Bengaluru: The bag was meant only to carry the booze home, but it ended up killing the buzz for a liquor store. The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Bangalore (Urban), held a liquor store guilty of unfair trade practice and deficiency in service for charging a Bagalagunte resident Rs 20 for a carry bag stamped with its own name and logo.It all started on June 3, 2025, when Theerthesh BS, 33, bought beverages worth Rs 2,170 from Tonique, a liquor store on Kasturba Road. Since the bottles were fragile, he asked for a carry bag. The store gave him one bearing its brand name, logo and other promotional content, and raised a separate bill of Rs 20 for it on the same day and at the same time.Theerthesh said he objected to paying for a bag that carried the store’s own logo and identification details, but the store’s staff rejected his request. With no other way to carry the bottles safely, he paid. He then filed a complaint on June 17, seeking a refund of Rs 20, compensation of Rs 25,000 for deficiency in service and unfair trade practice, and other relief.Despite notice from the commission, Tonique, represented by its manager, neither appeared nor filed its version, and was placed ex parte. Later, Tonique’s counsel did file written arguments. The store said when a customer asks for a carry bag, they are told about the charges, which are displayed on a board in all its outlets, and a bill is raised. The store thus admitted that it sells carry bags on request after a purchase.The commission, comprising president Ramachandra MS and members Nandini H Kumbhar and Savitha Airani, invoking the principle of “Caveat Venditor”, meaning “let the seller be aware”, said a seller of beverage bottles should know every customer will need a bag to carry such products.Charging customers for a bag used for its own advertising also amounted to deficiency in service and unfair trade practice, it held.The commission further noted that Tonique’s failure to appear was a clear admission of the allegations. On Oct 14, it directed Tonique to refund Rs 20, along with Rs 5,000 in compensation for deficiency in service and Rs 3,000 towards litigation costs.
