A frustrated post by a techie regarding being overcharged for water bottles at a concert venue has flared up a debate across social media platforms. The user questioned Zomato's role in the incident and accused the company of selling water bottles priced at ₹10 for a whopping ₹100 through X (formerly Twitter).

Pallab De, the X user, shared a post questioning the steep price hike at the event venue. “How is Zomato allowed to sell ₹10 water bottles for ₹100 at concert venues where no one is allowed to bring their own bottles?” De wrote. 

Along with the complaint, he also uploaded a picture of the bill which stated the amount he was being charged for two bottles. The post tagged a Telangana High Court advocate, further amplifying the issue.

How did Zomato react to this?

Zomato responded to the issue immediately in the comments. The company clarified their involvement in the matter and responded by saying, “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.”

In response to the clarification from Zomato, Pallab De tagged the event organizers, Eva Live, as being responsible for the pricing. He also posted another picture of the water bottle that had an MRP of ₹10.

The post hit the right chord with many social media users, and they responded with a mix of outrage, sarcasm, and calls for action. Several users resonated with De's frustration and demanded sterner action against such practices.

One user wrote, “This is not fancy; this is outright theft, and everyone should raise their voices against these people.”

Another user urged legal action, saying, “If the MRP is ₹10, sue them.”

Adding humor to the situation, one individual joked, “They will change the MRP definition overnight from Maximum to Minimum Retail Price.”

Others pointed fingers at loopholes in pricing strategies. “They forgot to send the bottle with ₹100 MRP. After SC ruled not to sell above MRP, these guys got into a tie-up with companies to print higher MRP!” commented a user.

A witty user summed it up with, “When you’re thirsty, your wallet gets drained!”

What is MRP and why is it important?

MRP, or Maximum Retail Price, is the maximum price at which a product can be sold to consumers in India. It includes all taxes and must be printed on the packaging. Charging above MRP is a clear violation of consumer protection laws.

Have you ever been in a similar situation when you had to pay for water, one of the most basic products, at overcharged prices?