PVR Inox to challenge Bengaluru consumer court order over lengthy ads

PVR Inox, a multiplex chain, plans to challenge the Bengaluru District Consumer Commission's order, which deemed the practice of showing lengthy advertisements before a movie an unfair trade practice, as mentioned in a Moneycontrol report.

"PVR INOX acknowledges the Order passed by the Hon’ble District Consumer Redressal Commission, Bengaluru. We are currently reviewing the Order in detail and firmly believe that we have a strong case. Accordingly, we intend to challenge the decision before the appropriate legal forum," the company stated in a statement to Moneycontrol.  

The consumer court imposed a Rs 20,000 penalty on PVR Inox, payable to the complainant for mental distress and time wasted, along with Rs 8,000 in legal expenses, following a complaint about a 25-minute delay in the movie screening due to advertisements. The company also faces an additional Rs 1 lakh penalty.

In his complaint, Abhishek MR stated that the screening of Sam Bahadur at a PVR Inox cinema in 2023, scheduled for 4:05 PM, was delayed by 25 minutes due to advertisements. He argued that time is valuable and that the misrepresentation of movie show timings prevented him from attending other scheduled appointments, causing irreplaceable losses.

PVR Inox, however, denied any wrongdoing, asserting that it has not engaged in unfair trade practices and has consistently complied with legal and regulatory requirements.

Many consumers have previously raised concerns about the lengthy advertisements at PVR Inox, with some joking that they never miss the beginning of a movie even if they arrive 15-20 minutes late.