Swiggy and restaurant ordered to pay compensation for misleading prices

A Delhi consumer commission has held food delivery platform Swiggy and Themis Barbeque House liable for displaying misleading buffet prices on the Swiggy Dineout platform. The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission ordered both parties to jointly pay INR 1 lakh in compensation to a customer for mental agony, harassment, inconvenience, and litigation costs.

The ruling follows a complaint by advocate Praveen Kumar Singh, who booked a table for 14 people through the app. While the listing indicated a ‘cost for two’ of INR 1,500, the restaurant charged significantly higher rates per person for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian buffets. The commission noted that the difference of approximately 40-47 per cent was material and that the listing failed to indicate the price was merely an estimate.

In addition to the compensation, the commission directed Themis Barbeque House to refund the excess amounts charged and an illegally levied service charge, both with nine per cent annual interest. The commission rejected Swiggy’s defense under section 79 of the Information Technology Act, stating the platform could not escape responsibility without proving it performed due diligence.