Chandigarh, Jan. 28 -- The UT department of food and supplies and consumer affairs and legal metrology has issued an advisory in public interest to hotels and restaurants that no hotel or restaurant shall add service charge automatically or by default in the bill.

The department states that it has been noticed that some restaurants and hotels are levying service charge in the bill by default, without informing consumers that paying such charge is voluntary and optional. Service charge is being levied in addition to the total price of the food items mentioned in the menu and applicable taxes, often in the guise of some other fee or charge.

'Consumers mistake service charge for tax'

Further, the department has also noticed that some cust...