Mumbai: In March 2017, ASCI’s Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) upheld complaints against 214 out of 280 advertisements. Out of 214 advertisements against which complaints were upheld, 175 belonged to the Healthcare category, 21 to the Education category, followed by 7 in the Food & Beverages category and 11 advertisements from other categories.
With 175 complaints being upheld in Healthcare out of the total of 214, the segment dominates with 85% of the total complainst. The CCC found the following claims of 175 advertisements in health care products or services to be either misleading or false or not adequately / scientifically substantiated and hence violating ASCI’s Code. Some of the health care products or services advertisements also contravened provisions of the Drug & Magic Remedies Act and Chapter 1.1 and III.4 of the ASCI Code.
The list is mostly dominated by Ayurvedic and Homepathy products along with many magical remedy products that gives false promises and gives misleading hopes to the clients for the sake of extracting money from the patients.
Surprisingly, The list also finds prominent brands that are actively spending in the markets like Kolors Health Care for false promises on weight loss. Dr Batra’s Positive Health’s assuarnce of their treatment standard being auditied by American Quality Assurance (AQA) was turned down by ASCI’s CCC for lack of substansiating evidence.
Claims made by IVF fertility cebtres like GBR Clinic-Fertility Centre and Gaudium IVF Centre were also turned dowm by the agency.
Other products like Ayurvedic slimming products, Joint replacement and remedies, Hairloss treatment, Slimming add weight loss products, Asthma relief etc… were facing maximum rejections from CCC of ASCI.
