5 min readNew DelhiAug 7, 2026 10:21 AM IST
First published on: Aug 7, 2026 at 10:21 AM IST
The Punjab State Consumer Commission has upheld directions to Honda Cars India Limited and its authorised dealer to honour a promised Dubai holiday and pay Rs 15,000 as compensation for mental harassment and Rs 8,000 towards litigation expenses to a Honda City buyer, eight years after he purchased the vehicle under a promotional scheme.
The commission held that rejecting the consumer’s claim over contradictory submission deadlines amounted to deficiency in service and unfair trade practice.
Punjab State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission president Justice Daya Chaudhary and members Simarjot Kaur and Vishav Kant Garg were hearing appeals by Honda Cars India Limited and its authorised dealer G S Auto World Private Limited against the Jalandhar District Consumer Commission‘s July 24, 2025 order partly allowing the consumer’s complaint.
“The discrepancy shows that the OPs were not inclined to entertain the request of the Complainant for a trip to Dubai and hence rejected his request. It tantamounts to an act of ‘deficiency in service‘ and ‘unfair trade practice’ on the part of the OPs… It was their (OPs) responsibility to honor/fulfil the promotional scheme (trip to Dubai) as it was offered by them and not by TPPL. Therefore, the plea of the OPs with regard to mis-joinder/non-joinder of parties is not justified,” the Commission said in its August 3 order.
The commission dismissed both appeals, upholding the district commission‘s directions requiring Honda Cars India Limited and G S Auto World Private Limited to honour the promotional offer of the Dubai trip and compensate the complainant.
Dream holiday
According to the complaint, M/s R K Enterprises, through its proprietor Rajesh Kumar, bought a Honda City from Galaxy Honda on July 27, 2018 after being promised a Dubai holiday for himself and his wife under a promotional scheme. He said the offer influenced his decision to buy the car as taking his wife abroad had long been a dream. The offer was valid until March 20, 2019.
According to the complainant, he filled up the booking form on August 21, 2018. Honda emailed him the next day confirming his registration for the Honda Assured Dubai Holiday Promotion. He obtained a demand draft of Rs 21,998 on September 15, 2018, and submitted the required documents.
Team Promotions Private Limited rejected his request on September 28, 2018, saying the booking form had reached it on September 20, 2018, beyond the deadline. Claiming the offer’s terms had never been explained and the promised holiday was wrongly denied, he approached the consumer forum.
On July 24, 2025, the district consumer commission directed Honda Cars India and its dealer to honour the Dubai holiday and pay Rs 15,000 as compensation for mental harassment and Rs 8,000 towards litigation expenses.
Honda appealed, arguing that Team Promotions Private Limited independently administered the scheme, the documents were submitted late and the agency was a necessary party. The complainant countered that Honda had wrongly calculated the deadline by treating the purchase date as the registration date.
Contradictory deadlines
The state commission found that Honda’s own documents contained contradictory deadlines.
While an email dated August 22, 2018 required the booking form to reach Team Promotions within 30 days of registration, the rejection letter stated that September 15, 2018 was the last date for its receipt.
Holding that this discrepancy showed the companies were not inclined to honour the complainant’s request, the commission ruled that the rejection amounted to deficiency in service and unfair trade practice.
The commission also rejected Honda’s plea that Team Promotions Private Limited was a necessary party, observing that the arrangement with the agency was internal and that the promotional offer had been made by the companies themselves.
It further noted that Honda had produced no documentary proof of when the booking form was received.
Finding no infirmity in the district commission’s order, the state commission dismissed both appeals and upheld the directions to honour the Dubai holiday offer and pay Rs 15,000 as compensation and Rs 8,000 towards litigation expenses.
Takeaway
If a company advertises a promotional benefit to induce a purchase, it cannot later evade responsibility by citing contradictory terms or blaming a third-party agency. Businesses are responsible for honouring offers made to consumers, and inconsistent conditions or arbitrary rejection of claims can amount to deficiency in service and unfair trade practice under the Consumer Protection Act.
For consumer-related grievances, individuals may contact the consumer helpline in their respective states and Union territories (Punjab: 0800–22577) or call the National Consumer Helpline at 1915 for assistance.
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Punjab State Consumer Commission held that contradictory deadlines used to reject the Dubai holiday claim amounted to deficiency in service. (Image generated using AI) 
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