LAHORE, May 21: A class IX girl student has moved the Lahore Consumer Court against an adhesive making company for not printing price on its product.
The student, whose name has been withheld, belongs to Model Town housing society. She believes that by not printing prices on their products the manufacturers are deliberately providing opportunities to shopkeepers to overcharge their consumers.
The girl had purchased a pack of an adhesive manufactured in the name of Samad Bond and it did not carry price tag, says assistant director (legal) of Consumer Protection Council Chaudhry Muhammad Awais.
Coming into knowledge of the consumer court through a signboard commissioned in J-block of the housing society, she mailed her complaint to it along with the pack as evidence.
Mr Awais says legal formalities of the case are being completed for summoning the respondent company to the court.
Court registrar Asif Nazir says more and more cases are being filed with the increase in awareness among citizens about the forum meant for redressal of their grievances against manufacturers, sellers and providers of consumer goods and services.
Another citizen has filed a complaint against Pizza Hut, a known multinational food outlet, for serving its customers ice-cream which carries fats less than the prescribed limit. A laboratory test has found the complaint as true and a notice has been served on the company for filing its reply to it, he says.
Yet another complaint received is against a dental clinic for failing to provide proper service to the consumer despite payment of a heavy fee amounting to Rs5,000.
The court, headed by Syed Maruf Ali, is already seized with two cases - one related with General tyre and tube company for selling faulty tyres to advocate Ikramul Haq while the other against Tariq & Co, a home appliances firm, for sale of a defective cooking range which burst during operation.
Established under the Consumer Protection Act, 2005, the consumer court unlike other courts requires no fee for filing a complaint/case. There is also no minimum or maximum ceiling on demanding compensation for a faulty commodity or professional service.
Section 28 of the act requires a consumer to just file his/her complaint on a plain paper (in English or Urdu) with the DCO or send it directly to the court along with purchase receipt, laboratory test report or copy of the contract, whatever the case may be.
After preliminary inquiry, the DCO sends the complaint to the court. Under the law, the respondent is served a notice for filing reply within 15 days. The court is bound to give its verdict on a case within six months.
Mr Nazir says the court can also get laboratory tests done in certain cases.