Most consumer fraud cases are not brought because of the small amount involved. Would you support a system where punitive damages would be assessed in a fixed amount for every instance of consumer fraud?
No. Punitive damages assessed in a fixed amount for every instance of consumer fraud is doesn't serve the purpose of deterring the fraud to be conducted again. Small consumer frauds often go undetected. For example, retailers charging a very high amount (1.5-2 times) the MRP/MSP of a product in a remote place, even though they have bought the products from a distributor at discounts below the MRP/MSP which is the industry norm, some retailers charging Rs. 5/- extra for each 600ml bottle of Pepsi/Coke with MRP/MSP of 35/- and claiming extra Rs. 5/- as refrigeration fee for keeping in cold.
A system which imposes a very high initial amount as fine for first instance of fraud and increasing fines for subsequent instances by the same entity is one which can help deter such frauds by creating a fear in the minds of people not conduct such frauds at all.
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