be the right thing to do.

Know more about consumer rights here

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