After authority’s order, Mumbai district collector to investigate passengers’ refund issues

Mumbai district collector is set to investigate consumers’ travel refund issues against Mango travels, following the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA)’s order on October 5.

Mumbai district collector is set to investigate consumers’ travel refund issues against Mango travels, following the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA)’s order on October 5. This comes after Mumbai Grahak Panchayat (MGP), a voluntary consumer organisation, had received various consumer complaints against travel companies’ unjust behaviour of not refunding travellers for booked packages that stood cancelled due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Mumbai district collector is set to investigate consumers’ travel refund issues against Mango travels, following the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA)’s order on October 5. This comes after Mumbai Grahak Panchayat (MGP), a voluntary consumer organisation, had received various consumer complaints against travel companies’ unjust behaviour of not refunding travellers for booked packages that stood cancelled due to Covid-19 pandemic. (Shutterstock)

HT is in possession of CCPA’s order.

According to MGP, it received consumer grievances against various tourist companies with regard to non-refund of tour cost paid by consumers for package tours, which were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, due to which it conducted an online survey of affected consumers.

The result of the survey conducted by MGP revealed a total of 48 complaints of 117 bookings against Mango Holidays India Pvt. Ltd. and amount of Rs.10,680,843 blocked by them.

The survey had also revealed that more than half of the consumers were senior citizens wherein in it was not feasible and advisable for them to utilise the credit voucher unilaterally offered by the company in near future. Hence on behalf of various consumer complaints, we filed complaint against them” said MGP chairman Advocate. Shirish Deshpande.

MGP said that the consumers had alleged that Mango Holidays had refused to refund the amount paid by the consumers towards their package tours and instead, it was offering a non-refundable and non-encashable credit shell to consumers after deducting substantial amount under various needs as ‘cancellation charges/ rescheduling charges’.

“It is also alleged that Mango insisted consumers to undertake future tours much against their wishes and contrary to the health/ travel guidelines issued by the government. Our prayer is that Mango should refund not only these 117 travellers, but to all those whose tours got cancelled and refund them,” Deshpande added.

Based on the examination of the organisation’s complaint, the Central Authority issued a show cause notice to the travel operator, on April 15, 2021. After which the travel operator had even submitted its response to the show cause notice via email on April 27, 2021. “It had denied all the allegations levelled against them and had also submitted that they did not indulge in any unfair trade practices,” Adv. Deshpande said.

“CCPA has accepted that the deeds of the travel company is a case of unfair trade practise, prima facie. The matter was heard on May 28 and we received the order on October 5. Hence, an investigation will be done by Mumbai district collector,” Deshpande added.