Bengaluru woman wins case against Flipkart

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: A city-based woman sued ecommerce giant Flipkart after discovering she was charged double the maximum retail price (MRP) for a shampoo during the Big Billion Days sale.

The consumer court ruled in favor of Sowmya P, slamming Flipkart for unfair practices and awarding her Rs 20,000 in compensation. Influenced by sale advertisements, Sowmya had ordered a Patanjali Kesh Kanti protein hair cleanser for Rs 191 through a UPI app, PhonePe.

Upon receiving it on October 10, 2019, she realized the MRP was Rs 95, significantly less than the charged price.

The same shampoo was listed on the Flipkart app for Rs 140, with an additional Rs 99 for shipping. This differed significantly from the price Sowmya paid and the MRP on the product label.

Disappointed with the response from Flipkart's customer care, Sowmya opted for legal action to seek a fair resolution. In its verdict, the consumer forum ruled against Flipkart, finding them guilty of unfair trade practices for selling a shampoo bottle above its maximum retail price (MRP).

The verdict included that a refund of Rs 96, the excess amount charged for the shampoo, be made along with a compensation of Rs 10,000 to Sowmya for service deficiency, an additional Rs 5,000 penalty for unfair trade practices and Rs 5,000 to cover Sowmya's court expenses.