A district consumer disputes redressal commission directed a popular restaurant to pay ₹40,000 as compensation after it served a cake with eggs as an ingredient to a vegetarian customer.
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Hyderabad - I, was handling a complaint filed by D.S. Chowdary against opposite parties (OP) Concu Cakes Restaurants in Jubilee Hills and Banjara Hills.
According to the complainant, she ordered an eggless cake on August 10, 2022, from the restaurant’s website and paid ₹2,500. The cake was picked up on August 16 and cut the same evening. The complainant noticed a different smell from the cake and realised it was not eggless after eating a portion. She raised a complaint on the restaurant’s website and contacted customer care, where the restaurant’s owner admitted the mix-up. The restaurant offered a refund and a free meal, but the complainant rejected the meal while accepting the refund.
On their part, the OP contended that the complaint on the website mentioned issues with the message on the cake and its sweetness. It was only during the call, eggs were mentioned. They claimed that CCTV footage showed the complainant inspecting and smelling the cake without raising any objections. The OP further argued that the complainant ordered six desserts containing eggs, but they received no response when they requested to verify the cake complaint.
The Commission observed that the complainant’s grievance was about the cake not being eggless. She did not claim that the later ordered six desserts contained eggs or that she ate them.
Having found the OP liable for deficiency of service, the commission ordered them to pay ₹40,000 as compensation and ₹10,000 as costs.
