Hyderabad Consumer Court Slaps Swiggy With A ₹35,000 Fine For Inflated Delivery Fees

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Hyderabad has asked Swiggy to pay a fine of ₹35,000 to a customer for overcharging him by artificially inflating delivery distance. The food delivery platform has 45 days to comply with the order. Read on to know all the details about this case.

Swiggy Fined For Overcharging A Customer In Hyderabad

Emmadi Suresh Babu, a Hyderabad resident, filed a complaint against Swiggy for charging him a delivery fee for an order placed on November 1, 2023. According to The Times of India, he had a Swiggy One membership which grants him free delivery within a specified distance. However, as per his complaint, Swiggy increased the distance between his house and the restaurant from 9.7 km to 14 km. After that, the platform charged him ₹103 as a delivery fee.

He provided consumer court evidence and Google Maps screenshots to show how Swiggy increased the delivery distance. Keeping this in mind, the court found the food delivery platform guilty of artificially inflating delivery distance. No Swiggy representative was present during the hearing, so the court proceeded ex parte with their verdict.

Also Read: Swiggy Customer Complains About Receiving Spilled Cold Coffee; Company Offers Refund Of ₹6, ₹10 & ₹20

The Consumer Court Ruling Says…

As per reports, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Hyderabad’s Ranga Reddy district asked Swiggy to pay ₹35,000, including punitive damages, to Emmadi Suresh Babu. According to the court’s verdict, they further asked Swiggy to refund the food order amount, ₹350.48 with 9% interest from the filing date, along with the ₹103 delivery fee.

Swiggy also has to pay ₹5,000 for mental distress and inconvenience and cover litigation costs of ₹5,000 for the Hyderabad man. The platform also has to deposit ₹25,000 as punitive damages in the Consumer Welfare Fund of the Ranga Reddy District Commission. The court also asked Swiggy to stop increasing the delivery distance for Swiggy One members. They have 45 days to comply with the order, The Times of India reported.

Also Read: Zomato & Swiggy Hike Platform Fee To ₹10 Amid Festive Rush; Food Lovers Not Happy!

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Cover Image Courtesy: Canva (representative image)

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