In Oct 2007 I happened to see an ad by VLCC about their weight loss program & claiming how many people have benefited from their programs . I visited their off. in Sec 18, JOP Plaza, Noida & met the marketing manager.
She kept on explaining the benefits of this program & assured me that I would loose 15 kgs in flat 5 months and the quick weight loss will have no medical implications. I was in double minds & wanted some time to think about it & discuss with my family members before getting enrolled.
But, she refused to let go off me and almost brainwashed me in getting enrolled. As I was vulnerable that time & in desperate desire of losing weight, the smart lady just took advantage of my state. She quickly worked out a weight loss program for me & asked me to pay up Rs 43, 259 at one go.( she told me that she is giving me a special discount).
As it is a huge sum of money, I told her that let me pay in stages as linked with my weight loss. But she told me that this special discount scheme is available only if I pay in lump-sum. I had my credit card with me & hesitantly I paid the entire amount thinking that it is a sort of investment for me in terms of losing weight.
I then started diligently following their program & followed each & every instruction they gave. I am a working person & I used to leave office early to be on time in VLCC every alternate day. After 2 weeks or so, I happened to visit my family doctor for a medical check up & I told him about my enrollment in VLCC.
He advised me to immediately stop going there as these kinds of weight loss program are unscientific & the extra kilos that I lose will come back quickly once my program is finished. Also such quick weight loss program are bad for health.
On hearing this, I went back to VLCC & met the Marketing Manager & told her what my doc has said . She just refuted all these & asked me not to give ears to all these.
I believed her & continued with the program. **After 2 months I realized that I have still lost not a single Kg, instead, I have put on 2 extra kilos. Also, the techniques like vibrators, heating machine they were using for weight loss were highly unscientific & failed to convince me.
*I went to the lady who had enrolled me into the program making such tall claims & asked for a refund of my balance money. To my shock, she flatly refused & was very rude to me. I still tried to reason it out with her that this is my hard earned money & its past 2 months & I have, in fact, gained 2 kgs.
So I see no possibility of losing 15 kgs in the balance 3 months! But, she just refused to listen to me. I was paying high rate of interest on my credit card & I was terribly depressed. That was the time when one of my friend told me that there are many like me who have been cheated by VLCC &asked me to go to consumer court.
I filed a case in Noida Consumer Forum against VLCC on Sep 2008. On 2nd Jan 2009, the court ruled the case in favor of me & directed VLCC to refund me the entire sum along with compensation for mental harassment within 2 months. I had sent the copy of the order to VLCC by courier & yet to receive payment from them.
*I sincerely hope that this case will prove as a precedence to many who have been cheated similarly & will give them the courage and mental strength to fight against such dubious companies like VLCC from taking advantage of one’s vulnerability & extracting hard earned money from the simple man & make profits!
SB