Weight-loss centre to pay Rs 1.4 lakh to woman

A weight-loss centre here was directed by a consumer forum to pay Rs 1.4 lakh to a woman for making “false promises” that its treatment was 100 per cent effective, failing which her entire money would be refunded.

The district consumer disputes redressal forum said slimming centre health sanctuary and its agent had “failed to honour their promises”.

“We are willing to hold that the weight-loss centre and its agent had made false representations to the complainant, Mrs Bhatia, about effectiveness of the treatment available at its centre,” the bench presided by Rakesh Kapoor said.

“They further added that if results were not up to the mark, she would be refunded the entire amount paid,” said Kapoor.

We, hold them deficient in providing services to the complainant. We direct them to jointly pay her Rs 1.10 lakh along with Rs 25,000 as compensation for the pain and agony suffered by her including Rs 5,000 as the cost of litigation, the bench said.

In her complaint, Delhi resident Mrs Bhatia had claimed she was lured by the slimming centre’s advertisement which promised reduction in weight and refund of entire amount paid in case the result is not achieved.

She said she paid a total of Rs 1.1 lakh for enrolling in three different weight-loss programmes. While the first two treatments had failed to benefit her, she had chosen not to undergo the third one.