Croma - Croma

Recommendation: Not 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 prices mentioned in the advertisement are net effective prices and are not MRP, flat or unconditional sale prices. The effective prices are achievable only upon fulfilment of specific, clearly disclosed offers, including bank-specific instant discount or cashback, exchange value card eligibility criteria and limited-period Croma promotional discounts. The advertiser also submitted that the effective prices were fully achievable and availed by eligible customers, and that they hold transactional data to demonstrate this. In support of their response, the advertiser submitted sales data and redacted invoices as evidence that the advertised offers were availed by customers. The Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) viewed the advertisement, considered the complaint, and the advertiser’s response. The CCC noted that the advertised prices were net effective prices, subject to specific conditions, and that the final payable amount could vary based on individual customer eligibility, bank discounts, exchange benefits, and cashbacks, all of which were clearly disclosed in the advertisement. The CCC also took note of the sales data submitted by the advertiser confirming that multiple customers had availed the offers and purchased the advertised products, including iPhone 16, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, and MacBook Air M4, at the advertised or lower effective prices. The CCC further considered the invoices submitted by the advertiser, with personal customer details redacted, which supported the sales data, and confirmed that such transactions had taken place during the sale period from December 15, 2025, to January 4, 2026. Based on the advertiser’s response with the supporting data provided, the CCC concluded that the claim offer, “Croma December Sale: iPhone 16 at Rs 40,990, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 at Rs 99,999, Macbook Air M4 at Rs 55,911 and other year-end deals”, is not misleading, and hence is not in contravention of Chapter I of the ASCI Code. This complaint was NOT UPHELD.