On 29th Aug. I received a call from India Today Book Club Executive Mr. Prashant saying I have won a benefit of Rs. 110000/- (Rs. On Lac Ten Thousand) which will be given to me either by check or by cash or by Gold Vouchers. It was also told to me that no tax is deducted from this benefit hence in lieu of tax I have to purchase some products from India Today Book Club. He offered me 3 options to purchase from which I choose a Sony Xperia mobile phone worth Rs. 27900/- Booking ID for this product is 110085361. Then after making a payment for this through credit card it was again told to me that my actual benefit is now increased & it is now 265000/- (Rs. Two Lac Sixty Five Thousand). To avail this benefit I have to purchase one more product. Again he gave me two options from which I choose Samsung 22" Lcd worth Rs. 17000/-. So the total amount i.e. 27900/- & 17000/- & postage handling charges Rs. 1196/- was paid by me through credit card.
Then it was told to me that I will receive the Gold Vouchers worth Rs. 265000/- within 3 to 4 working days through mail. Till date I haven't received any Gold voucher or mail.
Again on 15th Sep. I received on more call from the same person (Mr. Prashant) saying that the amount you have paid in lieu of tax for the benefit is falling short by Rs. 15000/- & I will get the benefit of Gold vouchers of Rs. 265000/- only after making this payment. So I have to pay Rs. 15000/- against which I will receive an Apple I-Pod & a camera. I clearly told that I don't want to pay anything even if my benefit gets cancel. Till that day payment of around Rs. 45000/- was done by me to India Today & all my credit cards were full of limits. But after 2-3 calls Mr. Prashant convinced me to make the payment of Rs. 10698/- for the same products. Using credit card of one of my friend I made the payment of Rs. 10698/-. Product ID for this particular transaction was not given to me & till date I haven't received any of the products.
Again on 29th of Sep I received a call from one of the executive from India Today I don't remember his name. He transferred the phone to his senior who told me his name as Aniket Choudhari & also told me his contact no. as 011-40502424. He told me that my benefit is now offered in cash instead of Gold Vouchers by India Today. But to get this benefit in cash I have to purchase some products for which I have to pay Rs. 14996/- This time also I denied making any payments since I was truly not in a position to make the same. Then Mr. Aniket choudhari told me that if I make this payment then within one hour the complete amount of Rs. 265000/- will be deposited in my bank account. He told me that once I makes this payment then the line will be transferred to him again & then I have to provide my Bank account no. to him so that the cash can be deposited.
He also told me that if the payment of Rs. 14996/- is not done then I will not get the cash but I will get Gold vouchers worth Rs. 265000/-. But he also told me that these vouchers are not full vouchers but are discounted vouchers like for every voucher of Rs. 5000/- I have to pay Rs. 3000/- from my side.
Here I want to mention that till this time nobody has told me that the Gold vouchers will be discounted vouchers of Rs. 5000/- & for every voucher I have to pay Rs. 3000/-. If this would have told to me very first time I would never gone for this benefit. Also if the vouchers are discounted then it doesn't give me the benefit of complete Rs. 265000/-. Also suppose at initial stage I would have won the benefit in cash then I would have received cash of Rs. 265000/- then why I am not getting full amount for vouchers as well. This is the first fraud done by India Today with me. It clearly shows that just to sell out of market products India Today Book Club sales persons are making false promises to the customers & grabs thousands of rupees from them. If you are telling that I have won Gold Vouchers of Rs. 265000/- then I should get vouchers of the complete amount & not the discounted vouchers.
I repeatedly ask Mr. Aniket that is it confirms that after making the payment then within 1 hour the cash will be deposited in my account? Mr. Aniket assured me many many times that after making the payment of Rs. 14996/- the telephone line will again transferred to him & then he will take my bank account details & after that within 1 hour the cash amount of Rs. 265000/- will get deposited into the same account. He even told me that I can remain connected through phone for next one hour & after depositing the amount only he will disconnect the phone. He also told me that I should take his voice or his words as standard since he is a senior person of the most reputed company like India Today Book Club. Now today I came to know how much reputed is India Today Book Club & how much responsible are senior sales persons from India Today Book Club.
With this much of assurance from the person who was telling himself as senior member from the sales department of India Today Book Club, I tried to make the payment. This time the payment process was conducted by Mr. Bhupendra Kumar. I was making the payment through my Debit card. Due to some technical problem the payment was not successfully done. Mr. Bhupendra Kumar tried for at least 2-3 times. Then In the evening I received the call from Mr. Bhupendra Kumar telling that the time limit to make the payment is increased till 11.00 am next day. So he said he will call me next morning at 10.30am & told me to make arrangement for another card for payment.
Next morning i.e. on 30th Sept. at sharp 10.30 Mr. Bhupendra called me & through credit card I made the payment of Rs. 14996/-. After making the payment I asked Mr. Bhupendra that now within one hour will the cash be deposited in my account. He said yes & told me that now he is transferring the call to his Senior who will take the required information from me to deposit the cash. Then he hold the line for about 3-4 min. & then replied that his senior is busy in meeting but he has forwarded the request to him to call me & his senior has replied that he will call me in 2 min. & he cut the phone line. But since that I have never received any call from neither Mr. Aniket nor Mr. Bhupendra.
Whereas I call on the same no. (0120-3310700) almost 20-25 times but I could not get connected to any of the person from India Today Book Club.
Then on today (1st Oct) morning I called on the same no. (0120-3310700) for almost 5-10 times. When phone got connected I had a talk with Mr. Anup Kumar from Customer Care Department India Today Book Club. I told him the full story including about the last payment done by me. He told me that once the Gold Box is confirmed for me with the Gold Vouchers of Rs. 265000/- no one can ask me for any kind of payment for Gold Box. After this he explained me the complete procedure of Gold Box prize distribution.
After this call I came to know that India Today Book Club has very cleverly trapped me. In last 1 year I have purchased 5-6 different products from India Today Book Club. I have never expected this kind of fraud from India Today.
Now my situation is all my credit cards are blocked due to exceeding their limits, I also owe some amount to my friend whose credit card I have used for making payment & the benefit for which all this I have done is still not delivered to me. Also it is not yet sure that will I get the complete benefit of Rs. 265000/- promised by a reputed company like India Today Book Club.
To summarize the whole story following is the list of payments done by me –
1. Rs. 27900/- Towards Mobile phone Booking ID - 110085361
2. Rs. 17000/- Towards LCD TV Booking ID - 110085381
3. Rs. 1196/- Handling & postage
4. Rs. 10698/- Towards Apple I-Pod & Camera Booking ID - Not given to me
5. Rs. 14996/- Towards various products Booking ID - 110089169
After discussion with Mr. Anoop Kumar it is now clear that first 3 payments (i.e. Rs. 27900, Rs. 17000 & Rs.1169) have confirmed me as winner of Gold Box benefit of Rs. 265000/-. Next two payments were force fully taken from me by the sales persons just to increase their sales.
During last one India Today Book Club has given me tremendous mental stress & also unnecessary financial burden which has affected my personal life as well as my professional life very deeply.
I am expecting a quickest action for getting my benefit as soon as possible. Also I want back the last two payments (i.e. Rs. 10698/- & Rs. 14996) which were forcefully taken from me. Otherwise I will be taking serious action against India Today Book Club. I have already prepared draft of complaint which I will be filling against India Today Book Club.
Thanks & Regards%%%_
Yogesh Savaleka
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