Guwahati: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has warned hotels and restaurants against imposing additional charges such as ‘LPG charges’, ‘gas surcharge’ or ‘fuel cost recovery’ by default or automatically in the consumer bills, calling it an unfair trade practice under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.Acting on complaints received through the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) and media reports, the CCPA observed that such charges are being added by default, over and above menu prices and applicable taxes, in an attempt to bypass existing guidelines on service charges. The authority clarified that input costs such as LPG, fuel, electricity and other operational expenses are part of running a business and must be factored into menu pricing. “The price displayed in the menu shall be the final price, exclusive only of applicable taxes and consumers shall not be misled or compelled to pay any additional charge that is not voluntary in nature,” the CCPA stated.Recovering them separately through mandatory charges amounts to violation of Section 2(47) of the Act. The advisory under Section 10 of the Act directs that menu prices must reflect the final cost, exclusive only of applicable taxes, and consumers cannot be compelled to pay any additional charge that is not voluntary.Consumers encountering such practices have been advised to request removal of the charge from the bill, lodge complaints via NCH (dial 1915 or use the mobile app), file cases before the Consumer Commission through the e-Jagriti portal, or approach the district collector or the CCPA directly.
