MP: Consumer forum raps car dealer for overcharging customer, orders compensation for mental agony

Indore, Feb 15 (PTI) The district consumer forum in Madhya Pradesh's Indore pulled up a car dealer for overcharging a customer more than Rs 35,000 and ordered him to pay compensation for mental harassment.

The forum termed the car dealer's action a "deficiency in service and unfair trade practice" and ordered him to return the amount he overcharged to the customer along with six per cent interest per annum and pay compensation for mental harassment and the cost of fighting the case.

District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission president Vikas Rai and its member Nidhi Barange gave the order to the car dealer, Patel Motors, on February 6 on the complaint by Dr Manoharlal Bhandari, a former professor of a government medical college here.

The complainant's lawyer gave the information about the order on Saturday.

"The dealer has definitely committed deficiency in service and unfair trade practice against the complainant by overcharging him Rs 35,518," the order stated.

It said the dealer already paid Rs 1,531 to the complainant, and he must now pay the remaining Rs 33,987.

The forum ordered the dealer to also pay 6 per cent per annum interest on this amount to the complainant and to give him Rs 5,000 for the mental agony and inconvenience caused and Rs 5,000 as the cost of fighting the case.

Bhandari's lawyer, Chanchal Gupta, said his client had bought a new car from Patel Motors in exchange for his old vehicle in 2019, but the dealer charged him a higher price than the lucrative deal he was offered.

Gupta said that despite several attempts, the car dealer did not return the amount he had overcharged to the complainant, who had to approach the forum. PTI HWP ADU ARU