Vilvah Store - Vilvah

Recommendation: Upheld | Medium: General Public

The ASCI had approached the advertiser for its response in addressing the grievances of the complainant and forwarded the details of the complaint, verbatim, to the advertiser with a request to respond to the same. The advertiser was offered an option to seek an Informal Resolution (IR) of the complaint by modifying or withdrawing the claims in the advertisement, or alternately to substantiate the claims with supporting data. The advertiser was also offered an opportunity for a telecon with the ASCI Secretariat, which they availed and submitted their response. The advertiser in their response stated that the claim, “made for South Indian hair”, was intended to communicate that its formulations are developed keeping in mind hair types, environmental conditions and common hair concerns prevalent in South India, and not to imply that the products are exclusively suitable for or scientifically proven to be superior for a specific demographic group. They are willing to modify the claim to reflect a climate and concern focused formulation approach. Regarding the claim, “loved by 15 lakh+ families since 2017”, the advertiser stated that this is based on cumulative sales data since inception (2017) across its website, marketplaces, and retail channels, representing the approximate number of unique customer households served. The term “families” is used in a general consumer context to indicate households and not as a separately surveyed or independently audited sentiment metric. The advertiser provided screenshot of customer base data as proof for the claim made. The ASCI Secretariat had a telecon with the advertiser, following which they were requested to modify or withdraw the claims or provide evidence to support them. As additional time had already been provided, no further extension was granted. However the advertiser did not respond within the given timelines. The Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) viewed the Website advertisement, considered the complaint, and the advertiser’s response. Claim - “We Made These for South Indian Hair” The CCC observed that the advertiser did not provide clinical evidence showing that the products are specifically suited for South Indian hair types. Claim - “Loved By 15 Lakh+ Families Since 2017” The CCC observed that the advertiser provided evidence in the form of e-commerce platform record; however, this was deemed insufficient to substantiate the claim. The CCC discussed that the advertiser did not submit independent third-party research, consumer market survey to demonstrate that the advertiser’s products have been loved by the stated number of families since 2017. Based on these observations, the CCC concluded that the said claims were not substantiated. The claims are misleading by exaggeration and are likely to lead to widespread disappointment in the minds of consumers. The source and date for the claims is not indicated in the advertisement. The said claims in the advertisement contravened Chapter I, Clauses 1.1, 1.2, 1.4 and 1.5 of the ASCI Code. This complaint was UPHELD. The CCC noted that the advertiser has expressed willingness to modify the claim, “We Made These for South Indian Hair”.