A dispute over a Rs 10 carry bag charge has ended with a Hyderabad consumer forum imposing a Rs 10,000 penalty on the complainant after he sought Rs 4 crore in relief and was found to have filed a frivolous consumer complaint.
The Indian Express reported that the Hyderabad Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-II found the complainant to be an habitual litigant who had filed several complaints against traders and service providers without sufficient evidence of deficiency in service or unfair trade practice.
The commission dismissed the complaint as false, frivolous and vexatious and imposed Rs 10,000 in exemplary costs.
Of this, Rs 5,000 will be paid to the retailer, while the remaining Rs 5,000 will be deposited in the Consumer Welfare Fund maintained by the commission.
How did a Rs 10 charge become a Rs 4 crore dispute?
According to The Indian Express, the complainant bought clothes worth Rs 1,609 from a retailer on March 10, 2025. He was separately charged Rs 10 for a customised paper carry bag.
The consumer challenged the charge, alleging that the description of the item in the invoice was unclear. He also argued that separately charging customers for carry bags amounted to an unfair trade practice.
The complaint went considerably beyond the Rs 10 charge. The consumer sought Rs 4 crore to be deposited into the consumer commission’s account, alleging that the retailer was effectively taking away the “hard-earned money” of the public.
Retailer said bag was optional
The retailer disputed the allegations and told the commission that the carry bag was an “optional purchase”.
According to the retailer, the complainant had voluntarily opted to purchase the bag and was informed beforehand that carry bags were chargeable.
The retailer said notices and information regarding the charges had been prominently displayed at multiple locations inside its premises.
It also argued that the complaint was not a bona fide consumer dispute but part of repeated litigation over the same issue, allegedly with the objective of extracting money through consumer proceedings.
Consumer had filed several other complaints
The commission examined the complainant’s previous litigation and found that he had filed several other consumer complaints against different businesses.
According to The Indian Express, the bench concluded that these complaints appeared to lack a genuine cause and that the complainant had failed to establish either deficiency in service or an unfair trade practice in the present matter.
The commission described him as an “habitual litigant”, noting that he had filed numerous complaints without substantial proof to establish the alleged violations. The bench held that the complaint was false and frivolous and warranted the imposition of exemplary costs.
Rs 10,000 costs imposed
The Hyderabad Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-II dismissed the complaint and directed the complainant to pay Rs 10,000.
The amount was split equally:
Rs 5,000 to be paid to the retailer
Rs 5,000 to be deposited with the Consumer Welfare Fund
The complainant therefore received no relief over the Rs 10 carry bag charge and was instead ordered to pay costs.
What does this mean for consumers?
The case highlights that consumer forums are meant to provide a remedy where a consumer can establish deficiency in service or an unfair trade practice.
Consumers can certainly challenge charges they believe are unlawful or unfair. However, the complaint must be supported by evidence establishing the alleged violation.
The order also serves as a reminder that consumer proceedings can have consequences for complainants who repeatedly bring cases without sufficient grounds. Where a complaint is found to be frivolous or vexatious, consumer commissions can impose “exemplary costs” rather than award compensation.