Consumer court Orders MakeMyTrip, Oyo, and Goa’s Essence Retreat to Compensate Customer For Last-Minute Cancelation

Consumer court Orders MakeMyTrip, Oyo, and Goa’s Essence Retreat to Compensate Customer For Last-Minute Cancelation

Reprimands them for harassing the complainant, as their sole motive was only to earn huge profits

The Chandigarh Bench of the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (DCDRC) has ordered online travel company MakeMyTrip, hospitality service provider Oyo Rooms, and a Goa hotel The Essence Retreat, to pay a sum of Rs.42,000 to a Chandigarh-based resident whose hotel booking was canceled despite making an advance payment.

The bench headed by Pawanjit Singh (president), Surjeet Kaur (member), and Suresh Kumar Sardana (member) ordered the errant parties to pay the complainant Rs.35,000 as compensation, apart from Rs.7,000 as litigation costs.

The Commission reprimanded them that huge profiteering was their sole motive, and their actions were meant to harass the complainant, Vineet Marwaha, and his family (wife and daughter) at the last moment when they were set to travel to their destination.

The bench stated that canceling the booked room at the eleventh hour without any reason caused immense physical harassment and mental agony to the complainant.

In October 2021, Marwaha booked The Essence Retreat through GoIbibo, a subsidiary of MakeMyTrip. The hotel booking was for five days in December.

However, three days prior to his check-in, the booking was canceled on the grounds that the hotel was ‘un-operational’ and that the room was not available. An amount of Rs.10,432 was refunded to him.

But to the complainant’s shock, he discovered that the same room, for the same dates, was available at an exorbitant rate of Rs.27,207.

Thereafter, he approached the consumer court.

In its response, MakeMyTrip stated that it was merely an intermediary and a facilitator between the complainant, the hotel, and Oyo. Whereas, Oyo said its role was limited to arranging the booking through its platform. The other operational liability was on the hotel owner.

The Commission said it was evident that due to the heavy rush at the hotel, the room price was being increased daily, as numerous customers were willing to pay more for such rooms.

However, it added, “The complainant hired the services of the OPs in advance just because during the peak season it would be impossible for him to meet the budget.”

The tribunal observed that MakeMyTrip and others failed to justify the cancelation of the booking. Thus, it ordered compensation to the complainant.

Advocate Vageesh Marwaha represented the complainant.

Advocate Gazala Parveen, a proxy for advocate Nitin Bhasin, appeared for MakeMyTrip.

Advocate Kartik Parmod Goyal, a proxy for advocate Puneet Tuli, assisted Oyo.