Mumbai: Andheri resident wins consumer affairs case against Pan Card Clubs, to get ₹9.47 lakh surrender value

An Andheri resident has won a consumer affairs case against Pan Card Clubs Ltd, a firm operating in the hospitality sector, and others.

In 2009, Deepak Koshti took the clubs' membership for ₹35,200. Under the 'New Royal Holiday' scheme, he was entitled for stay services but he didn't avail it during the nine years of his membership.

Later, the clubs refused to give back the surrender value of his membership which worked out to be ₹9.47 lakh. The amount was arrived at by calculating the room nights – a concept used to measure the guest's stay – which Koshti didn't use despite being entitled to.

District consumer commission settles case

Subsequently, the man approached the district consumer commission, central Mumbai against the clubs which is going through insolvency proceedings, as per its website. The commission observed that the “parties received the amounts from the complainant and gave assurances to him along with issuing certificates”. But they defaulted on giving the surrender value “which is deficiency in service and unfair trade practice”, it underscored.

In the order passed on December 30, 2022 and uploaded on February 2, 2023, the consumer forum directed Pan Card Clubs Ltd and others to Koshti ₹9.47 lakh with interest towards the surrender value of his membership. It also ordered Rs65,000 towards mental agony and litigation cost and stated that the amount can be claimed through a recovery officer, if appointed by the clubs.