mid-day bought a credit card and, as promised, received free wireless earbuds—apparently worth Rs 27,000—which turned out to be fake
Representation Pic
The channel partner hired by the IndusInd Bank to sell credit cards have been found duping customers by luring them with free Apple AirPods, which turned out to be fake. On October 13, some such representatives put up a stall inside Lotus Corporate Park on Ram Mandir Road off Western Express Highway at Goregaon East and duped more than 400 customers.
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This reporter procured a credit card and received a pair of AirPods that had a price tag of R27,000. As expected, when he went to the Apple Store, he was told they were not authentic. A group of employees at Lotus Corporate Park had informed mid-day that they had purchased credit cards but the Apple AirPods, which they had been gifted, were spurious.
Aakash Rathod and the reporter
On reaching the spot, this reporter saw a long queue of customers outside the stall. The following is his exchange with a salesperson who represented IndusInd Bank:
Reporter: What are you selling?
Salesperson Aakash Rathod: Sir, we are selling credit cards.
Reporter: But there are hundreds of Apple AirPods on this table.
Rathod: These are gifts that we are giving customers if they purchase an IndusInd Bank credit card.
Reporter: What will I gain from purchasing this credit card?
Rathod: You will get a free movie ticket on the BookMyShow application, access to airport lounges, cashback on fuel and many other benefits.
Reporter: Okay, how to apply?
Rathod: You have to provide your Aadhaar card details and fill out a basic form online in our system.
Reporter: How much time will it take?
Rathod: It will take mostly 10-15 minutes and you will get this gift.
The fake Apple AirPods that were being used to entice people into buying credit cards
Reporter: This AirPods cost around Rs 27,000. Are they original?
Rathod: Sir, they are global and more than original.
Reporter: Do I get a warranty?
Rathod: No, sir. You will not get any warranty on this product. Today, we sold more than 400 credit cards.
The salesperson then connected the reporter with IndusInd Bank officials for the KYC verification process and the latter applied for a credit card.
Apple employee weighs in
The next day, this reporter visited the Apple Store in Borivli. An employee told him that actual Apple boxes were different and many such fake products were flooding the markets. He added that one should purchase Apple products only from legitimate stores and genuine platforms.
Aakash Rathod, the salesperson who spoke to mid-day
Victims speak out
mid-day also met many victims. One, who works in a shoe store at Lotus Corporate Park, said, “When I was going home after work I saw a long queue. When I checked it out, I saw a table on which there were scores of Apple AirPods. After waiting in the queue for an hour, I applied for a credit card and received the gift. I immediately took it to the Apple Store and they told me that it's fake.” Another victim, who also works in the area, said, “They are cheating customers by luring them with fake Apple AirPods. I am very upset about this.” Yet another said, “I also received fake AirPods. The bank should take responsibility and give us the gift that was promised.”
Apology call
On Monday, Rathod called this reporter and apologised for his actions, promising that he would never repeat his mistake. Asked from where he had purchased the fake earbuds, Rathod replied that he had not gotten in touch with Apple and would never resort to such tactics again to sell credit cards. mid-day informed IndusInd Bank officials about the Incident and the latter said they were conducting an inquiry into the matter.
Bank says
IndusInd Bank is committed to highest standards of professionalism, integrity, ethics and moral conduct in the best interest of its stakeholders. The bank has zero tolerance against any unethical conduct and ensures necessary course of action in case of any divergence. For a recent instance as mentioned in query, the bank has reached out to the channel partner and is gathering more details of the incident. The bank would like to emphasise that our customers remain at the heart of our operations, and their trust is paramount. Any deviation from ethical practices shall not be tolerated, as we strive to provide a secure and trustworthy banking environment.
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