Mumbai: After the Mumbai Grahak Panchayat (MGP) addressed a complaint to the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) regarding alleged service charges levied by several Mumbai-based restaurants under the guise of a “welfare fund,” activists have said that not only should legal authorities take strict action against the restaurants for their wrongdoing, but consumers also have an equal responsibility to ensure that such misconduct is immediately reported to the appropriate forum.
Beyond Social Media Shaming to Formal Complaints
Activists said that citizens should not restrict themselves to merely shaming these restaurants on social networking sites, for violating rules, but should also register complaints on the National Consumer Helpline number 1915.
Advocate Shirish Deshpande, Chairman of MGP, said, “There are two important judgments I would like to refer to. First, Café Blue Bottle in Patna was penalised and asked to refund the extra charges levied on its customers. Additionally, a fine of Rs 30,000 was imposed for violation of consumer rights. The second case is against a Mumbai-based China Gate restaurant, which was penalised Rs 50,000 for the same violation of consumer rights. Considering the orders passed in these earlier cases, we are confident that consumers will be provided justice and that the restaurants against whom we have filed complaints will also be brought under the stringent provisions of the Consumer Protection Act.”
Call for Mandatory Display of No-Service-Charge Notices
Advocate Deshpande further appealed to consumers to be more aware and proactive in reporting such wrongdoing. “It should also be made mandatory for every restaurant to display on its premises a notice stating, ‘We do not accept or levy any kind of service charge,’ which will make consumers more comfortable,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Manohar Kamat, General Secretary of the Consumer Guidance Society of India (CGSI), said that the legal system in India should be prompt and stringent enough to deter restaurants from engaging in illegal practices. “These restaurants should be levied with hefty fines that would severely impact them financially, and this money should be diverted to welfare funds of the country. Only a significant financial penalty will deter hoteliers from adopting such illegal practices, which ultimately cheat consumers. A stronger legal system will ensure that everyone operates under the same rules,” he said.
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