The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-l, Hyderabad, has directed Country Vacations to pay Rs. 40,000 to a consumer for indulging in ‘unfair and restrictive’ trade practices. The said amount included a refund of the Rs. 36,000 paid by the complainant to the company for membership.
The ruling came after M. Rajesh, a resident of Kukatpally, had approached the forum with the complaint that he had paid Rs. 36,000 to Country Vacations in January 2011 for a club membership, and later found out that the terms and conditions were different from what he was told by the company’s executives. Aggrieved, he asked them to cancel his membership and return his money.
Rajesh wrote in his complaint to the forum that the company did not respond to his emails, and hence he approached the Commission. Apart from the Rs.36,000, he also asked for a compensation of Rs. 5,000 from Country Vacations, and interest on the Rs. 36,000 at 12 per cent per annum, from January 2011 till the date of realisation.
In response to Rajesh’s complaint, Country Vacations denied any wrongdoing on its part and stated that in his membership, he was allowed to request for accommodation of two nights and three years every year, for three consecutive years. The company also said that membership fee is non-refundable under any circumstances, and that it is not a deposit.
After going through the entire evidence presented, the hearing bench noted that the company executives had, in fact, made many calls to Rajesh and his wife stating that they had won a surprise gift and to come and collect it. However, on meeting the executives, the couple were instead told about ‘benefits’ they would get on taking a membership with the company.
Finally, the forum directed the company to pay Rajesh Rs. 40,000, along with costs of Rs. 1,000.
