Bought 4 kg onions but ‘scale showed just 3.5 kg’, Punjab man wins Rs 20,000 payout

A Punjab man has been awarded Rs 20,000 in compensation after a store sold him onion packets that weighed significantly less than advertised, according to a recent consumer commission ruling. Kuljit Pal Singh, president of the Ropar District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, along with members Ranvir Kaur and Ramesh Kumar Gupta, found the supermarket and its parent company guilty of "selling underweight" onions and unfair trade practices.

The complainant purchased two packets of onions, each labeled as 2 kg, for Rs 36, believing they would provide him with 4 kg of onions. However, when he weighed the packets on the store's scale, they only totaled 3.574 kg. The discrepancy of 0.426 kg led him to file a complaint with the consumer commission, seeking a refund and compensation for the deficiency.

The supermarket admitted to receiving the complaint but argued that there was no visible discrepancy in the pre-packed onions at the time of sale. Despite offering to have the customer return the product for weighing, the complainant did not follow through. The consumer commission noted that no staff member at the store attempted to resolve the issue promptly.

The commission directed the supermarket and its parent company to jointly pay Rs 20,000 in compensation to the consumer, including litigation expenses, within one month of receiving the order. This case underscores the importance of retailers ensuring the accuracy of pre-packed goods' weights and addressing consumer complaints promptly to avoid unfair trade practices.