‘Pay Rs 10,000 to consumer for denying him prize’

A consumer, who did not get a prize he was entitled to in a 2002 promotional scheme, will finally get Rs 10,000.

A consumer, who did not get a prize he was entitled to in a 2002 promotional scheme, will finally get Rs 10,000.

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Upholding the orders of Mumbai district consumer forum, the Maharashtra State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) to pay the consumer.

Under the scheme announced by HUL in 2002, the first 50,000 responders to a sales promotion campaign for a brand of talcum powder were entitled to claim the prize — credit cards from ICICI Bank.

A bench of the consumer commission of PN Kashalkar and Dhanraj Khamatkar said HUL indulged in unfair trade practice in the sales promotion drive.

The district forum had directed the company to pay Rs 50,000 to the complainant, Suresh Ambre, a resident of Chunabhatti. The state commission brought down the compensation amount to Rs10,000 with 9% interest from January 29, 2003, the date on which he lodged the complaint.

HUL approached the state commission challenging the order. The company said Ambre was not among the first 50,000 callers and so was not entitled for the reward.

Prasad Pradhan, a spokesperson for the HUL, told HT that the company was yet to receive a copy of the order. “Once we get it, we will review it and take appropriate action.”