Bata fined for charging for a paper bag - Fusion - WeRIndia

Bata fined ₹9,000 for charging for a paper bag

Bata fined ₹9,000 for charging for a paper bag

Earlier if you purchased a product or some items from a store, they used to provide free carry bags to take them home.

Then, due to environment pollution, ban on plastic carry bags issue came into the picture. The carry bags that have thickness lesser than the specifications have been banned by the government.

In this context, several stores began a practice of charging for carry bags in the name of government’s order.

The charges range from ₹3 to ₹5. Some stores even charge ₹8.


Several customers are not aware of their rights while buying. That’s why they say ‘yes’ to whatever rules the businesses implement.

Here is an instance of a man who fought and won against Bata, the famous shoe showroom.

Dinesh Prasad Raturi is a Chandigarh resident. He bought a pair of shoes from Bata India Limited for ₹399. But, the store charged ₹402 including the charges of a paper bag.

Then, Dinesh filed a complaint against the company in the consumer forum asking for the refund of ₹3 that was charged for bag and compensation for deficiency in services. The complaint also stated that the bag has the name of Bata for which he paid and it was not justified.

The consumer forum slammed Bata for charging for a paper bag. It also said that it was the duty of stores to provide free bags to the customers who had purchased their products. And if they are really worried about the environment, they should have to provide free environment-friendly bags to their customers.

As per the decision of the forum, Bata India has to pay a fine of ₹9,000 in addition to the refund of bag cost ₹3. These include litigation charges ₹1,000, compensation ₹3,000, and deposit into the legal aid account of the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission ₹5,000.

The Chandigarh consumer forum’s decision is an eye opener for all the stores that compel customers to pay for carry bags.

Image credit: Image by BRRT from Pixabay (Free for commercial use)


Image Reference: https://pixabay.com/it/photos/borsa-sacchetto-di-carta-2515878/

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *