The Additional District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has ordered a Goa-based travel agency to refund ₹8,000 to complainant Manoj Kumar, a resident of Khapri, Nagpur, along with 9% annual interest. The agency has also been directed to pay ₹10,000 as compensation and litigation expenses.
Kumar filed the complaint alleging that the company had enticed him into buying a holiday membership plan during his 2021 trip to Goa with false promises of discounted annual charges, extra stay benefits, and complimentary gifts. He paid ₹25,000 for the plan, but later realized that the written contract did not mention any of these commitments.
When Kumar tried to avail the services using a gift voucher, the company allegedly demanded extra charges and did not provide proper booking assistance. Despite repeated follow-ups, he received only ₹17,000 as a partial refund, with a promise that the remaining ₹8,000 would be paid in installments. However, the balance was never cleared, which led Kumar to take the matter to the commission.
The bench, consisting of President Satish Sapre and members Milind Kedar and Shital Petkar, ruled that Kumar qualified as a “consumer” under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. The commission also rejected the agency’s defense that the matter had already been settled.
The company’s counsel argued that the case did not fall under Nagpur’s jurisdiction since the agreement had been executed in Goa and further claimed that the refund of ₹17,000 was a full and final settlement. The commission, however, rejected these submissions, noting that the agency failed to furnish adequate proof of settlement. It further held that the company’s failure to deliver on its promises constituted “deficiency in service and adoption of unfair trade practices.”
“It was admitted that the op-posite party had refunded 17,000 to the complainant upon his demand, which clearly indicates that there was a deficiency in the serv-ice provided by the opposite party, and they acknowledged the need to return the amount taken,” the commis-sion noted, granting relief to Kumar.
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