Famous Clothing Brand Fined Rs. 50,000 for Charging Customer for Shopping Bags
A consumer court in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has ordered a famous clothing brand to refund Rs. 30 charged to a customer for a shopping bag and pay a total of Rs. 50,000 in compensation and fines.
Judge Nasrullah Khan Gandapur announced the verdict in a complaint filed by Shafaq Aamir, who challenged the company’s decision to charge her for a shopping bag carrying its promotional logo.
According to the judgment, Aamir purchased clothing worth Rs. 7,000 from the respondent’s outlet on December 20, 2025. She was also charged Rs. 30 for a shopping bag displaying the company’s logo.
She later filed a complaint under Section 13 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Consumers Protection Act, 1997.
Lawyer Ahsan Sardar represented the complainant, while Mohammad Omea Advocate appeared on behalf of the respondents.
The clothing brand did not deny charging Rs. 30 for the bag. However, it argued that it was not legally required to provide shopping bags free of cost and maintained that the bags were optional and provided only when requested by customers.
After hearing arguments from both sides and reviewing the available record, the court examined the matter under Section 14(2)(b) of the Act.
The court noted that the receipt submitted with the complaint clearly showed that the customer had been charged an additional Rs. 30 for the shopping bag.
It further observed that the bag carried the company’s logo and therefore also served a promotional purpose.
“The bag with the logo of the respondent is obviously provided for the promotion of the brand and that, too, at the cost of the consumers,” the judgment stated.
The court said the respondent had not only charged the customer an additional amount but had also used the bag to promote its brand. It observed that the company could otherwise have provided ordinary shopping bags to customers.
The court ruled that the practice, in the circumstances of the case, amounted to an unfair trade practice under Section 2(O)(xii)(xiii) of the Act.
The complaint was subsequently accepted, with the court directing the clothing brand to refund the Rs. 30 charged for the bag and pay Rs. 25,000 in compensation to the complainant.
The court also imposed a separate fine of Rs. 25,000, which is to be paid to the government.
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