• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

A consumer court in Bengaluru ruled that IKEA India was guilty of unfair trade practice and service deficiency for making a customer pay for Rs 20 for a carry bag with IKEA written on it. The court directed the multinational furniture retailer to refund the amount with interest and pay Rs 3,000 as compensation for harassment and court expenses.

The complainant, Sangeetha Bohra, had visited the Ikea store at Nagasandra on October 6, 2022 and purchased goods worth Rs 2,428. She was surprised to see that she had been charged Rs 20 for a paper bag with an IKEA logo and questioned the staff about it. She was told that it was mandatory to buy the bag and she had no choice but to do so.

Bohra sent a legal notice to Ikea on October 17, 2022, alleging that forcing customers to buy bags with the printed logo of the brand amounts to spurious advertising and an unfair trade practice under the law. IKEA replied that there was nothing unfair or suspicious about selling paper bags with their logo and refused to refund the money.

Bohra then approached the Bengaluru Urban first additional district consumer disputes redressal commission in Shantinagar with a complaint against IKEA India Pvt Ltd in March 2023, as reported by TOI.

ALSO READ: Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport Tops Global On-Time Performance List Released By Cirium

IKEA’s counsel argued that the complaint was false and liable to be dismissed. They claimed that there was no direct or indirect compulsion for customers to buy paper bags and there were no hidden charges involved.

The judges of the consumer forum rejected IKEA’s contention and observed that the seller has to bear all expenses involving putting the goods in a deliverable state for the customer. They said that if purchasing a carry bag is made mandatory, the customer can’t bring bags for each and every item. They expressed shock over the attitude of big showrooms and malls in this regard and said IKEA had committed service deficiency and unfair trade practices.

ALSO READ: Three People Close To Congress Karnataka Minister Detained For Fake Voter ID Scam

The court pronounced its verdict on October 4, 2023 and ordered IKEA India Pvt Ltd to refund with interest the Rs 20 collected for the bag, apart from paying Rs 1,000 to the customer as compensation for harassment and causing mental agony as well as Rs 2,000 towards her court expenses. All the money needs to be paid within 30 days from the date of order.