Update at 3:10 pm: CERC compared 25 cosmetic products on Snapdeal and a Nykaa. CERC clarified that it did not conduct an “online survey” but a product comparison. . Here are the study’s main findings: High discount rates indicating counterfeit products: The same product sold on the 2 platforms were 50-92% cheaper on Snapdeal, which CERC believes could be a sign that the product is counterfeit since sellers cannot generally afford such discounts Inflated MRPs, even after discounts: Products on Snapdeal had a higher label price than the product MRP. CERC established this by comparing Snapdeal’s listed MRP with Nykaa’s MRP, and the product MRP on the brand’s website. For instance, The Body Shop Moringa Shower Gel was Rs 325 on Nykaa and on the Body Shop website. However, the listed MRP on Snapdeal was Rs 1095, and even the selling price of Rs 469, even after a discount of 57%, was higher than the MRP Expiry dates not displayed: While Nykaa listed all of the products’ expiry date, Snapdeal did not list even a single product’s expiry data, according to CERC’s findings, stating that expired cosmetics could cause serious skin and health issues. Product description misleading: CERC claims that there is inconsistency in the product visual and product description, indicating a lapse on Snapdeal’s side [caption id="attachment_196011" align="aligncenter" width="914"] Incomplete product labelling, as examined by CERC. Image Credit: CERC[/caption] Meanwhile, Snapdeal told MediaNama that sellers were responsible for labelling expiry dates, MRPs, retail price offered, month of manufacturing, among other…
