A local court has ruled that a travel agency must pay 4,569 yuan ($732) in compensation to a woman who couldn't go on a wedding anniversary trip to Europe because it submitted the wrong photo with her passport application, Xuhui District People's Court said Friday.
The plaintiff, who was not identified, had planned to take a 10-day tour of four European countries with her husband in May to celebrate their wedding anniversary, according to a court press release.
When she arrived at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on May 5, she found that the photograph in her passport was of somebody else. Without a proper passport, she was unable to go on the trip, though her husband went without her because they didn't want to pay for canceling at the last minute.
The travel agency, which was also unnamed, apologized and refunded the 12,000 yuan the woman paid for the package. It also offered 1,200 yuan in compensation for breaching the contract, as well as 369 yuan in other fees.
The woman and her husband sued the travel agency for breaking its contract, demanding 12,000 yuan in restitution and 2,000 yuan for the emotional distress they suffered.
In court, the travel agency argued that the problem with the passport wasn't its fault, even though it offered to help clients obtain passports and visas for the overseas trip.
The court decided that the travel agency should pay the couple another 1,000 yuan for their economic losses, plus an additional 2,000 yuan for their emotional distress.
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