CHARGING FOR CARRY BAGS WITH COMPANY LOGO IS AN UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICE- HYDERABAD CONSUMER FORUM 

CHARGING FOR CARRY BAGS WITH COMPANY LOGO IS AN UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICE- HYDERABAD CONSUMER FORUM 

                                                                           23rd FEBRUARY 2021 

  A Consumer dispute redressal directed More Megastore to discontinue charging for carry bags with the logo of the company. The bench also asked More Megastore to refund Rs 3 for the carry bag and 15,000 as compensation to the complainant- Baglekar Akash Kumar (21). 

On June 1, 2019 the complainant bought a product worth Rs 115 but paid Rs 118 including the plastic bag. The complainant while addressing the bench cited a Chandigarh Consumer disputes redressal Order, stating that- The carry bag provided by the opposite party on collecting Rupees 3/- contains the company’s name and logo for which the complainant was used as their advertisement agent. The opposite party denied all allegations and stated that they did not force their customers to buy plastic bags and there is no rule of law in force stating that carry bags have to be supplied free to the complainant.

After taking all evidence the bench held, “More Megastore has been using its esteemed consumers as its Advertisement agents, by selling the carry bags to the customers with their Logo without prominent prior notice. Not Disclosing the price of carry bags at the payment counter seems to be undoubtedly an “unfair trade practice” Under Section - 2 (1) (r) of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 {Corresponding Section -2 (47) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019’.

Author-Papiha Ghoshal