Pay Rs 50,000 for delayed delivery,Consumer forum tells packers

The Mumbai Suburban Consumer Forum has directed a packing company to pay one of its clients Rs 50,000 for delaying the delivery of articles. In November 2007,Alka Rehani Bhardwaj,Director,office of Principal Director of Audit hired Caravan Roadways Ltd to get her belongings transferred from Delhi to Mumbai.

The company took an advance of Rs 14,000 for transportation of the articles that included crockery,refrigerator,air conditioner,computer,gas burner and a chimney. The company,however,was unable to make the delivery in the stipulated three days. Bhardwaj lodged a complaint with the police and in a week her goods reached Mumbai. In the complaint Bhardwaj claimed that most of the articles were damaged and she had to purchase them again. As per the complaint,Bhardwaj followed up with the company who refused to take any repsonsibility. Bhardwaj then apporached the consumer forum seeking a compensation of Rs 1 lakh.

Caravan Roadways claimed it did not make any promises. “The transportation of goods will be done at the owners’ risk,” the company said. The forum observed that there was a serious deficiency in service on the part of the company and Bhardwaj had to go through the agony of approaching the police and buying new appliances as most were damaged. The forum also took into consideration that most of the goods were not new and ordered a compensation of Rs 50,000 as against Rs 1 lakh sought by Bhardwaj.

The forum asked the company to compensate Bhardwaj within eight weeks failing which they would have to pay the amount with a 9 per cent interest on the compensation amount from 2007. The company has also been asked to pay a fine of Rs 5,000 for causing mental agony to Bhardwaj.