Dry-cleaner told pay for damage

In his complaint before the forum, a Chandimandir resident, C.P. Tiwari stated that he had entrusted 17 woollens to the opposite party on May 7 last year for dry cleaning. But when he took the delivery, he found his clothes had been directly pressed causing flattening of fabric. The proprietor of the shop ensured him that he would again get the clothes dry cleaned at the New Delhi plant, but the complainant found no improvement when he again went to take the delivery. The complainant had demanded a compensation of Rs 42,995 and another Rs 7,000 as compensation for being subjected to harassment.

The opposite party, however, maintained that the complainant had refused to take the delivery on flimsy grounds but the Forum bench maintained that had the clothes not been damaged they would not have been sent for re-drycleaning. The Bench, therefore, held the opposite party responsible for deficiency in service.

It was also maintained that two of the clothes were new and had been worn by the complainant only for one season. Observing that the opposite party did not refute the argument, the Bench directed it to pay the cost which was worked out at Rs 14,930.