Bata India fined Rs 10,000 by consumer forum

By

Maverick Martins

Published
Nov 11, 2019

Leading shoemaker Bata India Limited was fined Rs 10,000 ($140) for charging one of its customers for a printed carry-bag mentioning the name of the shoe company.
 

Bata has been fined by the Jaipur district consumer disputes redressal forum after a customer, Mahesh Pareek, complained about being asked to purchase a carry bag while paying for items, according to a report by TOI.
 
In his complaint, Pareek had stated that he had bought shoes from a Bata store in Sodala on April 16, 2016, for Rs 399. The store then had added Rs 2 to the bill and placed the shoe case in a paper bag.

“It is clear that the company was using the paper bag for its advertisement,” the court said. The consumer forum has also directed Bata India to provide free paper bags to its customers in the future.
 
In reply, Bata India had refuted the allegations. However, after hearing both sides, the forum ruled in favour of the consumer.
 
Earlier this year, Bata India was also penalised by the Chandigarh consumer forum for charging a customer for a paper bag and was asked to pay a fine of Rs 9,000
 
With the government of India banning single-use plastic, retailers are looking at alternatives like paper bags and cloth bags. However, many cases are being reported that retailers continue to charge an additional amount for these bags.
 
The case is one of several consumer cases this year relating to retail outlets’ carry bag policy. The latest verdict in the Bata case is expected to send a strong message to other retailers that charging for bags in this way is not allowed.