HT Media Limited — complain: regarding misleading statement at every step of the call regarding job assistance and payment at shine.com

Dear team,

I need escalation matrix to bring the following events into light of the concern authority.

1) on may 1st, i got a call from one of your executive names shekhar. Shekhar detailed me the registration process and fee for the registration and told me that after you will get a call from concern team regarding details and processes so that i could get future job assistance and calls for interviews. I told shekhar please call me next day as i need time to thinkover it and if i will find it suitable then i will pay it and i also asked for the payment modes for which i have been told there are several ways of payment.

2) on may 2nd, 2019, i got call from shekhar around 6:30 and i again asked him is there any other hidden charges, he said no; and asked me to send cv in reply to mail.
So i paid rs.4227/- and shekhar told me that office is about to close so i will getting call from the concern team member mr. Saroop singh for further a-do after analysing my cv; but didnt told upfront that there will be any type of charges after analysing my profile for further processes. He also asked me for the suitable time.

3) on may 3rd, 2019, i got a call from mr. Shekhar that he didnt received my resume; i told him that i didnt received any mail asking for my cv.
So he sent me the mail; and in reply i attached my cv. I got call afterwards from mr. Shekhar to confirm the timings for discussion with mr. Saroop singh. I told him between 2:30 - 3:.00 pm will be the best time to discuss as shekhar told me that it will 30-45 minutes.

4) on the same day may 3rd, 2019, i got call from mr. Saroop singh that he has gone through my profile there will be 3 steps in completing this process. Here as well mr. Saroop didnt clearly mentioned that i had to pay certain amount and that too, in each of the 3 steps he mentioned. My undertanding by his words was, there will be 3 steps in the discussion. I wasnt in the impression there will be any charges as i wasnt told by mr. Saroop. While discussion saroop told me that "sir, please check you might have received from pgshinecp". I received an email as proforma invoice for payment of rs.17, 674/-.
Here i want to mention that till this part of the conversation i want informed the exact amount to be paid untill i asked; and neither i was told that i have to pay more in next 2 steps as well.
I paid, i thought this might be the only payment i have to make and certainly i will get returns out of this.
But as the convesation went on i got another email and saroop told me that sir this payment will help you in completing the process and i assure you that you will get best opportunities in your desired work area and location. I was bound to pay rs.22, 418/- as i had already paid so much in earlier steps. Here as well saroop didnt told me clearly that i again have to a heavy sum in the last step as well. And soon during the conversation saroop told me that you sir i had sent you an email for completing the last step. As i saw that mail it was asking me to pay rs.45, 960/-

I resisted and asked mr. Saroop that i wont be able to pay such a hefty amount. But he keeps telling that sir this is the last step in completion of your profile and this is necessary to complete and afterwards you will be start receiving certain modules to complete and will start getting sure shot interview calls in a weeks time and he assured me that i will certainly get job over the offerings after completing this step.
I even had a word with supervisor of mr. Saroop; he also conveyed me the same lines and i was bound to pay as i had already invested so much and i didnt wanted to waste the already paid amount.

After the successful payment, i have been told that i will be getting a call from relationship team for further processes and details for appropriate and suitable job identification for me.

5) on may 6th, 2019, i got call from mr. Atul, where in he told me that there will be final 2 step module after which i will started getting calls for interview. I will be getting job openings on my whatsapp and i can choose, for which i have to go ahead or which not. So far in this conversation i wasn't told that i have to pay any amount now as well to complete all the formalities. Atul briefed me about the process and there after good results out of it. After all this atul told me that i will be receiving an email from pgshinecp. When i heard pgshinecp, i immediately asked atul that whether i have to any amount here as well. Atul told me that yes sir, as i told you that this will be 2 step module. When i resisted that nobody informed such a long payment schedule and eveytime a new person calls me he asks for some payment for which i am not being informed earlier; otherwise i haven't opted or this.

Atul told me sir this will be the last payment of rs. 63716/- and he can give me in writing that this will be the last payment and there after no future payments have to be made for any type of service for lifetime. I asked him for the email. He sent me the email, mentioning all the module details and also stated "we will complete the profile with final 2 module of inr 63716/- (Including gst) for final services." and also stated in the email -

Note:- after wards you don't need to pay any single amount for any kind of services in future for any thing.

In this particular email there is no clear mention that i need to pay twice for such amount, only 63716/- was mentioned for final 2 module.
Still i was in shock and dilemma that how each and every executive had some hidden agenda for the payment and none of the executive told me about these payments. Moreover i have been told that "sir, manage kijiye, ye aapke acche ke liye hain" when i resisted to pay then i have been given discount of 5% and the payment came down to rs.60, 532/-
I told numerous times that i cant such huge amount after and after and i want to quit and i dont want these services as i cant manage the payment now. Mr. Atul keeps convincing me that sir this is the final payment and i have given you i writing that this will be the final payment. And now onwards after payment we will start selecting opportunities for for interview calls. If you quit now your all the payment in the past will be wasted. I asked atul whether you can manage in the payment made so far as nobody at any step told me that so much of payment i have to make everytime.
He said no sir, there are certain steps that one has to complete according to their profile other your so far payment will be wasted.
I asked him some time. Somehow i couldn't manage on the same day.
Moreover i thought the same the same as i have already paid almost 90k and now more 60k i have to pay. If i dont pay then 90k will be in vain.

6) on may 7th, 2019. I arranged somehow the payment and i called atul that tell me what has to do now as i am ready to pay the final 60k. After several tries. Payment was made successful.
I called mr. Atul but he was busy on some call. I got a call from a landline number and the guy told me that atul is busy on some call and my payment was successful.
Later after few minutes i got call from mr. Atul and he thanked me for paying and immediately he told me that sir only last step is pending and afterwards i will start getting good calls.
Atul told me that for the last step of the module i will receiving an email again from pgshinecp. I was shocked and asked mr. Atul that whether i have to pay again. He said yes and on asking how much, atul said almost the same amount. I was out of mind and told atul that nobody told me such huge amount and even atul didnt mentioned in his email or told me that i have to 60k twice.
Even in his final payment email it was clearly mention that inr 63716/- will be the final payment for final 2 module.
I told atul clearly that it has to be clearly conveyed that 60k has to be paid twice, 60k in each step. And i told him that i wont be able to pay now onwards; if he and his team can modify my package in the already paid inr 1.5 lakh or not. Atul told me that i have to discuss i will call you back after having discussion.

Here i want to mention again that nobody from starting conveyed the payment and the amount to be paid clearly. I was dragged everytime and bounded to pay just to safe gaurd my earlier payment so that it shouldn't go wasted.

For your reference, i am attaching email screenshot. And i want my money back as i have been mislead. I dont want to continue as now i have doubt that even after paying whether i will getting any opportunities or mere formalities will be done and it will be upon me in future that i wasn't able to clear the interviews. So i dont want to go forward and want my money back.
If no solution will be given i will be bound to some legal action.

Best regards
Shishir gupta
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