CHENNAI: Observing that even a marginal excess charge over the printed maximum retail price (MRP) constitutes an unfair trade practice, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Chennai (North), has directed a city retail outlet to pay Rs 12,000 compensation to a consumer who was overcharged for a stationery product.
The commission passed the order on a complaint filed by one Basariya of Vyasarpadi against Revathi Home Needs, a departmental store in Perambur, alleging that the retailer had sold her a Fevicol adhesive tube after affixing a higher MRP sticker over the manufacturer’s printed price.
According to the complainant, she had purchased stationery items worth Rs 1,136 from the outlet on May 15, 2025. Later, while attempting to use the adhesive, she allegedly found the product emitting a foul smell and noticed that the original MRP of Rs 11 had been covered with another sticker which showed the price as Rs 12.
Despite tendering a legal notice, the retailer neither responded nor addressed the grievance, the complaint stated.
The counsel for the retailer contended that the excess pricing was the result of an inadvertent labelling error by store staff and not a deliberate act. The retailer, represented by its manager, also submitted that the complainant had not approached the store seeking a replacement of the product.
Rejecting the explanation, the commission said, “It is a case where the opposite party intended to paste a price sticker, which is higher than the actual MRP, in order to enrich themselves through unfair trade practices,” the commission observed.
The bench comprising president D Gopinath and members Kavitha Kannan and TR Sivakumhar held that packaged products did not require additional pricing stickers and ruled that the conduct amounted to unfair trade practice under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
While the commission did not accept the allegation relating to defective quality of the adhesive for want of material evidence, it ruled decisively on the issue of overpricing.
The commission directed the retailer to discontinue such practices and ordered a payment of Rs 10,000 as compensation and Rs 2,000 towards litigation costs within 30 days, failing which it would attract 9% annual interest from the date of purchase.