‘Misleading’ Onam offer: Textile retailer ordered to pay Rs 31,500 to senior citizen

An 81-year-old consumer was ordered to receive Rs 31,500 by an Ernakulam consumer commission after a textile retailer was found to have misled him with an Onam promotional advertisement. The commission ruled that the advertisement gave a false impression of a Rs 1,500 shopping benefit for a purchase of Rs 3,000, but the benefit was actually subject to three separate future minimum purchases during specified months.

The complainant visited the showroom with his son and daughter-in-law after seeing the advertisement, purchasing garments worth Rs 4,055. He only learned afterward that the advertised Rs 1,500 benefit was not immediate or unconditional, but rather three coupons of Rs 500 each redeemable only against future purchases of at least Rs 1,500 during the next three months.

The commission found that the prominent benefit in the advertisement was not reasonably noticeable to an ordinary consumer, and that the restrictive conditions were printed in small, inconspicuous lettering. Additionally, the commission noted that the tax invoices were printed with poor-quality ink/paper, fading to substantial illegibility within a few months.

The commission awarded Rs 1,500 in restitution and Rs 25,000 in compensation for unfair trade practice, deficiency in service, mental distress, and loss of time. They also ordered the retailer to cease publishing misleading promotional advertisements and directed them to provide durable and legible invoices.