Rs 100 too less, pay Rs 10,000 to compensate customer, Piccadily told

The forum asked the theatre to ensure due compliance with its directions with regard to the removal of deficiencies in the facilities availed of by consumers.

The theatre has been directed to get the seats repaired so as to spare consumers the ordeal of watching a movie sitting on torn seats after paying due charges and pay Rs 1,000 as litigation costs.

The complainant, J K Babbar, and his wife had gone to Piccadily Cinema on July 29, 2007, for the evening show of the film, ‘Partner’, which was to start at 6 pm.

He paid Rs 80 for the upper-stall tickets. The complainant said he was aggrieved with the bad condition of the seats allotted to them.

He said while the cloth cover was entirely torn, a few nails were protruding. He also alleged that the seat numbers given to them were of the lower stall, though he was charged for the upper stall.

In his complaint to the District Consumer Forum, Babbar said he had requested an attendant to change their seats but the latter behaved in a rude manner. He even went to meet the manager twice but he was not present in his chamber.

While the Piccadily theatre failed to send a representative to appear in the case, the Chandigarh Administration, which was also made the opposite party, said through the ADC that the facilities were checked after regular intervals.

The Piccadily authorities were then directed by the forum to refund the amount of Rs 80 (the costs of two movie tickets) and pay a compensation of Rs 100 to the complainant.

Aggrieved by the meagre amount of compensation, the complainant moved the UT State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, which ruled that the contention of the appellant had merit. The commission based its ruling on an inspection report of the Administration that said the condition of seats at the theatre was “good, except for a few in lower and upper stalls which need repairs”.

“From this document, the case of complainant or appellant is adequately corroborated,” the Commission said on Thursday.