Consumer panel asks Chitrokar Photography to pay Rs 27,000 to Hyderabad resident

Hyderabad: District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Ranga Reddy has directed Oindrila Bhol, a freelance photographer from Chitrokar Photography in West Bengal, to pay Rs 27,000 to a Hyderabad resident for deficiency in service and unfair trade practice.

This includes Rs 20,000 refund, Rs 5,000 compensation, and Rs 2,000 towards litigation costs to the complainant.

Case details

Sandipan Basu (41), a resident of Narsingi in Hyderabad is an engineer. He was interested in taking a boudoir photography session. He contacted Oindrila Bhol on April 20 over WhatsApp regarding a boudoir photography session with her firm `Chitrokar Photography'. May 20, 2022, was the date for a photography session. May 19, 2022, was reserved for travel.

Bhol asked for an advance payment

Bhol asked for an advance of 50 percent payment out of Rs 40,000 from Sandipan Basu. Accordingly, Sandipan Basu forwarded Rs 20,000 to her Phonepe pay account. Chitrokar Photography confirmed the receipt of the advance amount of Rs 20,000 on April 23, 2022, at 8 pm.

On April 25, 2022, when Sandipan Basu asked Bhol if the studio was booked, she answered: “Yes, updating in some time”, which she never updated. On May 4, 2022, due to unavoidable circumstances of going out of their comfort zone for boudoir photography and the extra cost of traveling to Kolkata, Sandipan Basu decided to cancel the photo shoot to be held on May 20, 2022 and told Bhol over WhatsApp.

Sandipan Basu asked for refund from Bhol

Sandipan Basu asked Bhol to refund the booking amount of Rs 20,000 paid on May 4, 2022. However, Bhol straight away refused to refund saying advance can't be given back.

Bhol informed Sandipan Basu over WhatsApp on May 4, 2022, about the booking amount being used for the studio floor and makeup artist.

But till June 5, 2022, Bhol has not produced any receipt of Studio and Makeup Artist despite receipt of a legal notice from Sandipan Basu on May 17, 2022.

On May 16, 2022, Bhol on WhatsApp asked Sandipan Basu when he was reaching Kolkata, though he had already informed her about trip cancellation. Bol refused to return the advance and advised him to forget the amount.

Chitrokar Photography didn't respond to legal notice

With no option left, Sandipan Basu knocked on the doors of the Consumer Redressal Commission, Ranga Reddy seeking justice. Despite receiving notice from the commission, Chitrokar did not file a written reply within the stipulated period.

Chitrokar Photography did not send any reply to the legal notice nor refunded the advance payment of Rs.20,000 to Sandipan Basu stating she used that amount for booking the floor of the studio regarding the photography which was to be held on May 20, 2022, and paid to makeup artists. But Bhol did not file any proof of the same.

Hence, the court noticed that there was a deficiency in service and unfair trade practice by Chitrokar Photography Therefore, the commission pronounced its verdict in favor of Sandipan Basu and directed Chitrokar Photography to refund Rs 20,000 and pay Rs 5,000 towards compensation and Rs 2,000 towards the cost of the litigation.