Tag : CCPA

New Delhi : The Central Consumer Protection [https://www.business-standard.com/topic/consumer-protection] Authority (CCPA) has directed District Collectors to ensure enforcement of guidelines issued with regard to service charge by hotels [https://www.business-standard.com/topic/service-charge-by-hotels] and restaurants. Upon receiving related complaints, the District Collector may conduct investigation pertaining to violation of the guidelines and submit the report to the authority within 15 days, said CCPA in a statement on Saturday. In a letter to Chief Secretaries of all States, UTs and District Collectors, the CCPA has asked to arrange wide publicity of the guidelines along with its immediate implementation for protection of consumer interest. The letter gives clear direction that levying of service charge is in violation to the guidelines and constitutes unfair trade practice wherein affecting rights of consumers as a class, and cognizance of such complaints must be taken on priority. According to CCPA, total 537 complaints were lodged by consumers on levying of service charge on National [https://www.business-standard.com/category/current-affairs-news-national-1150106.htm] Consumer Helpline from April 1 to June 20, 2022. The major grievances include hotels, restaurants making service charge compulsory, and also adding service charge by some other name and suppressing from consumers that paying service charge is optional and voluntary. From July 5 to 8, after the guidelines were issued, 85 complaints have been registered on NCH, the CCPA said. The top 5 cities of service charge complaints are New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune and Ghaziabad with 18, 15, 11, 4 and 3 complaints respectively. Nidhi Khare, Chief Commissioner, ...