Mar 20, 2013 09:02 PM
26010 Views
I wanted my employee(named Manish Bajaj) to get proficient in English Language. I searched for institutes in my area(west Delhi) thru Just Dial, and immediately started to receive calls from various institutes. The average fee was around 6500/- to 8500/- for 2-3 months course. Then I got a call from Inlingua who claimed that their fees structure will only be disclosed once I visit them and give an assessment test. I reached their Vikaspuri branch and my employee gave the assessment test. We then sat down with their councilor and she explained that fee is around 8500/- for a course of 3 months. As we had heard about Inlingua thru radio Ads, we decided to go ahead with the brand name rather than paying 6500/- to unknown institutes.
After 15 days of first month, my employee received a re-registration form from the same councilor. Surprised by this, he asked the reason. He was then told that now you are getting into 2nd month and that you have to pay another 8500/- to carry on in the next month. This was absolutely contrary to the fees structure that was explained to us, in writing, by their councilor. I met the councilor the very next day and as expected she denied everything. When I demanded to meet the branch-head, she said they don’t have any. One of their staff came and assured that she will discuss the matter with their Centre-head(even then they never gave name and number of any senior). Again, as expected, I got a call after 4 days, saying “sorry we can’t do anything about the refund, but we can give you good discount if you wish to carry on for 2nd and 3rd month”
For a moment I thought that I might have mis-understood their fees structure, but on the very next day I came to know that 3 out of 6 students, who started in the same batch, have left the course after 1 month as they were all given the same wrong information. Remaining 2 also admitted that they were told 8500/- for the 3 months, but they couldn’t afford to leave the course in-between, thus paid again for the 2nd and the 3rd month.
Given the market rate of 6500-8500 for 3 month course, Inlingua’s offer of 8500/- for 3 months was very normal and believable. But what they are asking for now is 25, 000/- for 3 months, which is unnatural(given the market rates). They knew well in advance that no-one will enroll at such an exorbitant fee, thus they deliberately gave half info to every prospective client.
I have filed a police complaint in P.S. Vikas Puri and also given papers to my lawyer to proceed in Consumer court. They are under a wrong impression that they will keep fooling innocent students without getting caught. This time they have messed with the wrong person.
Yash Talwar
