Planning to purchase ceramic tiles for making the floor look cleaner and glimmer or want to replace the cracked tiles? Then take the experts advice before purchasing material as several dealers were found to be collecting exorbitant charges in violation of norms and taking customers for a ride.
The Legal Metrology Department has issued advisory recommending customers to carefully watch Maximum Retail Price (MRP) on ceramic tiles, sanitary ware and allied products. Customers can also lodge a complaint over the toll-free number 1860-425-3333, if they found any shopkeeper violating MRP and demanding excess price.
Recently, the department officials raided a shop at Kavadiguda and booked a case against the dealer for collecting an excess amount of Rs.23,595 from a customer David Raj from Chilkalguda.
He purchased 17 boxes of branded ceramic tiles each box priced at Rs.2,580 as against its MRP of Rs.1,690. The dealer had even issued a total bill of Rs.46,000. Mr. Raj later requested his friend L. Maheswar Reddy, who is a quality controller in a private ceramics company, to examine the material. Mr. Reddy checked boxes and found that the shopkeeper had duped his friend.
Both of them met the dealer and enquired about quality and the price. “We demanded the shop owner to return the additional amount. But he argued with us saying that material was imported from Spain and hence he collected additional charges, citing import duty and other taxes,” Mr. Reddy explained.
They immediately lodged a complaint with the Legal Metrology Department officials, who raided the shop and found that the owner was selling the material without adhering to MRP norms. City Assistant Controller, Legal Metrology, P.S.R.N.T Swamy said the shop owner returned the excess amount of Rs.23,595 to the customer. “A notice has been issued to the dealer and action would be initiated accordingly,” Mr. Swamy added.
