Vilvah Store Private Limited - Vilvah Store

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, “Dermatologist Recommended Brightening Serum in India”, is supported by Instagram posts from doctors which they are willing to provide as substantiation if approved. For the claim “Reduces Dark Spots”, the advertiser provided a clinical proof certificate. The ASCI Secretariat held a virtual meeting with the advertiser, following which they were requested to modify the claims or provide clinical evidence to support them. The advertiser sought an extension to submit their response, which was granted. Subsequently, the ASCI Secretariat requested a detailed response within a specified timeline. As additional time had already been provided, no further extension was granted. The advertiser was advised to substantiate the claims or modify/withdraw them. No further response was received from the advertiser. The Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) viewed the Website advertisement, considered the complaint, and the advertiser’s response. Claim - “#1 DERMATOLOGIST RECOMMENDED Brightening Serum in India” – the CCC observed that the advertiser provided Instagram post links as evidence of doctor recommendations; however, this was not considered sufficient to substantiate the claim. The CCC further noted that the advertiser did not provide independent third-party research or a market survey conducted among dermatologists to establish that the advertiser’s product, “Milk Drops Brightening Serum”, holds a leadership position (#1) in terms of recommendation compared to other similar brightening serums in India. Claim - “Reduces Dark Spots” – the CCC observed that the advertiser submitted a clinical proof certificate; however, the same was not supported by a detailed clinical study report, including information on study design, sample size, test methodology, and results achieved. In the absence of substantiation through independent third-party clinical evidence, the claim of reducing dark spots was not adequately substantiated. 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 mentioned 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.