Household Articles Damaged By Agarwal Packers And Movers’ Brand, Hyderabad District Commission Awards 7 Lakhs Compensation To Consumer

Brief Facts:

Sri Vishwanath Tiwari (“Complainant”) engaged DRS Dilip Road lines Ltd., a brand of Agarwal Packers and Movers (“Opposite party”) to move his household belongings from Hyderabad to Noida. The Opposite Party agreed to provide packaging, transportation, storage, and delivery services for a fee of Rs. 80,500, including insurance charges. They also charged an additional Rs. 3,000 per month for storing the belongings from May to mid-September 2021. The estimated value of the belongings exceeded Rs. 10,00,000. The belongings were packed and dispatched on April 10, 2021. Upon requesting delivery on August 31 and September 16, 2021, the Complainant discovered significant damage to many items, rendering them unusable. The Complainant contacted the Opposite Party, which sent a surveyor to assess the damages. The Opposite Party offered a settlement of Rs. 8,000 for the damages, which the Complainant found inadequate given the extent of the damage. Aggrieved, the Complainant filed a complaint in the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-II, Hyderabad (“District Commission”). Opposite Party failed to appear and hence, set ex-parte.

Observations of the Commission:

The District Commission perused the evidence provided by the Complainant. It acknowledged that the Opposite Party, in their WhatsApp conversation with the Complainant, admitted that there was damage of the household items of the Complainant that they transported from Hyderabad to Noida. The District Commission noted that this significant damage amounts to severe deficiency in service as the Complainant paid Rs. 80,500/- for the safety and careful transportation of the household articles.

As the consignment was covered under insurance where the Carrier had taken the responsibility of settling the issues, if any, the Opposite Party was held liable to pay the insured amount of the articles. As a result, the Opposite Party was ordered to pay Rs. 3,00,000/- towards insurance coverage, Rs. 4,00,000/- towards compensation for damaged goods and Rs. 5,000/- towards costs.

Case: Sri Vishwanath Tiwari vs DRS Dilip Road lines Ltd.

Case No.: Consumer Case No.728/2022

Advocate for the Complainant: M/s. Cosmic Lawyer Associates

Advocate for the Respondent: Absent

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