Bio Veda Action Research Private Limited - Biotique

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 advertisement. The advertiser was also offered an opportunity for a telecon with the ASCI Secretariat, which they did not avail and neither did they submit their written response. The Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) viewed the Website advertisement (https://www.biotique.com/products/vitamin-c-clearing-and-brightening-moisture-treatment-50gm) and considered the complaint. The CCC observed that no response was received from the advertiser prior to the prescribed due date as specified by the ASCI Secretariat. The CCC observed that the advertiser is promoting `Biotique Vitamin C Correcting & Brightening Moisture Treatment’. The CCC discussed that the advertiser did not provide any specific information for the product such as copy of product approval license, product label, product composition details, nor any evidence of presence of ingredients in the product. The CCC further discussed that the product label in the advertisement only includes Vitamin C as an ingredient and does not show the list of all the ingredients present in the product. By stating every ingredient used, it gives consumers all the information they need to know about the product. Upon careful consideration of the complaint and in the absence of response from the advertiser, the CCC concluded that the ingredient related claim was not substantiated. The advertisement is misleading by exaggeration and omission. The advertisement contravened Chapter I, Clauses 1.1 and 1.4 of the ASCI Code. This complaint was UPHELD