Mumbai, Oct 13 A consumer court here has directed a logistics firm to pay over Rs 2.30 lakh to a couple for the damage caused to their household goods during shifting.
A transporter is under a legal obligation to exercise reasonable care while packing, loading, transporting and unloading goods, District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (South Mumbai) said in an order passed last month.
It ordered Agarwal Packers and Movers, the company, to refund the entire Rs 1,33,717 paid for transportation along with 6 per cent annual interest from August 1, 2023.
Additionally, the company was directed to pay Rs 50,000 towards the damage, Rs 50,000 for mental agony and inconvenience, and Rs 10,000 for litigation costs within 45 days.
As per the complainants, they engaged the company to transport their household goods to their new house in July 2023. However, upon delivery, several articles were found with torn packaging, and items including an iron cupboard and refrigerator were left on the ground floor in the rain.
The company offered a compensation of only Rs 5,000. Alleging negligence and deficiency in service, the couple approached the consumer commission, seeking appropriate compensation under the Consumer Protection Act.
The Commission held that the documents and photographs produced by the complainants corroborated their case, and noted that the company itself had acknowledged the damage and offered some compensation in email correspondence.
