A techie’s post accusing Zomato of overcharging for water bottles at an event has gone viral on social media. The X user, Pallab De, alleged that the company sold Rs. 10 water bottles for Rs. 100 at a concert venue, where there was a restriction on taking one’s own bottle into the venue. Sharing his bill, De questioned, “How is Zomato allowed to sell Rs. 10 water bottles for Rs. 100 at concert venues?
“His post, tagging an advocate from the Telangana High Court, quickly went viral.
Zomato’s Response
Zomato responded to the post by clarifying their role in the event. “Hi Pallab, we’re sorry for your experience. While we weren’t the event organisers but the ticketing partner, we’ve noted your feedback and will ensure it helps us improve our own events moving forward,” the company wrote in the comments.
De also trolled Eva Live, the event organizers, by tagging them, saying that they are overcharging for the water bottles. He uploaded a picture of the bottle, which has an MRP of Rs. 10, fueling the fire that is burning in the debate about such events charging unreasonable prices.
How is @zomato allowed to sell Rs. 10 water bottles for Rs. 100 at concert venues where no one is allowed to bring their own bottles?@VijayGopal_ pic.twitter.com/clQWDcIb7m
— Pallab De (@indyan) December 17, 2024
Social Media Reactions
The post evoked a great debate, where most users favored the techie. “This is not fancy; this is outright theft, and everybody should raise their voices against these people,” one wrote. Another was of the legal action plan, saying, “If the MRP is Rs. 10, sue them.
Some of the users pointed out loopholes in the system. One user commented, “They will change the MRP definition overnight from Maximum to Minimum Retail Price,” and another added, “After the SC ruling against selling above MRP, they’ve started collaborating with companies to print higher MRPs!” A lighter comment was, “When you’re thirsty, your wallet gets drained!”
Understanding MRP
MRP is the highest price through which a product can be sold to consumers in India along with all taxes. Charges made by retailers above the MRP violate consumer protection laws; thereby, the consumers do not have to pay extra to anyone. Have you ever been in such a scenario? What do you feel about this incident?
