A district consumer commission directed DRS Dilip Roadlines Ltd to pay ₹4 lakh as compensation after household articles belonging to their customer were damaged in transit from Hyderabad to Noida.
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission - II, Hyderabad was dealing with a complaint filed by Vishwanath Tiwari. The opposite party (OP) was DRS Dilip Roadlines Ltd, a brand of Agarwal Packers & Movers. The complainant stated that the OP packed his belongings on April 19, 2021, and sent them from Hyderabad to Noida in Uttar Pradesh the next day. He paid ₹80,500 which included 3% insurance charges, and ₹3,000 per month for storage of his belongings at the OP’s godown.
The complainant later discovered that most of the goods were damaged. He subsequently lodged a complaint with the OP on WhatsApp. The OP dispatched their surveyor, who identified only the items that were completely damaged, as stated by the complainant. On September 29, 2021, the complainant received an email offering a settlement for the damages amounting to ₹8,000.
The Commission, relying on the evidence presented in the record, observed in an ex-parte order that the survey report indicated a correlation between most of the damaged items and those demonstrated by the complainant. This effectively demonstrated the harm incurred by multiple items during their transportation from Hyderabad to Noida.
The Commission stated that the ₹8,000 which the OP offered as a settlement was inadequate given the value of the items, and the ₹80,500 payment made for safely moving the goods. Given that the complaint had not provided copies of bills with which the actual value of the damaged goods could be estimated, the Commission decided to deduct 60% of the said value as depreciation.
Finding the OP deficient in service, the Commission directed them to pay ₹3 lakh as insurance coverage, ₹4 lakh as compensation for damaged goods, and ₹5,000 as costs. The Commission further stated that interest of 8% per annum would be charged on compensation in case orders are not complied with.
