a day ago
Lucky draw fraud: Bengaluru wins Rs 1.5 lakh refund from travel agency
Bengaluru: What began as a lucky draw entry at a mall in Yelahanka turned into an expensive ordeal for Hafeez Pasha. Lured with promises of silver coins, movie tickets, and a free travel package, Pasha visited the office of Fala Holidays — only to be pressured into paying for an expensive holiday membership he never wanted.
The Bangalore Urban district consumer disputes redressal commission has now found the company guilty of unfair trade practices and ordered a refund.
It all started a year back when Pasha, a 30-year-old resident from Yelahanka, visited RMZ Galleria Mall on Oct 14, 2023, where an employee of Fala Holiday Packages, a travel agency with its head office in KR Pura, asked him to fill out a form for a lucky dip. He did so casually in the morning.
By evening, he got a call from Tasmiya, an executive, claiming he'd won the draw — free movie tickets, a silver coin, and a travel package.
To collect the gifts, she asked him to visit their office in Yelahanka New Town.
Pasha and his wife walked in expecting freebies but were instead pitched expensive travel memberships, ranging from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh. Despite saying he couldn't afford it, he said the staff, especially one Javid, pressured him to sign up for a Rs 1.5 lakh package that promised 21 days of holiday stays and 10 day-out trips.
He paid the amount via credit card the same day, along with Rs 3,000 as an admin fee. A welcome mail followed, along with a membership card.
Soon, the agency began pushing for costly upgrades. When Pasha requested a trip to the Andamans a month later, the agency declined without giving a clear reason. Multiple follow-ups went unanswered. Feeling cheated, Pasha alleged the agency used similar tactics on others and pointed out several pending cases against it in Bengaluru courts.
Meanwhile, he continued to pay EMIs and interest on the credit card payment.
A legal notice sent in Sept 2024 was ignored. Fed up with empty responses, he filed a consumer complaint on Nov 13, 2024, alleging deficiency in service.
When the case reached the consumer commission, the agency failed to appear despite notice and was placed as ex-parte. After going through all documents (payment receipts, membership letter), the commission observed deficiency in service and unfair trade practices by the travel agency.
A legal notice sent by the complainant was ignored by the travel agency, further adding to the agency's lapses.
The commission said, "It is evident that the agency misled the public with attractive offers at malls, then forced them into unwanted memberships and further, they did not honour promised services, which makes Pasha rightfully entitled to a refund." On March 29, 2025, it ordered Fala Holiday Packages to refund Rs 1.5 lakh, which includes Rs 3,000 of admin fee at an interest of 10% from the day payment was made. It also asked to pay Rs 25,000 as compensation, Rs 10,000 punitive damages to the consumer welfare fund, and Rs 10,000 as litigation costs.
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