Non-veg pizza delivered in box for veg, Dominos to pay Rs 7K

New Delhi: Dominos Pizza has been directed by a consumer forum here to pay Rs 7,000 as compensation to a customer for delivering her a non-vegetarian pizza in a box meant for vegetarian food. The South West District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum held the pizza chain guilty of negligence and deficiency in service for delivering the non-vegetarian item in a box having the green sticker which symbolises vegetarian food.

"On the basis of facts and circumstances of the case, we find that opposite party (Dominos) has committed negligence and deficiency in service due to which the complainant has suffered. As such, we find that the complainant is entitled to be reasonably compensated. "Therefore, we direct opposite party to pay Rs 5,000 as compensation to the complainant along with Rs 2,000 as cost of litigation," the bench presided by Narendra Kumar said. The order came on the plea of Delhi resident Poonam Chaudhary who complained that she had ordered a non-vegetarian and a vegetarian pizza over phone and these were delivered in two boxes. She alleged that she had served her guests with pizza from the box with green sticker symbolising vegetarian, but the pizza turned out to be a non-vegetarian one causing vomiting, dizziness and nausea to her vegetarian guests. Dominos in its defence denied any negligence on its part saying it strictly follows the prescribed norms and contended that the complaint was false. It had alleged that Chaudhary had not paid for the food items she had purchased several times in the past and that is why she made the false story in the instant case. The forum, however, rejected the contentions saying, "We do not think that an educated lady and person of status will fabricate such false story. She is not supposed to spend time, energy and money by filing and following up a false complaint. PTI