The central district consumer forum has ordered a Karol Bagh-based travel agency to refund a family of four the cost of a trip to Bangkok. The firm has also been asked to pay interest from the date the family had made the payment.
Sachin Verma’s family couldn’t go for the trip as one of them had a passport set to expire in six months. Under the Passports Act, a minimum validity of six months is required to apply for a visa but the agency didn’t spot it. The court has also ordered it to pay a compensation of Rs 20,000 along with Rs 5,000 as litigation cost. Verma paid Rs 1,12,000 for four tickets from Delhi to Bangkok and back and $1,221 (Rs 58,808) for the hotel. He was told that visa would be provided on their arrival at Bangkok and they didn’t need to go to the Thai embassy in Delhi.
Sachin Verma and his family-wife Seema, daughter Anushka and son Raghav – were to leave for Bangkok on June 14, 2008. In an advertisement in an English newspaper, Aeronet Travtour Pvt. Ltd had promised economical foreign tours along with other facilities like hotel reservations. On June 10, 2008, Verma visited the office of the travel agency, which agreed to arrange air and hotel bookings in Bangkok from June 14 to 20.
Read the full report here, Times of India
