Hyderabad: 50 stores dupe buyers with fake discounts

Hyderabad: More than 50 stores selling branded clothing were booked for sticking bills over the price tags during Dasara sales on Friday. Officials of the legal metrology department booked about 200 cases.

The officials were responding to complaints against the outlets regarding violation of the Legal Metrology Department Packaged Commodities Act, 2011, said assistant controller Bhaskar Reddy, who head a team during the raids. 

As per Legal Metrology Department Packaged Commodities Act 2011, every package should compulsory have dress size, manufacturer full details, rate, manufacturing date and consumer help desk number printed on it, having any of the details missing of this lot will be a violation. Branded garments should be sold only in packaged form and managements must follow rules and regulations, Mr Bhaskar Reddy said. Keeping in view the increased purchases for the upcoming Dasara festival, the department was taking measures to protect consumers.

“Many shops had stuck new rate tags on top of the old ones to show that they are offering discounts. They should not paste stickers on the printed price tags and garments should be in standard measure as per the specifications on the sticker,” Mr Bhaskar Reddy said.

He said raids were conducted at outlets like Blackberry, Banjara Hills, Chennai Silks, Mehdipatnam, Ramraj Cotton, Ameerpet, Pantaloons, LB Nagar, Venkateshwara Khadi Bhandar, LB Nagar, South India Shopping Mall, Secunderabad, KLM Fashion Mall Jeedimetla, VRK Silks, Kukatpally, Bhavani Brothers, Langar Houz, Anutex Cloth Store, Ameerpet, Geeta Krishna Shopping Mall, Vanasthalipuram, Vandana Textiles, Vanasthalipuram, Sri Krishna, Kukatpally and Neerus, Masab Tank. A total of 472 cases have been booked in two days. The department will continue the raids to protect consumer rights and will check other items too apart from cloth stores.

Consumers can lodge a complaint at WhatsApp number 7330774444 and toll free number 180042500333.