E-Paper
Mohali family to get ₹20,000 relief over lost US-bound courier
The commission, comprising president SK Aggarwal, member Paramjeet Kaur and member Lt Col Jasbir Singh Bath, partly allowed the complaint filed by Jasbir Singh and his daughter Birinder Kaur Dhillon, residents of Phase 3-A, Mohali
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Mohali, has directed DTDC Express Limited to pay ₹20,351 to a Mohali family. The compensation covers lost courier charges, the cost of obtaining a duplicate driving licence, and damages for losing an original driving licence sent to the United States.
The commission, comprising president SK Aggarwal, member Paramjeet Kaur and member Lt Col Jasbir Singh Bath, partly allowed the complaint filed by Jasbir Singh and his daughter Birinder Kaur Dhillon, residents of Phase 3-A, Mohali.
According to the complaint, Jasbir Singh visited DTDC’s Phase 3-A branch on December 23, 2021, to send the original driving licence of his daughter’s husband to the United States. The family paid ₹2,502 for the shipment after being told that the consignment would reach its destination by December 27.
However, the parcel did not reach the recipient by the promised date. The complainants approached the courier office several times, and on December 31, the branch staff informed them that the consignment was “not traceable”.
As the original licence was urgently required, the family applied online for a duplicate driving licence in the US on January 1, 2022, paying $31, equivalent to ₹2,849 at the prevailing exchange rate. They later served a legal notice on the company, but did not receive any relief, prompting them to approach the consumer commission.
In its defence, the DTDC argued that the consignment note contained an arbitration clause and that, under its terms and conditions, liability for loss of an uninsured shipment was restricted to ₹100. The company also denied assuring delivery by December 27.
Rejecting the defence, the commission held that the courier company had failed to prove that it informed the customer about the limitation of liability or advised them to insure the consignment at the time of booking. It observed that the company could not rely on such a clause after accepting the shipment.
The commission directed the DTDC Express Limited to pay ₹5,351, comprising the courier charges of ₹2,502 and ₹2,849 spent on obtaining the duplicate licence, along with 6% annual interest from January 1, 2022, until payment.
It also ordered the company to pay ₹15,000 towards compensation for mental agony, harassment and litigation expenses. Both opposite parties were held jointly and severally liable to comply with the order.
