Alcohol shop charges Rs 75 extra for beer bottle, Himachal man wins Rs 12,500 payout

Himachal Pradesh's consumer commission has forced a liquor store and its employee to give back Rs 75 and pay Rs 12,500 to a buyer who was wrongly charged Rs 230 for a beer bottle with an MRP of only Rs 155. The panel found that selling any packaged item or excisable product for more than its marked price is a clear breach of the Legal Metrology Act, Consumer Protection Act, and local excise rules.

Charging above the MRP is also considered an unfair trade practice under Section 2(47) of the 2019 Consumer Protection Act, and amounts to a serious service deficiency. The commission said the shop and employee refused to give a receipt, which showed they were trying to hide their illegal actions. The complainant brought a complaint after visiting the shop in Kangra on April 27, 2026 and buying the beer bottle.

The salesman said he was following the shop owner's instructions and refused to give a receipt. The consumer commission ruled against the shop and employee because they did not contest the complaint and the complainant's evidence could not be disputed. The commission ordered the shop and employee to refund Rs 75 and pay Rs 12,500 in compensation plus Rs 7,500 for legal fees.

They also said the order should be sent to the Excise and Taxation Department in Dharamshala for further action.