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Synopsis

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (DCDRC) in Bangalore recently ruled in favor of a couple who filed a complaint against their wedding photographer for failing to deliver the promised wedding CD video despite receiving full payment.

The commission, headed by President M Shobha and members K Anita Shivakumar and Suma Anil Kumar, directed the photographer to compensate the couple with Rs 20,000 along with interest.

The complainant had engaged the services of the photographer for her wedding on March 5, 2021, agreeing to a total payment of Rs 80,000 for both a photo album and video coverage of the wedding on a CD. An initial payment of Rs 5,000 was made on January 15, 2021, with the understanding that the remaining amount would be paid on the wedding day.

Despite the full payment and the passage of 15 days since the wedding, the photographer did not make any effort to provide the CD, prompting the complainant to send a legal notice. With no response from the photographer, the matter was brought before the district forum.

The commission found the photographer's actions to be unfair and constituted a deficiency of service, particularly given the significance of wedding pictures and videos. The order directed the photographer to compensate the couple with Rs 20,000 and imposed an interest rate of 10%, calculated from March 5, 2021, the date of the marriage.

While acknowledging the complainant's claim for Rs 2 lakh as compensation, the commission deemed it exorbitant and settled on Rs 20,000 as a more reasonable amount. The ruling highlighted that the photographer failed to provide any evidence to support a claim that the couple owed him Rs 65,000.

The commission clarified that if the photographer has already prepared the CD, he must deliver it promptly along with the compensation, emphasizing that memories of a marriage are irreplaceable. In the event that the photographer cannot produce the CD, a refund is mandated, deducting only the amount spent on photography and its album.

Case Title: Smt. Gayathri B G V Anand Nallapete