Sep 27, 2016 09:30 AM
37308 Views
First of all, thanks you guys at Mouthshut who saved me my one lakh rupees. With me, this is how the things unfolded.
We visit shopping malls, where a number of sales person ask us to fill some survey, form etc and ask for mobile number. I filled them in the past. Suddenly I got a call from a number that I have been a lucky winner based on the form filled in one of the shopping mall. She said: I will receive the following gifts:
a) Vacations in lonavala
b) Food vouchers of Rs. 1000
c) Dominos vouchers
d) Saloon vouchers
e) one more I can't remember.
She telephones me a number of times to come to Kandivali and confirm my presence as she has to bring the valuable gifts from somewhere else and her employer will deduct the amount if I don't turn up. I believed her. At that time, I had no idea of country club vacations etc.
I visited them. The employees there informed me that me and my wife have to go through a 40 minute presentation. We were ok.
They asked us a number of personal questions about our address and places we have visited and expenes on them.
Such was the aura was created that I fell in that trap. Life time club membership and five year vacations planned for 1.25 lakh.
They promise so many things like resale of membership, gym, swimming pool, events, birthday celebrations etc. Following were my observations:
- They play loud music and so many people like you are there in the room. The music
is played precisely for this reason so that you can't know what discussion is happening
on nearby table. Also music decreases your thinking capability and you won't remember what
sales people said after a while.
- They ask for credit card in the beginning. this is because they like to collect
the whole money once you give the nod for purchase. They are so desperate that
they send some person to collect the money/cheque from your house. They know that person may change mind if he comes across reviews on internet.
- I paid 25k and gave them the cheque which was collected from my home. After reading
reviews, I cancelled the cheque. To collect back the 25k, I have made so may calls to them but
they are saying it is not refundable.
- If there club had been so great, why would they offer its membership. People will be
despearate to join them. They can't even refund 25k.
I visited there premis two three times and I am seeing people being trapped.
They take your signature on many authorization forms like one for debit card payment etc.
They also take sign on form which mention that none of the vocal commitments will be enforced.
Only what is there in the agreement will be valid. Agreeement is in complete legal where
only few things are mentioned.
- Never sign any form in shopping malls. Nothing comes for free. so avoid getting
into winner trapping schemes.