The award includes 60,000 rupees in unpaid refund, compensation and legal costs. Interest of 9% a year will also accrue on the outstanding amount.
A consumer commission in the Indian state of Kerala ordered tour operator Kerala Travelzone and its owner to pay a customer 60,000 rupees that remained unpaid after a Bali holiday did not take place. It also awarded 20,000 rupees for inconvenience and mental distress and 10,000 rupees in litigation costs. The outstanding amount carries 9% annual interest from May 12, 2023.
The man paid 82,500 rupees for a trip for himself and his wife on Dec. 23, 2019, the Times of India reported. Bad weather first delayed the tour, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions. The customer said he was later given a new itinerary for Feb. 8, 2023, but the operator did not include the couple in the trip.
After the customer went to police in March 2023, the operator agreed to refund the money and issued two cheques. A cheque for 42,500 rupees bounced for insufficient funds, and the customer received only 22,500 rupees. The commission found that the promised tour had not been provided and the agreed refund had not been paid in full.
The operator did not appear at the commission hearing or file a written response, so the case proceeded ex parte. The commission said retaining payment without delivering the service and then failing to make the full refund violated consumer protections and amounted to an unfair trade practice. It rejected the request for 12% interest, citing circumstances that included pandemic-era restrictions on international travel. The order was issued on Sept. 15, 2026, and gives the operator 45 days from receipt to pay.