One biscuit less in a packet has cost Rs 1 lakh to FMCG major ITC. It happened after a consumer forum in Chennai directed ITC to pay Rs 1 lakh as a packet of 16 biscuits had one biscuit less inside the pack — 15 biscuits.
The case started after a Chennai-based resident, P Dillibabu, purchased a packet of ITC’s Sunfeast Marie Light biscuits to feed stray dogs in December 2021. He noticed that though the package mentioned 16 biscuits, the pack actually had 15 biscuits in it. One biscuit was missing.
Dillibabu reached out to the local store and ITC for an explanation but did not receive a satisfactory response, according to Times of India.
He then filed a complaint with a consumer court, noting that each biscuit costs 75 paise. In his complaint, he said ITC manufactures 50 lakh packets of biscuits a day. Going by these numbers, the company is cheating consumers of Rs 29 lakh every day.
ITC argued that biscuits are sold based on weight, not number. The net weight mentioned on each packet of Sunfeast Marie Light is 76 grams. However, the court found that each pack containing 15 biscuits weighed only 74 grams.
ITC then argued that the Legal Metrology Rules of 2011 allowed a maximum discrepancy of 4.5 grams in pre-packaged goods. However, the court rejected this explanation saying such exemptions are valid only in case of volatile products. The rule does not apply to biscuits since they don’t lose weight over time.
At last, the consumer court ordered ITC to pay Rs 1 lakh to Dillibabu as compensation for adopting unfair trade practices.
Comments
0 comment