Complaint on Misleading Advertisement



Dear Customer Service @ Robinsons,

I am writing to complain on the misleading advertisement promotion for the Beauty Hall Specials that I received via a newsletter as a Robinssons member.After receiving the said newsletter with an attractive promotion, I have purposely set my way to Robinsons Gardens yesterday 17/1/10 in view to shop there and be entitle to the lucky dip. Your Robinson's newsletter states:


Be entitled for a lucky dip with a min. spend of RM228 in a single receipt at Beautyhall, from 8 to 24th Januar, 2010.Prizes include Beauty Hall Vouchers, full size items, Beauty treatments voucher from Lancome, Laura Mercier, Dior, Benefit, Givenchy, Versace, Ferrari and many more.

NOTE the highlighted sentence concerned which affected in my decision making to go to Robinsons Garden when I could have gone to other shopping malls with offering other attractive promotions. Imagine my horror when my lucky dip yesterday was a:

SAMPLE ITEM from Dior (2ml) which I could have gotten for FREE AS A SAMPLE without needing to spend RM228 in Robinsons Garden.

I understand from reading the promotion it says PRIZES INCLUDE Beauty Hall Vouchers, Full Size Items, beauty Treatments voucher from the brand concerns. It did not say samples were also included or were a part of the lucky dip. There was no clauses written to warn customers that lucky dip may be anything from samples or worthless items only that promotion valid while stocks last and check in store for details which I have check with Robinsons Customer Service whether there was still stocks and if they were really giving away Vouchers, Full Size Item and Beauty Treatments as the lucky dip which the customer service staff confirm the newsletter is right and still in stock.

I have been advised to make a complaint to the management to seek an explanation over this misleading advertisement which clearly breach Consumer Act Malaysia under section 14.1 and 14.3 as below:

Section 14 : Gifts, Prizes, Free Offers, Etc.
1. No person shall offer any gift, prize or other free item -
a. with the intention of not providing it; or
b. with the intention of not providing it as offered.

3. A person who offers a gift, prize or other free item may impose any reasonable
condition on the offer.

4. Where a person imposes a condition on the offer, he shall -

a. describe the condition clearly;
b. ensure that the description of the condition is conspicuously placed near the expression "free" or "free offer", as the case may be; and
c. ensure that the print of the description of the condition is at least half as large as
the print used for the expression "free" or "free offer".


I seek an explanation to my inquiries and a refund in RM230 for the purchases I made to qualify for the "Lucky Dip" in which I would not have purchase if I knew I would be getting a "sample" from the Robinson's BeautyHall Specials promotion.

Regards,
Ms. Lim
[handphone no.]

Comments

  1. Go for it, Tammy.

    I actually have a complaint regarding my Apple Holidays tour. Not related to the accomodation, nor food, but more of the service rendered.

    Will tell more later.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thats bad.. thats called cheat.. must be very heartache.. all the best with complaint and I wish to know what action they take about this too..

    Thank you.

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  3. I strongly aggree on what you did, we should fight for our right. Ajak Ajak fighting !!

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  4. all about beauty: yes we should, how many times have we gone shopping, entice into spending only to be disappointed with what's been advertised?

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  5. OH EM GEE i would so lift up a chair and hit the counter if such things happen! >.< i mean, sometimes, the companies, do not appreciate our purchases at all! miu, hope you get some compensation and update us ya

    xoxo elle

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  6. HAH...!!!!

    that's what I should do! but.. i give face to the customer service staff.. who didn't understand why I am upset and dare to pass the sample off as a actual size product when I inquire why it's different from what's stated.

    LIFT UP THE CHAIR AND HIT THE COUNTER!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi, Tammy... go ahead with the complaint~

    by the way, just wanna let u knw, in writing the Section for Consumer Act...

    it should be Section 14(1) but not Section 14.1....

    ReplyDelete
  8. butter girl: oh! okie! next time i put like that :D

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm all for it! Good luck with the complaint.. It's similar to what we got in the Isetan Lucky bags.. Cheats!

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  10. "Prizes include......Ferrari and many more."
    maybe the words "...and many more" actually refer to the sample items???? >___<

    anyway i would be pissed off too if i were u. hope u'll get ur refund back, good luck!

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  11. I so hate hate haaaate when some companies pull such lame tricks to leech the customer! I think it's great to share such practices, so we all know who is genuinely interested in cratering to their customer, and who is just blowing smoke.

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  12. Fatin: yea i am piss about that too but thank god we got nice stuffs in it.. unlike Kitty & Lily.

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  13. Shin:

    it comes after naming the brands, so I think it means many more brands since they finish talking about what's included in the prizes.

    anyway STILL NOT CLEAR N DECEIVING!

    I WAN MY MONEY BACK OR GIVE ME ACTUAL SIZE ITEM.

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  14. Shilka: I SO AGREE WITH U!

    *takes chair n hit table*

    ReplyDelete
  15. MiuMiu..

    Oh god!! very bad ha...
    I'm luckier wor. I managed to get a fragrance. Maybe just my luck!
    But I think hor...maybe is the word 'include' that explains there are many other things on top of whatever...
    Get refund from them... :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. yes! get your refund...
    However I'm luckier coz I got voucher from the lucky draw..
    Hmm..now reading back their promo sentence, could it be include means many other things on top of what were being mentioned there?
    Well, dept store won't reply you that fast, it takes time. My friends encountered a lot of those problems and it may takes 2 weeks!! imagine that!!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. thats bad... I understand what you mean some brochures I saw not really set the actual date. It just confuse you and when you go there they will say its not available yet

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  18. Kum Ling: if they put prizes include xxx, xxx and many more from brands such as xxx, xxx, xxx then customer would understand clearly.

    eh you're lucky u get perfume! i think that's the best prizes in this lucky dip.

    ReplyDelete
  19. sweetie: then they write wrongly already, should write that way coz they're talking about prizes include xxx, xxx, xxx from brands a,b,c,d and many more (which means ada e, f, g, h but can't say it all).

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  20. Sherry: yeah Msia consumer rights not very strong yet, the retailers/shoppin center always bully us. U see in Singapore, everything is clear, even in promotions clauses. They don't play play with Singapore consumers.

    ReplyDelete
  21. i dh takmo buy the ISETAN lucky bags for women. only buy for KIDS. and Men accessories.

    and this one... this Robinsons' also nak kena.

    go Miu go!!

    go SuperMiu!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  22. hmm..i tot lucky dip means depends on your luck loh apa you dapat? no meh?

    anyways i just went to Robinsons to shop this morning and managed to dip twice as i split my receipt to 2 receipts...

    1st dip i got that same 2ml Dior sample that you dapat, 2nd dip i got a full size SK-II Whitening Source Derm Definition worth RM340! not bad leh..

    anyways you demanding a refund only? anything else? dont think these dept stores reply very fast la...last time i had issue with Isetan also same thing, they got back to me after 2 weeks!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Actually my main concern is it's a misleading promotion which should be stated clearly to Robinsons customers coz I did inquire about the prizes with the Customer Service Staff n they should warn me if what I was inquiring is not true.

    If u see KLCC/Parkson/1utama they publish clearly what items are included in any lucky dip/contest. Even Isetan Lucky Draw supermarket for jap/korean food fair.

    I feel that Robinsons should have at least stated or warn that the lucky dip prizes are samples and not just tempt people into thinking it's actual size products and vouchers in their newsletter. There's also no detailed poster next to the Lucky Dip or conditions stated there or in the newsletter about it.

    It's a 50% chance misleading customers to think they're getting a good bargain by purposely shoppin in Robinsons VS. those shops there n went for the lucky dip since they had a receipt for it.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Kitty:

    Thank You Babe! go go go!!! vote for no misleading promotions or "lucky dips" not clearly describe!

    infact.. if u read the sentence again.. it could make customers (some) to think that any prizes they get INCLUDE a voucher, a actual size item and beauty treatment voucher! HAHAHAHHA isn't it?

    ReplyDelete
  25. Wei Allison---

    I want that SK-II! :( I dont want that freaky fragrance. Really LUCKY draw loh

    ReplyDelete
  26. Miu, i totally support u!

    No wonder Robinsons sales not many ppl go. Even me, am a Robinson member also not interested in going to their close door sale or watever sale. Nothing priviledge as Isetan, and Robinson got too many terms n conditions when comes to sales. Suxxx...n i hate to read the small prints...when i see them...i smell sthg fishy.

    ReplyDelete

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