Supreme Law News

Is providing invoices or receipts with bad printing violations of consumer rights?

According to the Consumer Protection Act, issuing invoices or receipts with poor printing quality is considered a "deficiency of service" and a "unfair trade practice," according to the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Ernakulam.

A consumer group in Kerala has noted that, as per the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, issuing invoices or receipts with poor printing quality is considered a "deficiency of service" and a "unfair trade practice."

Hewlett-Packard Global Soft Pvt. Ltd. & Ors. v. MS Sajeev Kumar

The Kerala State Department of Consumer Affairs ordered in July 2019 that all government, public, and private businesses offer bills that are both readable and long-lasting.

This was highlighted by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission at Ernakulam.

The government points out that, in accordance with the Consumer Protection Act of 1986, issuing bills with poor printing quality may be considered a "deficiency of service" and an 'unfair' trade practice." Therefore, in order to ensure the bills' lifespan and readability, all government, public sector, and private organizations in Kerala are required to print them legibly on premium paper with superior ink," the commission said.

The commission also pointed out that the Consumer Protection Act of 2019 and the Consumer Protection (General) Rules, 2020 both need valid receipts.

It continued by emphasising how important it is to have readable and unambiguous terms and conditions in order to safeguard consumers' rights.

It noted, "it is imperative that this be included in order to protect the rights of consumers to know the costs of the goods and services they buy or hire.

Additionally, it gives customers the documentation they need to prove, in Consumer Commission cases, that they did, in fact, purchase the goods or engage in services from the designated merchant or service provider."

The commission also pointed out that the Consumer Protection Act of 2019 and the Consumer Protection (General) Rules, 2020 both need valid receipts.

It continued by emphasising how important it is to have readable and unambiguous terms and conditions in order to safeguard consumers' rights, saying,

"It is imperative that this be included in order to protect the rights of consumers to know the costs of the goods and services they buy or hire. Additionally, it gives customers the documentation they need to prove, in Consumer Commission cases, that they did, in fact, purchase the goods or engage in services from the designated merchant or service provider."

Therefore, he demanded ₹1 lakh in compensation from HP in addition to ₹25,000 to cover the expense of the legal proceedings.

The consumer forum discovered the shoddy printed tax invoice while reviewing the information Kumar had submitted for the record.

The court determined there was no reason to reject Kumar's claims because HP, Reliance Digital, and the service center had been given notice but had not presented their stories.

It thus issued an ex parte order instructing HP to swap out the laptop for a brand-new example of the kind that Kumar had bought. The purchase price is to be reimbursed if a replacement is not possible.

Additionally, it instructed HP to produce durable and readable bills created with high-quality printing ink on superior paper.

Kumar suffered mental anguish, physical problems, lost wages, and inconvenience.

HP, Reliance Digital, and the service center were ordered to pay ₹50,000 for their unfair trading practices and service deficiencies. An additional ₹20,000 was mandated to be settled as litigation costs.

These two payments were deemed to be the joint and several liability of the three parties.

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