NEW DELHI: A Hyderabad district consumer commission has dismissed a complaint against Shoppers Stop over a Rs 10 paper carry bag charge and imposed Rs 10,000 exemplary costs on the complainant for filing what it termed a false and frivolous case. The commission directed Rs 5,000 to be paid to the retailer and the remaining Rs 5,000 to be deposited in the Consumer Welfare Fund. The order was passed on August 31, 2026.Why did the consumer approach the commission?According to the commission order, Suresh Kumar Amruthaluri purchased clothes from Shoppers Stop on March 10, 2025, for Rs 1,609. He was charged Rs 10 for a customized paper carry bag along with Rs 1.52 as GST at 18 percent.Amruthaluri alleged that the retailer had failed to properly describe the carry bag on the invoice and had violated labelling requirements under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011. He also alleged that Shoppers Stop charged different prices for carry bags of different sizes across its stores.He sought Rs 4 crore from the retailer, with 90 percent to be used for modernising consumer courts and 10 percent as compensation to him for mental agony, court expenses and for bringing the alleged violation to the commission’s notice.The retailer opposed the complaint and claimed that the carry bag was optional. It said the complainant was informed that the bag was chargeable and voluntarily chose to purchase it. Shoppers Stop also argued that the Legal Metrology rules did not apply because a paper carry bag was not a “pre-packed commodity”.The retailer further alleged that the complainant had previously filed a consumer complaint against it over a Rs 13 carry bag charge and had been awarded Rs 3,000 in that case.What did the commission observe?The bench comprising President Vakkanti Narasimha Rao and members P.V.T.R. Jawahar Babu and Suma Vala noted that the complainant had purchased a carry bag from Shoppers Stop on an earlier occasion and had already filed a complaint over the same issue.The commission found that the retailer had displayed information about the carry bag charges at different locations in the store. It also noted that the complainant had not disputed the photographs produced by Shoppers Stop showing such displays.“It is admitted fact that the complainant Purchased garments on 10-03-2025 vide Invoice No. 1015401824011536 for a total amount of Rs. 1,609/- (Rupees One-thousand six-hundred and nine only) including a carry bag charge of Rs. 10/- (Rupees Ten only) from the Opposite Party,” the commission observed.The commission also noted that Amruthaluri had earlier purchased clothes from the same retailer on August 20, 2023, and had paid Rs 13 for a carry bag. He filed a consumer complaint over that charge in 2024.The commission said the earlier case showed that he was aware that Shoppers Stop charged separately for carry bags. It found that despite this knowledge, he did not carry his own shopping bag when he visited the store again on March 10, 2025.The commission also considered the retailer’s claim that customers were informed about the charges before purchasing a carry bag. It noted that photographs showing “SAY NO” to carry bag notices at different locations, including the entry point, had been produced and were not disputed by the complainant.The commission examined the complainant’s other cases before it and noted that he had filed several consumer complaints against different traders and service providers.It listed five other cases filed by him, including complaints against Vijetha Super Market over carry bag charges, Bharati Airtel over SMS reminders for recharge, MakeMyTrip and Qatar Airways over alleged deficiency in service, a TV replacement claim and a complaint seeking refund of cinema ticket amounts over alleged toilet repairs at a mall.The commission concluded that the present complaint was not a genuine consumer dispute and that the process had been misused.“Admittedly, the Complainant is neither a Consumer Activist nor not a Social Reformer and proved to be a habitual litigant and in the habit of filing false and frivolous Consumer complaints against the traders and service providers in order to harass them to protect his self- interest and for personal gain with an ulterior motive by taking advantage of the Provisions of Consumer Protection Act, 2019 in his favour by mis-using as a weapon and caused a lot of inconvenience to the adjudication system by wasting the precious and valuable time of the Authorities appointed under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019,” the commission said.It held that the complaint failed to establish any deficiency in service or unfair trade practice and dismissed it as false, while imposing exemplary costs of Rs 10,000.The commission directed that Rs 5,000 of the costs be paid to Shoppers Stop and the remaining Rs 5,000 be deposited in the Consumer Welfare Fund account maintained by the commission. It gave 45 days from receipt of the order for compliance.
