Vilvah Store - 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, “Over 1 Million People Trust Vilvah”, is based on cumulative unique customer data across all sales channels since inception, including their website, marketplaces, and retail partners. The advertiser provided online sales platform proof for verification. Regarding the claim, “Clinically Proven Formulations for South Indian Skin & Hair”, the advertiser clarified that this wording was intended to indicate formulations developed for regional climatic conditions and common skin/hair concerns in South India, and not to suggest formal clinical trials on South Indian population. They are reviewing the claim for modification. Concerning the use of before-and-after visuals, the advertiser confirmed that these depict actual product usage results. They are reviewing the creatives and plan to include disclaimers or modify presentations to ensure the visuals are not misleading. 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 - “Over 1 Million People Trust Vilvah” - 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 product is trusted by over 1 million people. Claim - “Clinically Proven Formulations for South Indian Skin & Hair” - the CCC observed that the advertiser did not provide a detailed clinical study report, to demonstrate that the formulations have been clinically tested and proven effective, specifically for South Indian skin and hair. In the absence of substantiation through independent third-party clinical evidence, the said claim was not substantiated. The CCC noted that the before-and-after visuals in the advertisement, which depict product efficacy, are misleading in the absence of supporting clinical evidence. 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 and the visuals 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, “Clinically Proven Formulations for South Indian Skin & Hair”, as well as the before-and-after visuals shown in the advertisement.