Ahmedabad: A travel agency’s decision to reschedule an international tour without the passengers’ consent has cost it Rs 2.42 lakh plus interest. A city consumer commission ordered the firm to refund the amount to Magan Macwan, who could not make the trip after the dates were changed.For the Nadiad resident and his wife, the change was particularly consequential. His wife had travelled from the US to India specifically to join him on a religious tour to Israel, scheduled from Nov 2 to Nov 12, 2016. However, when the agency failed to process their visas in time, the trip was postponed.The tour operator subsequently rescheduled the tour for Nov 21 and went ahead with railway and hotel bookings, allegedly without informing the couple or seeking their consent. By then, Macwan’s wife had to return to the US, leaving the couple unable to join the rescheduled tour.Macwan and the Consumer Education and Research Society subsequently approached the Ahmedabad city consumer disputes redressal commission against the tour operator.The commission, comprising in charge president K M Dave and member Y T Mehta, held that a travel agency could not unilaterally change the schedule of a foreign tour without obtaining the passengers’ consent.It further held that keeping consumers uninformed while proceeding with arrangements for a rescheduled tour amounted to a deficiency in service and an unfair trade practice.The commission partially allowed the complaint and directed the agency to refund Rs 2.42 lakh with 6% annual interest from Aug 5, 2018, the date the complaint was filed. It also awarded Macwan Rs 25,000 as compensation for mental and physical agony and Rs 7,500 towards litigation costs.
