New Delhi, January 13: Coffee chain Barista was Wednesday fined Rs.1 lakh by a consumer court for not disclosing how much coffee was there in a mug.
The New Delhi District Consumer Forum headed by K.K. Chopra said: “A consumer who pays for coffee has the right to know the (quantity) … served to consumers. Since the containers are not transparent … it denies the consumer the right to know the content. (This) is contrary to the law and amounts to unfair trade practices.”
The forum directed Barista to supply coffee in a transparent glass or mug, showing the quantity therein.
The ruling followed a complaint from Vikas Batra, a resident of Nimri Colony in Delhi who went to Barista’s Connaught Place outlet Jan 10, 2005. Batra noticed that the display board at the shop did not indicate the quantity served to customers.
Batra complained to the manager but he did not have an answer. So Batra approached the consumer forum.
Barista argued it was not necessary to detail the quantity in the menu list. The court rejected this argument. “As far as the weights and measures act is concerned, we have to see the rights of the consumer as well.”
The court asked Barista to pay Rs.1 lakh in fine. Of this, Rs.20,000 will be paid to the complainant and the rest will be deposited in the consumer welfare fund.
–Agencies