DATE OF FILING :01/11/17 

IN THE CONSUMER DISPUTES  REDRESSAL FORUM, IDUKKI

Dated this the  30th  day of January  2019

Present :

SRI. S. GOPAKUMAR PRESIDENT

           SMT.ASAMOL P. MEMBER

CC NO. 235/2017

Between

Complainant       : Shaji K.T., Kunnel House,

                                                                           Kodikkulam P.O., 

                                                                           Thodupuzha, 685 582.

(By Adv: K.M.Sanu)

And

Opposite Party                              :   1 . The Manager/Proprietor,

                                                                   DTDC Courier and Cargo, 

                                                                   Manakkad Road, 

                                                                   Thodupuzha, Thodupuzha P.O. 

                                                             2 . The Manager/Proprietor,

                                                                   DTDC Express Limited, 

                                                                   Municipal Buiiding, 

                                                                   Thodupuzha, Thodupuzha P.O. 

                                                                   (Both by Adv.Lissy M.M.)

                                                              3 . DTDC Express Ltd., Reg. Office No.3,

                                                                    Victoria Road, Bangalore,

                                                                    Represented by its Managing Director.

                                                              4 . DTDC Courier Regional Office,

                                                                   Door No.43/1602, 

                                                                   Opposite Railway Station road, Kochi,

                                                                   Represented by its Regional Manager. (By Adv:  Binu Mathew)

O R D E R

SRI. S. GOPAKUMAR (PRESIDENT)

 

The brief facts as set out in the complaint are that the son of the complainant Abu Shaji is a 9th standard student in Rudrapur Navodaya Vidhyalaya, Uttarakhand State.  As per the request of his son, complainant send 2 jeans, 2 shirts and 4 under garments worth Rs.4080/- to his son for wearing him on Pooja Festival, since there is no holiday for Onam.  The complainant sent the parcel to his son in his school address through the first opposite party on 22/09/17 by paying Rs.450/- as service charge, as per receipt

                                                                                                                          (Cont.....2)

-2-

 

No.R.26890174.  At the time of entrusting the article to the first opposite party, the first opposite party stated that, it will reach the destination within 10 days.  The articles, were well packed as per the direction of the first opposite party.  The complainant intimated the matter of despatch of articles to his son and his malayali teacher.  At the time of sending the article the first opposite party confirmed its delivery in the address after going through the PIN of the  destination. 

 

But on enquiry after the promised period of the first opposite party, it is learnt that the articles was not delivered to the addressee.  Immediately the complainant approached the first opposite party and after tracking the history of the article with its register number,  it is seen that the article was reached to the office of the third opposite party  at Rudrapur on 03/10/17 at 8.33.  But it is not delivered to the addressee till date.  The complainant is having a firm believing that the article are mis appropriated by some one and  is attached to the third opposite party's office at Rudrapur.  The opposite parties has not took any effort to find out the parcel and to deliver it to the addressee or return it is to sender.  The complainant further averred that, due to the loss of the new dresses, being a student of 9th standard, the son of the complainant much worried that his friends and classmates are enjoying the Pooja celebration by wearing them new dresses.  This caused  much mental agony and financial loss to the complainant.  Alleging gross deficiency in service against the opposite parties, complainant filed this petition for seeking relief such as to direct the opposite parties 1 to 4 to return Rs.4530/- being the price of the parcel and its charge along with 18% interest in addition to compensation and cost.

 

Upon notice opposite parties entered appearance and filed detailed reply  version.  In their version opposite parties 1 and 2 contented that they accepted the courier parcel of the complainant and booked it as R 26890174 and sent it to their sorting office at Ernakulam and on the same day itself the parcel sent from Ernakulam to Rudrapur.  Hence this opposite parties are  not liable to answer the further development in this matter.  Their liability ends till the entrustment of the article to the fourth opposite party, the sorting office.  Hence no deficiency in service or unfair trade practice can be attributed upon opposite parties 1 and 2.  They further contented that the track record of this parcel clearly shows that, the parcel reacted to the Rudrapur office of the third

                                                                                                                          (Cont.....3)

-3-

 

opposite party.  Hence opposite parties 2 and 3 are liable to answer the missing of the parcel.

 

In their reply version opposite parties 3 and 4 contented that, the complainant has not issued the mandatory notice within the time period as under the couriers Act to the opposite parties, before filing of this complaint.  The complainant was never in contact with the opposite parties, when the consignment was allegedly booked for carriage.  The complainant has not produced the original of the shopper's copy of the consignment allegedly booked by him through the third opposite party.  Opposite parties further contented that without admitting the complaint had booked any consignment through the opposite parties, it is submitted that the complainant has no care that the content of the consignment was disclosed for the third opposite party at the time of alleged booking of the consignment.  The complainant has made such averrment without producing any documents or the shopper's copy of the consignment leaf contenting the consignment note number or the Airway Bill number.  The liability of the opposite parties even for loss of goods under the contract is limited to Rs.100/-.  No amount even and above the limited liability is payable for loss of consignment.  If goods are not declared as additional surcharge at the rate of 2% or on mentioned in the control for the value of the goods are paid to the opposite parties.  More over the consigner has to specifically mention and declare the contents and the value inside the consignment that they are sending through the opposite parties on the consignment leaf.  In this circumstances the complainant is not entitled to any claim other than that the amount as mentioned in the control between the parties.  Hence the opposite parties are not in any way liable to the alleged claim of the complainant and there is no deficiency in service or negligence on the part of the opposite parties.

 

Evidence adduced by the complainant by way of documents.  The documents such as track shipments states of DTDC India, and the receipt issued by the first opposite party, produced by the complainant are marked as Ext.P1 and Ext.P2 respectively.

 

From the defence side no oral or documentary evidence is produced.   

 

                                                                                                                        (Cont.....4)

-4-

Heard both sides,

 

The point that arose for consideration is whether there is any deficiency in service from the part of opposite parties, and if so, for what relief the complainant is entitled to ?

 

The Point:- We have heard the counsels for both the parties and had gone through  the  evidence  on  record.   It is an admitted fact that on 22/09/17 complainant had sent a parcel to his son in his school address through the first opposite party, for booking this parcel opposite party issued a consignment receipt that is marked as Ext.P1.  It is also admitted that the parcel reached to the destination office of the third opposite party, but it was not delivered to the addressee.  No one know what happened to this parcel.  Complainant waited more than one month for the delivery of the article, in the mean time he took the track records of the parcel and it is seen that the parcel reached the Rudrapur DTDC office on 3rd October 2017 (Ext.P2).  Thereafter the complainant approached this Forum on 01/11/17.  As per records of the complainant, it is seen that opposite parties received this notice on 28th and 30th of November 2017.  It is astonishing that even after the receipt of the notice from this Forum opposite parties has not conducted any enquiry in this matter.  In their reply version also there is no contention that whether they made any effort to trace out the parcel.  There are no substantial reason given by the opposite parties herein, being in the business of timely delivery of consignment, for not having delivered the parcel and also not having returned it to the sender.

 

On going through the materials on record Forum found that opposite parties handled the matter carelessly and negligently and had not given any reasonable care and caution to trace out the articles which was send by the complainant.  The act of the opposite parties in this matter is gross deficiency in service and they are bound to compensate the complainant for his mental agony as well as his son's mental suffering.

 

On the basis of above discussion, the complaint allowed.  Opposite parties 3 and 4 are directed to pay Rs.4,530/- being the cost of the articles and booking charge along with 18% interest from 22/09/17 and further direct to pay Rs.5,000/-  as  compensation  and  Rs.2,000/-  as  cost  to  the  complainant

                                                                                                                          (Cont.....5)

-5-

within 30 days from the date of receipt of the copy of this order, failing which the compensation amount shall carry 12% interest per annum from the date of default  till the realization. 

 

Pronounced in the Open Forum on this the 30th  day of January, 2019.

 

                                                                                                     Sd/-

                                                                                     SRI. S. GOPAKUMAR (PRESIDENT)

                                                                                                            Sd/-                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

             SMT.ASAMOL P.  (MEMBER)

 

APPENDIX

 

Depositions :

On the side of the Complainant :

Nil

On the side of the Opposite Party :

Nil

Exhibits :

On the side of the Complainant :

Ext.P1            -  The documents such as track shipments states of DTDC India

Ext.P2            -  The receipt issued by the first opposite party

On the side of the Opposite Party :

Nil.

 

 

                  Forwarded by Order,

 

                  

            SENIOR SUPERINTENDENT