How they tried to sell me expensive cosmetic procedures and what came of it

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-13 00:26

For getting rid of non-existent problems they asked for 150 thousand rubles. And it was not easy not to spend this money.

This article is part of the "" project. In it, we declare war on everything that prevents people from living and becoming better: breaking laws, believing in nonsense, deceit and fraud. If you've come across a similar experience, share your stories in the comments.

A few years ago, a relative of mine - an adult woman with a college education and an analytical mindset - went for some free cosmetic procedure that was offered to her over the phone. She returned with four tubes of cosmetics and a loan of 60,000 rubles. To understand the scale of the tragedy: then the average salary in my city was about 17,000 rubles. A relative two days called all her friends and praised the cosmetics, and then came to her senses and wondered for a long time how she managed to get a loan.

I was wondering what needs to be done with a person so that he wants to give a lot of money for an unnecessary thing. Therefore, when they called me from an unknown number and said that I had won the free procedure, I went to find out what traps were hidden behind this offer.

How I was lured into the procedure

They called me and started with trump cards. They said that they had a very important conversation and asked when I could take the time. They forgot to introduce themselves.

As soon as I agreed, I was delighted: my number won the lottery of the aesthetics center and I can come for a free procedure. They could not explain how the personal phone number ended up in the center's database, citing a certain good friend who allegedly left it to them. The name of the girlfriend, of course, was refused.

Although at that moment it became clear that this was just a promotion, I agreed for the sake of experiment. The time was appointed - weekend evening.

Spoiler alert: I was lucky that I insisted on the latest appointment time. Perhaps this helped save an impressive amount.

It is not known how this experiment would have ended if not one delayed employee worked with me, but a whole team.

There was not much left before the procedure, and every day I received a reminder call. On the day I was registered, they called me three (!) Times and asked if I would definitely come. It would be embarrassing not to come, because I promised so many times that I would show up at the appointed time. It was only during the last telephone conversation that they warned that they had to take their passport with them.

How it all began

On day X, I got to the place where the smiling employees immediately asked for my passport. I agreed to demonstrate it, but I want to warn you right away: never do that. Passport data may not be used in your favor. They allow you to draw up an agreement without the participation of the owner, sign it (if you run into professional fraudsters) or, for example, reissue your SIM card.

There is no direct obligation of the client to present a passport in any regulatory document. You have the right, in turn, to demand a document where this requirement is clearly spelled out.

Alexandra Brodelschikova General Director of the Civil Law Center Law Firm.

If you are asked for a passport to enter a building, ask who is asking for it and on what basis. If it is a security guard, ask him to show the appropriate ID.

If they can't really explain to you who and on what basis requires a passport, it is better not to show it. Refer to the Federal Law "On Personal Data", according to which the personal data of each (full name, passport data, TIN and others) can be provided only with the consent of the person.

Do not under any circumstances give your passport to make copies of it. This data can help fraudsters posing as controllers and security guards.

I was very quickly transferred to the hands of a beautician. We went into a cozy office, where I was asked to fill out a questionnaire. The questions were standard and correct: about complaints, about what I am dissatisfied with in my appearance, about contraindications to procedures and lifestyle.

The questionnaire was very long, and the foreman and I managed to discuss not only health, but also the weather, pets and the interior of the office. Everything took place in a very friendly atmosphere, and I have not heard as many compliments as I received in 15 minutes of the survey in the last year.

Then there was a tour of all the premises of the center, where they showed me a lot of devices to fight cellulite, obesity, acne and edema. And then the procedure itself began.

How was the procedure

I was prepared in advance for the unexpected: I was told that under the "free procedure" anything can be hidden. For example, my relative was only applied to one half of her face so that the difference between "before" and "after" was noticeable. But I was very lucky: I obviously ended up in another company and the procedure for cleaning the pores was done as expected.

While I was lying with a mask on my face, the master continued to talk sweetly. True, the compliments gradually gave way to questions about where I work, in what position, how long ago. Then they asked how I met my husband, where he works, where we live, how often we rest and where we spend our holidays.

Everything resembled an ordinary small talk to the question of how much I earn. This is clearly not what I would like to talk about.

However, the overall picture of income could have been drawn without answering the last question.

Then the beautician turned the conversation to what procedures I needed to do. And here I learned a lot of interesting things about myself.

It turns out that I have:

• double chin, which urgently needs to be corrected before surgery is needed;
• pronounced vascular network on the face;
• many acne;
• dark circles under the eyes.

All the shortcomings were reported to me so unobtrusively that I believed. The cosmetologist shared stories, cases from practice, and then she brought the topic to my problems. For example, she said: “It can be seen that you spend a lot of time at the computer. Muscles are weakened in people who sit with their heads down to the keyboard. Do not be offended, but you have a pronounced double chin."

According to the master, you need to intensively deal with your appearance for six months or a year in order to get rid of these shortcomings. Of course, the aesthetic center had all the possibilities for this, and all that was required of me was to buy a subscription.

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How I didn't buy a set of procedures for 150 thousand rubles

So, the procedure is over, and our conversation turned to the most interesting thing - buying a subscription.

As I was told, you cannot come to this center and do one procedure. All services are sold only in the complex, and the subscription price is calculated individually. I needed at least four months of weekly visits to the center for some 100-150 thousand rubles. You can get a loan for VIP clients.

And to make sure that I have nothing more to worry about, I can undergo free skin diagnostics "at the cellular level", only on another day.

Since it was a day off and it was late afternoon, there was no one left in the center except me and the beautician. So the diagnostics and calculation of the subscription had to be postponed to another day. But I didn't come.

Why didn’t I come back

I was honestly carried out one procedure, invited again and promised to provide a subscription with individual conditions. The master talked to me nicely and tactfully talked about the shortcomings. I went home with the feeling that it was not in vain that I agreed and that it was worth going through this very diagnosis - just in case.

Only in the morning my opinion completely changed.

Firstly, I realized that there can be no diagnostics at the cellular level if you do not do a tissue biopsy, and this is already a serious manipulation, to which I do not agree.

Secondly, I looked in the mirror and did not find any circles, no double chin, or other dangers.

Third, damn it, it's 100,000 rubles! I can't lower my vacation budget to get rid of ghostly chins. Even if I could, simple arithmetic shows: if you divide 100,000 by four months, I can go to any cosmetologist every other day, buy an annual gym membership and something else will remain.

All these thoughts came to me only with a fresh mind when I had time to think about buying. But immediately after the procedure, relaxed by conversations and an attentive attitude, I was ready to believe that I needed a subscription.

What to do if you paid under an imposed contract

I was lucky: I ended up not with outright scammers, but rather with an organization with aggressive advertising. I knew in advance that I was going to an experiment, and therefore I had time to analyze everything. But if you paid for services that you don't need, you can get your money back.

In such a situation, it is necessary to submit an application to the company to withdraw from the contract and demand to return the money paid. In this case, you do not need to provide any justification for your refusal. Consumer protection law does not require you to do this.

Alexandra Brodelschikova

If you are denied, file a claim with the court to recover from the organization:

• the amount paid;
• penalties for non-satisfaction of consumer requirements on a voluntary basis;
• a consumer fine in the amount of 50% of the amount satisfied by the court;
• compensation for moral damage;
• legal fees.

It is not necessary to ask the court to terminate the contract: from the moment of filing an application for cancellation of the contract to the address of the organization, it will be terminated automatically.

You may only be asked to pay for actual, documented costs, such as a blood test. Fill out the application for refusal in two copies, so that on the second one the employee of the medical center signs the acceptance. Also, in the application, indicate the period for the refund.

Olga Shirokova

What to do if you took out a loan

The loan situation is more complicated, but even in this case, you can compete for money. Olga Shirokova advises to do this:

• Check if you have all the necessary documents: a service agreement with a medical or cosmetic center and a loan agreement with a bank.
• Apply with a written denial of service to the organization. If the payment was made by bank transfer, then in the application for termination of the contract, demand to return the money to him and notify you about it. Or you can demand to pay money to you and subsequently pay off the debt to the bank on your own.
• Contact the bank and find out if it has transferred money to the organization's account. If not yet, then write a statement of refusal to provide a loan, attaching a copy of the application for refusal of services. According to article 821 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, the borrower has the right to refuse to receive a loan in whole or in part, notifying the lender of this before the term for its provision established by the agreement. And if the bank has already transferred funds, then you need to notify it in writing about the cancellation of services and the return of money.

If your demands are ignored, go to Rospotrebnadzor, the prosecutor's office, the court to protect your rights. You also have the right to contact law enforcement agencies and report fraud.

What to do if you are offered a free procedure

The best thing, of course, is just not to walk. You can never say with certainty what is behind this proposal. But if your curiosity is stronger, try to protect yourself.

• Do not take your passport with you. This will make it easier to keep it out of the hands of security guards and managers. A conscientious company will not insist that you present it.
• Prepare for the fact that you will find a lot of problems.
• Do not sign anything without first reading it. Even if you are asked to sign an agreement for an inspection or an agreement for a free procedure, the document may indicate in small print that you are taking out a loan.
• Decide for yourself that you will pay for any offer the next day, even if you really want to make a purchase. This will give you time to think it over again.