Bengaluru man denied hotel room sues portal, wins Rs 45,000 | Bengaluru News – Times of India

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BENGALURU: He reached Andaman for a government job exam, but was told that the room booked through a well-known ticketing portal was not available. Instead of resigning to fate, the Bengaluru man sued the firm in a city consumer court and won a compensation of Rs 45,000 for service deficiency.
Sathish Kumar P, a resident of Subbanna Palya in MS Nagar, was scheduled to appear for a test in Port Blair, Andaman, for the post of a government accountant. On September 10, 2019, Kumar booked Oyo Rooms at Port Blair through the Goibibo portal (for September 14 to 16) by paying Rs 789. But on flying down there, Kumar was in for a shock – he was denied the room he had booked. The staff at the hotel said their contract with hospitality chain OYO Rooms had ended in early August. An argument ensued following rude behaviour of the hotel staff and Kumar had to seek help from local police.
The incident caused Kumar severe mental agony and he had to attend the exam after booking a room in another hotel on the island. With the customer care of OYO and Goibibo providing no assistance, Kumar returned to Bengaluru and in October 2019, filed a complaint before Bangalore 3rd additional urban district consumer disputes redressal commission against both parties, alleging deficiency in service.
In a litigation that commenced, the complainant’s lawyer presented his case, while individual attorneys appeared on behalf of OYO and Goibibo and sought for the case to be dismissed, stating it was false. OYO’s lawyer said the contract between his firm and the hotel ended by August 3, 2019 and no bookings were accepted thereafter. Goibibo’s representative argued that full refund was provided to Kumar, apart from a bonus of Rs 529 for further booking which he accepted.
The Bengaluru consumer forum examined the case for over three years by hearing arguments of both sides and concluded that Goibibo was at fault for booking the room for a customer even though OYO Rooms had ended the contract. This had put a genuine customer, who had gone to Port Blair to write an exam to make a career in a government job, in hardship.
In a verdict pronounced on November 29, 2022, judges of the city consumer court ruled that Goibibo must pay the Bengalurean a sum of Rs 20,000 for service deficiency and an additional Rs 15,000 for causing him mental agony, apart from paying Rs 10,000 towards his court expenses.

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