Ikea slapped with Rs 3,000 fine for charging Bengaluru woman with Rs 20 for carry bag

A Bengaluru court has ordered multinational furniture retailer Ikea to pay a woman Rs 3,000 for charging her Rs 20 for a carry bag. The woman, Sangeetha Bohra, had filed a complaint with the consumer court after she was charged for the carry bag at the Ikea store in Nagasandra on October 6, 2022.

Sangeetha Bohra, living in Jogupalya, questioned staff after discovering she was charged Rs 20 for a carrier bag with the Ikea logo. Disturbed by the additional expense after a purchase of Rs 2,428, Bohra argued that charging for carry bags is an unfair trade practice, especially when the bags have the company's logo on them. 

She also said that she was not informed about the charge before she made her purchase. However, the staff denied and insisted that the fee was non-negotiable, leaving Bohra with no choice but to comply. 

Bohra, who deemed this practice unjust, served Ikea with a legal notice on October 17, 2022. In response, Ikea maintained that charging customers for bags with their brand was not unfair and refused to issue a refund. Bohra was dissatisfied with the response and filed a complaint with the Bengaluru Urban first additional district consumer disputes redressal commission in March 2023.

In the court proceedings, Ikea's councel claimed that it was not compulsory for customers to purchase bags and that there were no hidden costs. However, the judgement, handed down on October 4, 2023, rubbished these claims and stated that the expenses associated with making goods deliverable are the responsibility of the seller. According to the court, this means that Ikea should shoulder the cost of the bags.

As a result, the court agreed with Bohra and ordered Ikea to refund the Rs 20, pay her Rs 1,000 as compensation for harassment and mental agony, and Rs 2,000 for court expenses. The court has given a 30 days deadline to fulfill these obligations. The judge also castigated large showrooms and malls in general, for similar unfair pricing practices.

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