Chandigarh, Jan. 4 -- The district consumer disputes redressal commission-I has directed Super Donuts, a restaurant based in Sector 35, to refund Rs.15 charged as packing fees and pay Rs.2,500 in compensation to an advocate for imposing the charges without prior information. According to the complaint, Mehak Arora, a resident of Mohali, visited the store of the opposite party (OP) in Sector 35 on September 22, 2024. Availing of an ongoing scheme, she ordered a box of donuts and fries. As the store's air conditioning was allegedly not functioning, she opted for a takeaway. Upon receiving the bill, she noticed that while the food items totalled Rs.285, an additional Rs.15 had been added as a 'packing fee' without prior disclosure. On the same day, Arora emailed the store to protest the charge, but received no response. She subsequently served a legal notice on October 2, 2024, which also went unaddressed. While counsel for the Super Donuts Private Limited Head Office (Sector 8) appeared before the commission, they failed to file a written version or provide evidence within the stipulated period. Consequently, the commission struck off their defence. Meanwhile, the Sector 35 outlet failed to appear entirely and was proceeded against ex-parte. The commission noted that the complainant paid a total of Rs.300, which included Rs.285 for food and taxes plus the Rs.15 packing fee. "The case is reduced to a narrow compass as it is to be determined if there is deficiency in service on the part of the OPs and unfair trade practice in charging a packing fee of Rs.15 and the complainant is entitled for the relief as prayed for," the commission observed. While no previous judgments were cited, the commission concluded that the entire case is based on documentary evidence provided by the complainant. "One thing is clear that the OPs despite having knowledge that packing fee of Rs.15 has wrongly been charged from the complainant while selling the food items in question, still failed to refund the same despite the protest and legal notice sent by the complainant, which act and conduct of the OPs clearly amounts to deficiency in service and unfair trade practice on its part," the commission further observed....