Consumer's win against overcharging heartening

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Amid the general gloom brought about by the pandemic and bad news all around, there are several stories that shine bright like the sun peeking through dark clouds on an overcast day.

One among this was a report in this paper about how a consumer pursued a case after he was overcharged R10 for a packet of ice cream. He took the option of going to the consumer court and fought a battle for five long years. In the end, he won.

The restaurant had to return the princely sum of R10 and pay him R15,000 as compensation and was directed not to overcharge customers. The establishment has also been directed to pay a fine of Rs 2,00,000 to the consumer welfare fund within a stipulated time.

Justice has been served and the triumphant consumer showed that at times, it is not the money but the principle that matters.

He did not buckle under pressure that could have come from self-doubt or from people advising him not to waste time and money on something like being overcharged just R10.

It should serve as a warning to establishments routinely charging more than the MRP, especially for cold drinks and the like, citing cooling or fridge charges.

The consumer law must have more teeth and court cases must move much quicker so that people repose more confidence in the consumer courts and their rights are upheld.

Five years seems like a stupendous amount of time, for a case like this and the machinery needs to be much better oiled.

Meanwhile, this is a testament to determination and perseverance. It shows us that sometimes David vs Goliath battles are won by David not just in the Biblical story, but in real life too.

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