Driving licence sent to US ‘untraceable’, Punjab family wins compensation

A consumer commission in Mohali has ordered a courier company to pay Rs 5,351 to two complainants after a consignment containing their original driving licence was lost and became untraceable. The licence was sent to the United States, but was not delivered by the promised date of December 27, 2021. The complainants were forced to obtain a duplicate licence, costing them $31, or Rs 2,849 at the exchange rate.

In addition to paying the courier charges of Rs 2,502, the commission ruled that the company must also pay compensation for the duplicate licence and mental distress. The courier company's defence that its liability was limited to Rs 100 for an uninsured consignment was rejected, as they should have made the sender aware of this limitation at the time of booking.