Bengaluru: A New Year’s day lunch outing turned into a consumer dispute over inflated billing at a pub in the city. A Ramamurthy Nagar resident alleged that he was charged above menu prices and was threatened when he questioned the bill. The 2nd additional district consumer disputes redressal commission has now held this as unfair trade practice and directed the pub to pay full refund along with compensation and litigation costs.The saga began on Jan 1, 2025 when PC Sravan Kumar, 30, visited Secret Story Bar & Kitchen at HAL II Stage, Indiranagar, along with his friends for lunch. During the visit, the restaurant provided a menu card listing prices for liquor and non-alcoholic drinks. However, after the meal, the staff presented a bill charging higher than the prices printed on the menu, leaving him in shock. Kumar alleged that when he enquired about the discrepancies, the restaurant staff threatened him with dire consequences, forcing him to pay the full inflated bill.He issued a legal notice to the bar and also filed complaints with authorities under the legal metrology department, citing overcharging and unfair practices. Claiming deficiency in service and unfair trade practices, Kumar filed a consumer complaint on June 5 last year, seeking relief. The restaurant’s representatives didn’t appear before the commission and were placed ex parte.The commission, comprising president Vijaykumar M Pawale and member V Anuradha, noted specific instances of overcharging, including Litchi Blush priced at Rs 295 in the menu but billed at Rs 325, Diet Coke priced at Rs 140 but billed at Rs 160, and Budweiser Magnum priced at Rs 240 per bottle but billed at Rs 540 for two bottles (instead of Rs 480). It also noted that a 10% service charge of Rs 76 was collected on a bill of Rs 760 for items including Budweiser Premium and Bacardi Superior, apart from GST.The commission said the guidelines issued by the Central Consumer Protection Authority and the act of levying service charges and charging beyond menu prices amounted to unfair trade practice and deficiency in service. It reiterated that the pricing of food and beverages already includes service, and any amount charged beyond menu prices and applicable taxes violates consumer rights.On March 23, 2026, the consumer forum ordered Secret Story Bar & Kitchen to refund Rs 2,708 with interest at 8% per annum from Jan 1, 2025, till realisation, along with Rs 5,000 as compensation and Rs 2,000 as litigation costs.
