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After wedding belongings ‘destroyed’ in transit, courier firm ordered to pay Rs 4 lakh as compensation
Despite paying around Rs10,500 for the delivery, the consignment never reached her destination on time. She later received a WhatsApp message from the courier company claiming that the goods had been “destroyed during transit.”
Despite paying around Rs10,500 for the delivery, the consignment never reached her destination on time. (Image generated using AI)
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Ropar, Camp Court at Mohali, has held a courier company accountable for losing a woman’s wedding belongings during transit from Bengaluru to Mohali and directed it to compensate her for the loss.
The commission ordered the company to pay Rs 4 lakh as compensation for the lost goods, along with 9 per cent annual interest from the specified date. It also directed the firm to refund the Rs 10,500 courier charges and pay an additional Rs 20,000 for mental harassment and litigation expenses.
The complainant, a resident of Sector 70, Mohali, told the commission that she had shifted from Bengaluru to Mohali during the Covid pandemic and had sent her wedding belongings through a courier service. The shipment reportedly included clothes, footwear, electronic items, kitchen goods and decorative articles.
Despite paying around Rs10,500 for the delivery, the consignment never reached her destination on time. She later received a WhatsApp message from the courier company claiming that the goods had been “destroyed during transit.”
According to the complaint, the company neither delivered the items nor offered compensation. After repeated attempts failed to elicit a satisfactory response, the woman approached the consumer commission.
During the proceedings, the courier company failed to appear before the commission despite notices and was subsequently declared ex parte.
After examining the records and evidence, the commission bench comprising R.K. Gupta, Ranvir Kaur and Kuljitpal Singh observed that the consignment was lost in transit and termed it a clear case of deficiency in service.
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The panel noted that although bills for every item were not produced, the overall circumstances and available records justified assessing the loss at Rs 4 lakh.
In its order, the commission said service providers cannot evade responsibility for consumer losses and must be held accountable for negligence.
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