Cheated!

Like many people, I have had leveraged on group voucher purchases to enjoy offers on food, beauty products, hair and nail services and many more. Most of my experiences are good, if not great, but recently, I had some horrible encounters with both the vendor and the group voucher company itself, which left a really bitter taste in me. *pui!

Let's talk about my first unpleasant experience. I bought a voucher from Streetdeal for what the merchant claimed as 'Cryolipolysis' slimming treatment.

From my understanding Cryolipolysis or better known as CoolSculpting is defined as using a medical device to destroy the fat cells through freezing and it is also a trademark registered by ZELTIQ Aesthetics, Inc..

I was excited to find such a good deal. I bought it and subsequently book the appointment with prestiousolutions at Cuppage Centre.

On the fateful day, I turned up at the salon on time and was really looking forward to finally able to try out CoolSculpting after many months researching on this non-invasive slimming, which is as close as it gets to liposuction. As usual, I had to fill up some forms and then the therapist led me into a room to change for the treatment.

When I was done changing, the therapist pushed a machine into the room, I instantly recognised that the machine looks nothing like what ZELTIQ produces. The therapist proceeded to chill me with a cooling probe attached to the machines which felt exactly like the cooling facial massager that my beautician would use on me for facial!

The therapist, while she was at it, tried to sell me the so-called 'slimming' treatment; explaining to me how this cooling effect would heightened my metabolism to help me burn up the fat. I know this is TOTALLY BULLSHIT! I know how adipocytes (fat cells) work, way better than YOU!

The true CoolSculpting works by freezing the fat cells and causing fat cells to crystalize and then die, not some enhancement of metabolism crap! This is definitely not going to achieve the same result because the temperature and the duration of the treatment is never going to be good enough to ever come close to it.

Although it only cost $59, but it's not entirely the money loss that I am upset about. I am pissed with how unscrupulous this merchant is, trying to cash in on the popularity of CoolSculpting and promoting a service nothing like it and most probably which will not ever work! I wasted one hour of my precious time for something I could have done on my own, at home with a bag of ice-cubes. WTF!

The second disgusting experience came from GROUPON! Surprise?! I always regarded GROUPON as being one of the most reputable and reliable group voucher company around, but regretfully they are just as crappy. On the same day, I bought the 'Cryoliposis wannabe service' from Streetdeal, I had also purchased a similar service voucher from Groupon for $128.

After being duped by Streetdeal and its merchant, I became very skeptical and decided to call up the vendor, Sure Solution and asked them about the device that they are going to use, because in their advertisement with Groupon, they had posted a video which shows ZELTIQ's CoolSculpting.

I was greatly disappointed when I learned that they, too, are not using the CoolSculpting device from ZELTIQ, even though the person on the line tried to convince me that their machine is similar. But when I pressed on, she started to hem and haw. Not a good sign.

I had done enough research to know that there is NO generic device that can replicate ZELTIQ's CoolSculpting's result as of current. I suspected this deal is going to be quite like a 'scam' too.

I wrote to Groupon to ask for a refund because I felt I was being misled and the vendor (and maybe even Groupon) had intentionally misrepresented the fact. I seriously regard this as false advertising!

At this point of time, Groupon had refused to do the refund, but they don't know who they are dealing with. I AM CINDY CHEONG. If you think I will just let it go so easily, you are so fucking WRONG!

It's not about the money anymore, it's about demanding to be treated right!


UPDATES:
As of 12 Oct 2012, GROUPON has agreed with the refund and offer to help if I have any further questions. I am satisfied with their service recovery. And being a fair consumer, I would definitely consider to patronise GROUPON in the future.

But I can't say the same for Streetdeal. They are truly disappointing. After I contacted them through the almighty Facebook, they agreed to investigate. Then shortly later, they posted this:

Click to enlarge

They argued that they have only stated using CoolSculpting technology through Cryolipolysis and not stated that the merchant is using the medical device by ZELTIQ Aesthetics, Inc. Therefore, they have not misled any customers.

OK. You might think well they do have a point. But wait till you hear this from me:

Click to enlarge

Apparently, both the term 'CoolSculpting' as well as 'Cryolipolysis' are trademarks belong to ZELTIQ. By using trademarks in their advertisement, how could they be still so adamant that they are not trying to misrepresent the facts. Disgusting bunch of morons!

The saga will continue...

More about its ugliness here!