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According to one of the victims, Kusum Mudgal, everything was fine during the first and second preliminary visits. After that, however, the parlour refused to accept the coupons, saying that the agent was holding back the money collected from them. The agent, on the other hand told them that he was not handing over the money because some women had complained of unsatisfactory services and he would pay only after the parlour rendered the service for a year. They just did not know whom to believe! It’s obviously a con game hatched by the agent and the beauty parlour owner. The women have not been given any receipt for the Rs 700 collected from them and they now don’t know how to recover the money that they have lost. There are at least 1,000 of us who have paid Rs 700, says Mudgal. I have come across similar cases from `A0many parts of India, including small towns, the modus operandi varies `A0only slightly. In some cases, the beauty parlour itself is non-existent, while in yet others, it disappears without a trace after the money is collected. There are also complaints of consumers being duped by paying for such annual subscriptions, promising services at well-known salons. And it’s all so well organised that the victims will not even realise, till it is too late, that the ‘salesman’has no connection whatsoever with the salon. The fraudsters also try the`A0 short messaging service (SMS) route to inveigle consumers into buying expensive beauty creams and lotions. Since these promise to refund the full amount if the customer is not satisfied, most people think that they will lose nothing by trying it. If it works, it’s good, if it does not, at least you get back your money is the thought behind opting for these cosmetics of questionable value and efficacy. It’s only when they ask for the refund do they get to know the truth behind the "money-back guarantee". But by then, it’s too late. Free consultation is another trap. Women (and men too in some cases) are invited for a ‘free consultation’ at beauty and skin clinics. Once they take up that offer and visit the place, they are given a long list of what’s wrong with their skin and what the treatment provided by the clinic can do. Before they know it, consumers would have fallen into the trap and paid for expensive ‘treatments’ that they know nothing about. And in most such cases, end up feeling very disappointed with the results. If they complain, they are promised another set of even more expensive treatments, this time with guaranteed results. In the absence of any quality standards and regulations, consumers are easy victims. So what can a consumer do in such cases?`A0 Well, the first step is to exercise abundant caution when faced with such offers. In fact, I would say do not go for such offers at all. If however, you are already a victim, (a) you can lodge a`A0 complaint with the economic offences wing of the police and they will investigate and take action. b) You can also lodge a complaint before the consumer court (for unfair trade practice), seeking a refund of the money paid and also compensation. However, in order to file that complaint, you need to have the full addresses of those involved. Or else your petition will fail. You also need some proof of payment and proof of the promises made and not kept. So put together all the information. You can also seek the help of the police in locating the culprits if they have shifted base.`A0 Where a large number of consumers are affected, it would be better to file a class action suit — that is one petition on behalf of all the affected, seeking a common relief.
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Beware