CCPA charges VLCC with Rs 3 lakh fine for misleading ads

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has reportedly fined VLCC Ltd Rs 3 lakh for publishing misleading advertisements about slimming treatments.

According to a report, in a statement on Saturday, the Department of Consumer Affairs said the fine was imposed on the brand “for publishing misleading advertisements regarding fat-loss and slimming treatments through the use of the US-FDA approved CoolSculpting procedure/machine."

The reports noted that the issue came to light through a complaint and monitoring of ads in the beauty sector. Quoting the official statement of the Department of Consumer Affairs, it said the brand was making exaggerated claims of drastic weight loss and inch reduction within a single session, which went far beyond the actual approval granted to the CoolSculpting machine, thereby misleading consumers.

According to the investigation, the brand’s ads promoted CoolSculpting and similar procedures as permanent weight-loss and size-reduction solutions. Some of the claims included: "Lose up to 600g and 7 cm in 1 session"; "Drop 1 Size in 1 session permanently"; "Drop one size in one hour"; and "VLCC brings you a ground-breaking fat reduction treatment," as per media reports.

The CCPA officials reportedly said these ads misled people into believing CoolSculpting guarantees permanent and major weight loss. The machine, manufactured by Zeltiq Aesthetics, is cleared only for fat reduction in limited areas such as the upper arm, back, abdomen, thighs, and flanks, it noted.

By omitting these facts, the brand violated the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, CCPA noted, as per reports. The authority has asked the brand to follow strict advisories in future advertisements. These include clearly stating that the treatment targets only local fat deposits, works only for individuals with a BMI of 30 or less, and is not a weight-loss solution.

The authority has also directed the brand to inform consumers that the procedure has not been tested on Indian demographics and does not have US-FDA approval for India. The company has been further told to remove unfair contract clauses that attempt to avoid legal responsibility for such claims, the report noted.