The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Chandigarh, has directed travel company MakeMyTrip to refund over Rs 13 lakh, along with interest, to three residents of Mohali for the cancellation of their Switzerland tour package at the last moment.Gurdeep Singh Sekhon and two other Mohali residents, in separate complaints filed before the commission, stated that they had booked a tour to Switzerland scheduled from May 5 to May 11, 2023, covering Paris and two Swiss cities.The complainants said they had received confirmation and complete package details via email and had submitted all required documents, including passports, Income Tax Returns (ITRs), property papers, bank statements and visa fees. They separately paid Rs 6,57,879, Rs 4,38,928 and Rs 2,26,363 towards the trip.However, they later received refusal letters from the Swiss Embassy citing lack of justification for travel and stay. The complainants alleged that the denial of permission was due to negligence on the part of the travel company in preparing and submitting the documents.They further stated that the company initially promised either to shift them to another tour package or provide a refund, but later refused and instead offered only a partial refund or demanded additional payment for rescheduling the trip.In its reply, the company denied the allegations and stated that it merely acts as a platform for users to select services from various providers. It contended that once the services are availed, it stands discharged from liability as the amount paid is directly remitted to vendors such as airlines, hotels and transfer operators.The company also submitted that the bookings made by the complainants were non-refundable. However, as a consumer-centric gesture, it had offered either a refund of Rs 1,10,000 per complainant or the option to pay additional charges for rescheduling.After hearing the arguments, the commission observed that the travel company had failed to prove that proper documents were submitted to the concerned embassy. It also noted that no receipts or records were produced to establish that payments had been made to hotels for the complainants’ stay.The commission further observed that the offer of an alternative package indicated negligence on the part of the company in processing the visa applications, particularly when the complainants already possessed valid US visas.Holding the company guilty of deficiency in service, the commission directed it to refund the amounts paid — Rs 6,57,879, Rs 4,38,928 and Rs 2,26,363 — after deducting Rs 15,000 as administrative charges in each complaint, along with interest at the rate of 9 per cent per annum from the respective dates of deposit.The commission also directed the company to pay Rs 25,000 as compensation and Rs 10,000 as litigation costs to each complainant for causing mental agony and harassment.