Charged extra for jeans exchange, customer wins case as court orders Rs 5,000 compensation

NEW DELHI: A Chandigarh consumer commission has held Unisex Fashions, which runs a Pepe Jeans outlet, liable for deficiency in service and unfair trade practice over a Rs 500 dispute, as per a report by LiveLaw.Renu Goyal had bought four pairs of Pepe jeans under the store's "One on One" offer, where paying for a higher-priced item allowed the customer to get another of equal or lesser value free. She paid for the two costlier jeans (Rs 3,999 and Rs 3,799), totalling Rs 7,798, with two more supplied free.The next day, she went to exchange one uncomfortable jean of Rs 3,299 for one priced at Rs 3,799. Though she'd already paid the higher amount under the scheme, the store charged her an extra Rs 500 as the price difference and issued a fresh invoice.Unisex Fashions argued the jeans were sold under a "no return, no exchange" policy and that the exchange was done only as a goodwill gesture, so the difference was rightly charged.The commission disagreeing with the company held that once a seller voluntarily accepts an exchange and issues a fresh invoice, it cannot later call it a mere favour to avoid its obligations. More importantly, the scheme continued to govern the transaction after the exchange — recalculated, the four jeans were valued at Rs 3,999, Rs 3,799, Rs 3,799 and Rs 3,599, so Goyal was still entitled to two free jeans against the two she'd paid for.

No extra amount was due.The store also failed to produce any written terms stating customers must pay a price difference on exchange. This lack of disclosure made the Rs 500 charge an unfair trade practice.The commission directed Unisex Fashions to refund Rs 500 with 6 per cent annual interest from 16 January 2021, plus Rs 5,000 as compensation for harassment and litigation costs, within 60 days of the order.