Missing out one biscuit in a packet cost ₹1 lakh to FMCG major ITC. A Chennai-based consumer forum directed ITC Limited to pay ₹1 lakh for packing one biscuit less in a 16-biscuit “Sun Feast Marie Light” pack.
A Chennai-based resident bought ‘Sun Feast Marie Light’ biscuits to feed stray dogs. To his surprise, he found one biscuit less in the packets. When he went to ask for an explanation from the local store, his queries were left unanswered. Later, he approached ITC for an explanation. However, the company didn’t respond properly, reported Times of India in its report.
The event dates back to two years ago, when P Dillibabu of MMDA Mathur, in Chennai, bought two biscuit packets from a retail store in Manali to feed stray animals in December 2021. He found only fifteen biscuits in one of the packets. The wrapper mentioned 16 biscuits in its packaging, but it had only 15 biscuits, according to TOI.
ITC cheated the public of over ₹29 lakh every day
In his complaint, he pointed out how the FMCG major cheated the public over ₹29 lakh every day by providing one biscuit less than mentioned in the biscuit packaging.
P Dillibabu mentioned that the cost of each biscuit is ₹.75. Manufacturers produce around ₹50 lakh packets a day. On this basis, back-of-the-envelope calculations would suggest that the firm cheated the public of over ₹29 lakh every day, reported TOI citing the complaint filed by Dillibabu.
In response, the company said that the biscuits in the wrapper are sold only based on their weight and not on the number of biscuits. The mentioned net weight of the biscuit packet was said to be 76 grams. On weighing biscuit packets it was found that all unwrapped biscuit packets only contained 74 grams. In this way, ITC’s defense of the complaint was also turned down.
At last, the consumer court ordered ITC to pay ₹1 lakh to Dillibabu as compensation for adopting unfair trade practices. It also ordered the company to discontinue sales of the particular batch of biscuits.
6 Sep, 2023
Source : Livemint
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