NEW DELHI: A resort in Haryana has been ordered by a district consumer commission to refund Rs 75 and pay Rs 10,000 as compensation after it charged a customer more than the printed price for Mountain Dew during a party and misbehaved when the matter was raised.What was the issueThe complainant and his friends visited Lali Resort in Jhajjar on September 14, 2025 for a small get-together. During the outing, he ordered five 500 ml bottles of Mountain Dew, each carrying a printed price of Rs 35. However, the resort billed Rs 50 per bottle, charging Rs 15 extra on each drink.The total bill for the outing came to Rs 1,290, which also included other items.When the complainant pointed out the discrepancy at the time of payment and requested the resort not to charge more than the printed price, the staff refused to address the issue and misbehaved with him and his friends.Aggrieved, the complainant sent a legal notice to the resort on September 19, 2025 seeking a refund of the excess amount charged on the cold drinks, but received no response.He then approached the Jhajjar District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in December 2025, seeking a refund of Rs 1,290, compensation of Rs 20,000 for mental agony and harassment, and Rs 21,000 towards litigation expenses.What the commission saidThe bench comprising President Dr. Shahabuddin and Members Shriniwas Khundia and Veena Rani noted that the resort did not appear before the commission despite being served notice and the matter was decided ex-parte.Going through the bills and documents submitted by the complainant, the commission found that the resort had indeed charged Rs 50 per bottle against a printed price of Rs 35. It also noted that the complainant had made repeated requests for a refund, all of which went unaddressed. The bench concluded that the resort’s conduct amounted to a clear deficiency in service.Holding the resort guilty, the commission directed it to refund the excess Rs 75 along with 9 per cent interest per annum from the date of filing of the complaint until actual payment. It also directed the resort to pay Rs 10,000 as a lump sum towards mental agony, harassment and litigation expenses.The commission warned that if the payment is not made within 40 days, the entire amount will carry interest at 12 per cent per annum until fully paid.
