IKEA ordered to pay compensation to customer for charging her for paper bag

Swedish furniture retailer IKEA was ordered by a consumer court to refund a customer in Bengaluru, India and also pay Rs3,000 as compensation for charging her for a paper bag to carry the goods she had purchased.

IKEA India Private Limited was ordered to pay the consumer a sum of Rs20 with interest, and also Rs1,000 towards damages and Rs2,000 towards litigation expenses.

The carry bag, for which IKEA charged Rs20, had its logo printed on it which the commission said "amounts to unfair trade practice by charging for the bag".

"We are shocked to note the kind of service provided by these big malls/showrooms... the Opposite Party committed deficiency in service and unfair trade practice and complainant is bound to be compensated," the Additional District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Shanthinagar, Bengaluru said in its order.

The consumer, Sangeetha Bohra, visited the Nagasandra branch of IKEA on October 6, 2022 and purchased a few items. She asked for a bag to carry the items and was charged Rs 20 for it though it had the logo of the store on it. The customer approached the Consumer Commission claiming it was a deficiency of service and unfair trade practice.

However, in response, IKEA said that “it does not indulge in any sale of goods that has hidden charges or indulge in concealment of information from its consumers or indulge in any practices that may be considered as a breach of trust or unfair trade practice. The information pertaining to all its products, including the paper bag are conspicuously displayed on various aisles of its store and are not automatically or suspiciously added to the purchasers at the time of billing.”

The Commission headed by President B N Arayanappa and Members Jyothi N and Sharavathi S M in their judgment however dismissed this contention and said, “It has been held by Hon’ble State Commission that all kinds of expenses incurred in order to put goods into deliverable state shall be suffered by the seller. As such, the contention raised does not merit acceptance."

The Commission noted that the consumers were also not allowed to carry their own bags.

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