India
Updated : Dec 05, 2014, 10:53 PM IST
A city-based travel agency must not only refund the cost of a travel package to the complainant, but also pay interest on the amount, and give compensation for mental agony caused to the complainant, ruled the Central Mumbai district consumer dispute redressal forum recently.
What was the complaint?
The complainant, Neelam Global private ltd of Marine Lines, in April 2011 booked two tickets to Germany-- one ticket for the firm's director, the other for the CEO-- so they could take part in a trade fair which was to be held there between May 12 and May 18, 2011. The complainant then cancelled the travel plans and asked for a refund. The request was denied by the travel agency, city-based Harvey India Tours and Travels private limited, which said the tickets were non-refundable. It then emerged that the travel agency had given fake tickets to the complainant firm, and the firm approached the consumer forum. The complainant firm had paid Rs. 3.73 lakh for the travel package.
What was the consumer forum's ruling?
The consumer forum held that there was a deficiency in service on the part of the travel agency and its associate firm. The consumer forum asked them to pay back the entire travel package amount along with nine percent interest on the amount from November 2011. The forum also asked the travel firm to pay an additional amount of Rs 50,000 for the mental agony caused to the complainant and Rs 5,000 as compensation towards the cost of litigation.
Did the travel agency book air tickets as promised?
The travel agency had sent Swiss Air tickets to the complainant. The complaint said that on May 7, the director of the complainant firm met with an accident, and the travel plans to Germany were shelved. The complainant firm requested the travel agency to repay the travel package amount, but the travel agency kept stalling. The firm then followed up with Swiss Air.
What did the airlines say?
Swiss Air said there were no tickets booked in the names of the complainant's personnel. The associate firm of the travel agency then informed the complainant that the booking was with Air France. But when the complainant asked Air France, it emerged that there was no booking with this airline either.
What did the travel agency say?
The travel agency claimed to have told the complainant firm that the amount was non-refundable. The travel agency also claimed to be unaware of the fact that its associates did not book the complainant's plane tickets. The argument failed to move the consumer forum.