A customer in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, has been awarded ₹10,520 in compensation following a successful complaint against a food delivery platform and a café for delivering pizzas significantly smaller than advertised. The Haridwar District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission found M/S Bundle Technologies Pvt. Ltd. and Cafe Fost Factory, Tapovan, jointly liable for a deficiency in service.
The Complaint: 10-Inch Ordered, 7-Inch Delivered
Jwalapur resident Raj Trehan filed the complaint after ordering two 10-inch pizzas from Cafe Fost Factory via an online food delivery application on March 10, 2020. The total cost of the order was ₹505. However, upon delivery, Trehan discovered the pizzas measured only seven inches. He immediately reported the discrepancy to customer support and requested a refund, but his request was denied despite the issue being acknowledged.
After exhausting avenues with the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) and the CPGRAMS portal, and sending a legal notice, Trehan escalated the matter to the consumer commission.
Commission Rejects Platform's Defense
During the proceedings, the food delivery platform argued that its role was merely an intermediary, connecting customers with restaurants, and therefore it was not responsible for the food's preparation, packaging, or sale. The commission, however, rejected this defense.
The bench, headed by President Gagan Kumar Gupta with members Dr. Amaresh Rawat and Ranjana Goyal, determined that both the platform and the café were responsible for the service deficiency. They found that the delivered product did not match the description provided on the online platform.
Breakdown of the ₹10,520 Award
The commission ordered both parties to jointly and severally pay Raj Trehan a total of ₹10,520 within 45 days. The compensation includes:
- ₹505: Reimbursement for the cost of the pizzas.
- ₹15: Refund for delivery charges.
- ₹5,000: Compensation for mental and physical harassment suffered by the complainant.
- ₹5,000: Coverage for litigation expenses.
This ruling underscores the accountability of online platforms and vendors to ensure products delivered match their advertised descriptions, protecting consumer rights against such discrepancies.