Charged Rs 100 extra by shop on MRP for T-shirt, Punjab man wins Rs 8,000 payout

4 min readNew DelhiJul 14, 2026 04:00 PM IST

The complainanat alleged that he was charged Rs 100 extra over the MRP. (Image generated using AI)

A consumer commission in Punjab has directed a retailer to pay Rs 8,000 to a customer after holding it guilty of unfair trade practice for allegedly charging Rs 100 more than the MRP on a T-shirt.

President Naveen Puri and members Prem Singh Salaria and Harvimal Dogra, passed the ex parte order after the retailer failed to appear despite being served with notice.

“Charging even a single rupee above the established MRP constitutes an example of an unfair trade practice and a glaring deficiency in service under the Consumer Protection Act,” the order dated July 01 read.

Charged Rs 100 extra

The complainant stated that he visited an outlet on April 4, 2025, and selected a T-shirt carrying an MRP of Rs 199, inclusive of all taxes. However, at the billing counter, the store allegedly generated an invoice for Rs 299 and demanded an additional Rs 100.

The complainant alleged that despite raising the issue, the staff refused to rectify the bill. He further said that when the complainant requested to cancel the transaction to avoid being overcharged, the officials refused under the pretext that a GST bill had already been generated and reflected in their accounts.

Alleging illegal excess charge of Rs 100, the complainant moved consumer commission seeking refund and a compensation to the tune of Rs 1 lakh. The complainant produced the original MRP tag showing the price as Rs 199, the retail bill reflecting a charge of Rs 299, and his affidavit in support of the allegations.

Despite due service of notice, the retailer did not file a written statement or contest the proceedings, leading the commission to proceed ex parte.

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Customer granted relief

At the outset the commission noted that the MRP printed on a consumer commodity is the absolute peak price at which an item can legally be sold to an end consumer. It further observed that under the law MRP is strictly inclusive of all internal levies and taxes, including GST.

The commission remarked that charging even a single rupee more than the MRP constitutes an unfair trade practice and a deficiency in service under the Consumer Protection Act.

It also noted that the staff’s defence that they could not reverse a GST invoice was unacceptable.

“The alleged defense offered by the store officials regarding the inability to alter or reverse a GST Invoice is completely untenable in law. A consumer cannot be penalized for internal accounting mechanisms or software rigidities maintained by a retail entity,” the order read.

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The commission observed that while the overcharged sum was modest, the attitude of the retailer forced the consumer to approach the commission.

“While the overcharged principal sum is a modest Rs 100, the high-handed attitude of the Opposite Party forced a consumer to approach this Commission for legal redress, causing undue mental agony, harassment, and wastage of precious time. Such arbitrary commercial behavior must be discouraged,” the order stated.

It also noted that the non-appearance of the retailer proved that either they had admitted the claim of the complainant or it had no say in the matter.

Allowing the complaint partly, the commission directed the retailer to refund the excess Rs 100, pay Rs 5,000 as compensation for mental harassment and Rs 3,000 towards litigation expenses within 45 days of receiving the order.

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For consumer-related grievances, individuals may contact the consumer helpline in their respective states and union territories (Punjab helpline: 0800-22577) or call the National Consumer Helpline at 1915 for assistance.

Ashish Shaji is a Senior Sub-Editor at The Indian Express, where he specializes in legal journalism. Combining a formal education in law with years of editorial experience, Ashish provides authoritative coverage and nuanced analysis of court developments and landmark judicial decisions for a national audience.

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