The Supreme Court has ruled that international companies are answerable to Indian consumer courts for service deficiency. Upholding the apex consumer forum's direction, the Supreme Court asked a Lebanese international courier company to pay 71,615 US dollars compensation to a Mumbai-based firm. A bench of the apex court said in a judgement that consumers within the definition of the Consumers Protection Act (CP) can avail remedy for deficiency in service from both consumer forum and regular courts.

The apex court passed the judgement while dismissing the appeal filed by Trans Mediterranean Airways challenging the National Consumers Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) direction. NCDRC had directed the Lebanese company to pay M/s Universal Exports over 71 thousand dollars amount as compensation and one lakh rupees fine for dispatching a consignment of garments to a wrong address in Spain in August 1992.