Unbelievable but TRUE, Packaged Water Getting COSTLIER than Petrol

Unbelievable but TRUE, Packaged Water Getting COSTLIER than Petrol

Unbelievable but TRUE, Packaged Water Getting COSTLIER than Petrol in Mangaluru

Few eatery places, including a pizza shack inside a Mall in Mangaluru is Charging Rs 40 for 500 ml Bottled Water-That’s a BIG Rip Off? Similarly, yet another Foreign franchise fried chicken fast food joint is also charging Rs 50 including tax for a 1 Ltr bottled water. But as per law, these special eatery joints can sell as per what MRP is mentioned on the bottle – but my concern is that “Why even rip off customers with a such a huge margin on freaking WATER? That’s what you call GREED, that all these foreign franchise companies are practicing, thereby ripping of their esteemed customers, who are craving for their food items.

Mangaluru: Packaged water is a big money making business these days- there are so many water bottling companies which are illegal and still continuing their business, and the concerned authorities have done nothing to stop this trade. There are packaged water with added minerals, then we have packaged water from Spring Water, from mountain water- and few days ago me and friends while in Goa, had no other choice to buy a one litre bottled water made from Volcanic water at a restaurant- but the price was quite “Volcanic”- Rs 60 MRP. Then there is that Evian brand spring water imported from France which costs Rs 240 for a 330 ml size, and Rs 600 for a litre bottle- and this is the only water cricketer Virat Kohli likes- he can afford it, since he makes easy money by hitting a few balls? But there are a few rich psychos who would buy Evian water, no matter water.

Okay now come to the real story here- yes, packaged water and soft drink bottles come in assembly-line shapes and sizes, but sadly, the prices are known to differ. Citizens have been victims of this each time they have asked for a bottle of water either at a multiplex or a pizza parlour next door. One of our ardent reader, Kiran F who had bought a 500 ml Kinley brand (coco-cola co product) bottled water at Pizza shack inside a popular mall, was surprised to note that he had to shell out Rs 40 of his hard earned money on a freaking half litre bottle of water. He immediately went to a next door super market inside the same mall and bought the same size, same brand of water for just Rs 10 MRP. Just look at the difference these fast food shack make on water. Kiran brought this issue to the notice of Team Mangalorean, and then it was history.

Team Mangalorean visited the pizza shop and ordered a bottle of Kinley 500 ml water- since the menu said cool drinks and water sold at MRP (unfortunately they had their own MRP printed on the bottle). Seeing this a 500ml Kinley water bottle was ordered along with pizza. The cashier did not mention the actual price since was not written in the menu. What shocked us was on the water bottle the rate was tampered and made as Rs 40 MRP by the water bottling company. (See pics of the bottled water price, receipt etc). When asked the cashier about the price of water of Kinley500ml being only Rs 10 MRP only elsewhere, why are you guys tampering and charging Rs 40 MRP, the cashier did not have any answer. Any ways its the cheater company business policy following and we did not want to fight/argue with the poor employee- and we kept quite.

Even though they had Rs 40 MRP marked on this small packaged water bottle, this is too much of cheating happening in the name of global fast foods, if Pizza shops can charge Rs 30 extra on one bottle means what will the profit they make in the entire country with the tampered rates. The bill doesn’t mention it as Kinley water bottle (just water bottle). If you guys do not believe me, visit any foreign franchise pizza places and see to your self. Any Indian who knows the value of hard earned money will agree to my point that this is unacceptable to pay Rs 40 for 500 ml of water.

On condition of anonymity, an operation manager of the pizza shack defending their company said, “We sell according to the MRP mentioned on the packet and not more than that. The ‘sell through select channel’ means the bottles are manufactured only for food malls and other selected venues. “To clarify on the point, when we contacted a regional manager of local packaged bottled water manufacturing unit, he said, “The differential MRP is legally permitted under law and is not restricted to one brand or products. The only requirement under the law with respect to packaged goods is that the MRP is required to be declared on each package at which that package may be sold to the ultimate consumer. It is also legislatively recognized and accepted that different MRPs may be declared on different packages even if they contain identical products in the same quantity. It is often practiced to maintain parity with the price charged for other products in the same or similar channels such as airlines, restaurants/fast foods, cinemas etc.”

One may ask, can a hotel or a restaurant/fast food shack charge for a bottle of drinking water more than the maximum retail price marked on the container? Unfortunately, the answer to this question is yes, they can and I am basing this answer on a judicial pronouncement on the subject. After all, there is no restriction on what a restaurant or hotel charges for food or drinks. Why should they be allowed to charge an exorbitant sum for just plain water? But first, some background on the issue, the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) rules not only mandate that all packed goods should mention the MRP but also specify that such goods cannot be sold at a price higher than that. Similarly, if you are not sitting in that restaurant to enjoy its ambiance and are just buying a bottle of water (or even soft drink) to drink it elsewhere, then the restaurant cannot charge you a price exceeding the MRP – but unfortunately, the laws in our country in this regard are just for name sake.

But sources reveal that certain water/soft drinks manufacturing companies have special dual MRP marked on their identical products, namely Hindustan Coca- Cola Pvt Ltd (Kinley 1 litre water bottles at MRP Rs 50 and Rs 20), Pepsico India Holdings Pvt Ltd (Aquafina1litre water bottles at MRP Rs 40 (but one at KFC, you are paying Rs 50 with tax) and Rs 20), Red Bull India Pvt Ltd (Red Bull cold drink 250 ml cans at MRP Rs 145 and Rs 110) and Eureka Forbes Ltd, Pitels Aqua & Agro Foods (Aqua Sure 500 ml water bottles at MRP Rs 20 and Rs 10).

Consumer products (anything for that matter) are sold through different channels – such as normal retails stores, modern trade, institutional sales, government supply etc. The same products are priced accordingly – say for the example – the price printed in a mineral water you buy from a nearby retail store will be different from the same one you buy at Airport lounge, star hotels, so as the case in a university, shopping mall, eatery – Dominos, pizza hut, KFC etc, multiplexes.. Companies like Pespsi Co, Coca Cola, etc use this pricing method and it will be printed on the bottle like “exclusively packed for…” only for sale in the mentioned businesses. I remember buying a 250ml/330ml diet coke for Rs.50 or Rs.60 from Subway Fast Food when the same was readily available for Rs.25 or Rs.30.. but you will find the price printed on it.

But, things are likely to change, with the state government’s legal metrology organization (LMO) stating that according to the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission order, there cannot be two MRPs except in accordance with the law, asking to take necessary action to protect the interest of the consumer, which will come into force on January 1, 2018. Section 36 of the Legal Metrology Act clearly states that anyone caught selling, distributing or delivering any pre-packaged commodity that does not conform to the declarations on the package shall be punished with a fine up to Rs 25,000 for the first offence. It can increase to Rs 50,000 for the second offence and subsequent offences can attract a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh or imprisonment for one year or both. Even though the law came into effect in 2009, there is little awareness about its provisions to protect consumers.

Even though that these fast food joints are selling their water bottles with legal MRP, but my question is that why even keep such a big margin on water, and rip off customers that way. One should know that even the taxes that you are paying on your food bill at all these foreign franchise fast food joints is enormous compared to other food outlets- and over this, they are fleecing their customers by jacking up the prices on water – which is a good source for life? Having said that, I must emphasize the need for the government to look into the issue from the point of protecting the rights of the consumers and ensure that at least for water, particularly, only one price should be mentioned on the product package sold everywhere- and not just at these foreign food selling outlets. Next time you patronize these fast food outlets, carry your own bottled water bought elsewhere and save some of your hard earned money-don’t give it to these GREEDY food establishments.