Hotel Rooms Not As Shown On Website: Rajarhat District Commission Directs Goibibo & Hotel To Refund Booking Amount Rs.14,550/ And Other Expenses

The Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission found that both Goibibo and the hotel were at fault and directed them to pay a total of Rs. 60,550/- which includes the booking amount, travel expenses, boarding charges, compensation for inconvenience caused, and litigation costs.

Brief Facts

Mr. Lokesh Rustogi (Complainant) booked a hotel called "Hotel Santosh" in Allahabad for himself and a group of 10 people, which included four senior citizens. He made this booking through Goibibo, an online platform, for the Kumbha Mela festival. On 28th February 2019, he paid Rs.14,550/- for four "SUPER DELUX ROOMS". However, when Mr. Rustogi and his group arrived on March 1st, they found the hotel rooms to be nothing like what they had seen on Goibibo's website. They were smaller and in terrible condition. When they tried to sort things out, Mr. Rustogi was told to contact Goibibo instead. He tried calling Goibibo but couldn't reach anyone.

Because the rooms were unacceptable, they had no choice but to travel 130 kilometers to Varanasi to find another place to stay. On March 4th, Rustogi was finally able to register the complaint with Goibibo. The online platform initially offered a 50% refund, which Mr. Rustogi did not accept. Later, Goibibo withdrew the refund offer, saying that Mr. Rustogi had not accepted it. Then, on March 7th, Mr. Rustogi received an email from Goibibo's customer service, offering to refund 50% of the amount. He agreed, but the refund was not received. Finally, when, Mr. Lokesh Rustogi sent a legal notice on 30th April, Goibibo denied all the allegations on their part and instead placed the blame on the hotel (Opposite Party no. 2). As a result, the complainant filed a consumer complaint.

Arguments by Goibibo

Goibibo contested the case while highlighting its reputation for providing excellent services to thousands of consumers. They explained that their main job is to help people book flights and hotels by connecting them with the actual service providers, thereby emphasizing that they merely acted as a "facilitator". Goibibo further contended that the complainant's dissatisfaction with the hotel's services (Opposite Party no. 2) could not be attributed to Goibibo. They claimed that its responsibilities were limited to confirming bookings, which they had adequately fulfilled. Goibibo also mentioned that it had offered a 50% refund to the complainant as a goodwill gesture, despite the complainant raising the issue only after their stay without lodging a prior complaint.

Observations of the Commission

The West Bengal District Commission ruled in favour of the complainant, finding both Goibibo and the hotel liable for deficiency in services and unfair trade practices. Consequently, the Commission held Goibibo and the hotel jointly and severally responsible for paying Rs.14,550/- as reimbursement for the booking amount, Rs.11,000/- to cover travel expenses, Rs.15,000/- for boarding charges, Rs.10,000/- as compensation for inconveniences caused, and Rs.10,000/- as litigation costs. The companies were given two months to make these payments.

Case Title: Lokesh Rustogi vs C.E.O. Goibibo

Complaint Case No. CC/20/2019

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