For charging Rs 18 for carry bags, Big Bazaar told to pay Rs 1,500 to 2 customers, Rs 20K to Legal Aid

In its reply, Big Bazaar said that the amount which was charged for the cloth bag from the complainant was rightly charged as the same was displayed in the store. The complainant had consented to be given a carry bag for an additional charge and only after the same was conveyed to the cashier, the cashier had added the price of the bag to the total amount and had placed the products in the bag.

Meanwhile, they are not selling carry bags commercially and are only reimbursing itself for a part of the price incurred by it in procuring the carry bags. The cost price of the cloth bag provided by them is in fact higher than the price (Rs 18) it charges for the same from the consumers, who wish to separately purchase a cloth bag.

After hearing the arguments, the forum held that “It would have been very odd and inconvenient for the complainant to carry the articles in hand without a carry bag. In this backdrop, charges for such things (cloth bags) cannot be separately foisted upon the consumers and would amount to overcharging.”

Thus, the forum directed Big Bazaar to refund Rs 18 and pay Rs 1,500 to each of the complainants as compensation and litigation charges. It also directed the store to deposit Rs 20,000 in the Consumer Legal Aid Account.