Kollam Consumer court fine on cinema hall “GMAX Cinemas” for the Extra Cost of 3D Glasses. Vishnu. R had booked two tickets to watch the Avatar movie in a cinema hall, but the management asked for extra charges for 3D glasses, which cost Rs. 30 for each pair. IN KOLLAM CONSUMER COURT, Vishnu R. filed a case against a cinema hall for unlawfully charging extra fees for 3D glasses. “Consumer court fine on cinema hall and order to refund with compensation.”
A consumer court ordered a movie theatre G-max Cinemas (Bishop Jerome Nagar, Chinnakada Kollam) to refund a customer and compensate for the extra charge for 3D glasses.
Although the Commission’s notice had been accepted by the opposing party representing the cinema, they failed to offer a defense or explanation for the additional allegations. Consequently, the ruling was declared ex parte. The Commission found that the actions of the cinema were in violation of consumer rights under Section 2(41) of the Consumer Protection Act of 2019, which defines restrictive trade practices. Specifically, the Commission noted that the cinema’s imposition of rental fees for 3D glasses, in addition to ticket charges, clearly fell under this definition.
The Commission mentioned a case from the Kerala State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, which stated that charging Rs. 30/- as rent for 3D spectacles can be considered excessive exploitation. It was also noted that this rent was being charged over and above the ticket charges, for which no entertainment tax had been paid.