The man was billed for chicken burger instead of vegetarian French fries he ordered (Representational)
A 33-year-old Bengaluru man has turned a billing mistake at McDonald's into a legal battle. Jimit Jain (name changed), filed a compensation claim worth Rs 2 crore against the fast food chain, alleging "mental distress" after he was mistakenly billed for a chicken burger instead of the vegetarian French fries he ordered.
The incident took place at the McDonald's outlet in Lido Mall, Ulsoor, when Mr Jain and his nephew placed an order for vegetarian French fries, according to The Times Of India. The restaurant's billing system mistakenly charged him for a non-vegetarian McFried Chicken Burger (MFC) priced higher than the fries. Noticing the error, Mr Jain raised the issue with the staff, who quickly apologised and offered Rs 100 as compensation for the inconvenience.
But Mr Jain demanded a formal apology from McDonald's, which he never received.
The situation escalated quickly, leading Mr Jain to file a non-cognisable report (NCR) with the police. He also sent an email to McDonald's, which got him a response, but the issue didn't end there. The man eventually took the matter to the consumer court, charging McDonald's with service deficiency and seeking a hefty Rs 2 crore in compensation for the alleged "mental distress and public humiliation."
McDonald's, in its defence, argued the complaint was false and frivolous, with no malintent from their side. The restaurant clarified the billing error was an oversight, and quickly corrected it with an apology and the Rs 100 offer, which Mr Jain refused. They claimed the issue was resolved swiftly and the legal action was unnecessary.
After reviewing the facts, the Bangalore Urban II Additional District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission dismissed the case. The court said that Mr Jain did, in fact, receive the vegetarian French fries he ordered, and the billing error had no impact on his dietary preferences. The court ruled that a minor billing mistake, immediately rectified, does not constitute grounds for a multi-crore compensation claim.