CL Educate Limited - CL-LST NLU Guarantee Program – Law 2027

Recommendation: Upheld | Medium: Consumer Organization

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 did not avail and submitted their response. The advertiser clarified that the claims, “NLU Guarantee Program Law 2027”, and “Get into an NLU or get your money back”, are not based on past or future results. These refer to a conditional financial commitment, whereby a refund is offered if a student, upon fulfilling prescribed participation requirements, does not secure an NLU allotment through the CLAT/AILET process. The advertiser further explained that this is the first year of this program (NLU Guarantee batch). It is for TY 2027 - CLAT exam in December 2026, so there are no selections currently. The enrolled students will write the exam in December 2026, and the results of getting calls from NLUs will be available only by end December 2026. They also highlighted that all applicable terms and conditions, detailed course features, eligibility criteria, and previous years ranking data are set out on the landing page linked to the advertisement, thereby enabling students to review the complete information and make an informed decision prior to enrolment. The advertiser explained that the statement regarding consecutive years of top ranks is based on verifiable, published examination results. They submitted that the requirement for an independent auditor to issue an audit certificate began in 2011. Therefore, records are available from 2011 onwards, covering 15 of the 18 years claimed in the advertisement. They also provided the names of previous toppers along with public links for verification. As the response/data submitted was inadequate for the claims made, the advertiser was advised to withdraw / modify the claims so that the complaint could be resolved under IR process. However, the advertiser did not respond within the given timelines. The Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) viewed the advertisement, considered the complaint, and the advertiser’s response. Claims - “NLU Guarantee Program” / “Get into an NLU or get your money back” The CCC noted the advertiser’s submission that the `guarantee’ refers to a conditional refund program and not a representation of admission or a promise of results. It was further noted that the first batch (TY 2027) has not yet appeared for the CLAT examination (scheduled for December 2026), and therefore no student outcomes are currently available under this program. In the absence of any demonstrable results, the CCC observed that the claim cannot be substantiated at this stage and presents a future promise. The claim, “Get into an NLU or get your money back” is likely to create the impression of a result based guarantee rather than a conditional refund arrangement, and may therefore mislead the students. The CCC discussed that the advertiser has not provided supporting evidence to show that the enrolled students will obtain NLU admissions and that the refund process will be implemented as stated. While the advertiser stated that the terms and conditions were disclosed and required acknowledgment prior to payment, in the absence of independent verification, it remains unclear whether the students read or understood these terms. Claim – “CL-LST has produced top ranks in CLAT/AILET for 18 consecutive years” The CCC noted that the advertiser submitted audit certificates only from 2011 onwards, covering 15 of the 18 years claimed. For the earlier period (2008–2010), the evidence provided was partial in nature, consisting of third-party links and records that required further verification. Accordingly, the claim was not supported by verifiable documentation for the entire period mentioned. The CCC further observed that certain materials submitted as supporting evidence, including public links relating to CLAT toppers for 2008–2010 and student receipts, are not sufficient, as they do not amount to robust or independently verifiable documentation of student enrolment or program participation for the relevant years. Based on this assessment, the CCC concluded that the claims, “NLU GUARANTEE PROGRAM LAW 2027”, “Get into an NLU or get your money back”, and “CL-LST has produced top ranks in CLAT/AILET for 18 consecutive years”, were inadequately substantiated. The claims are misleading by exaggeration. The said claims in the advertisement contravened Chapter I, Clauses 1.1, and 1.4 of the ASCI Code. This complaint was UPHELD.