Those participating in the HDFC Ergo free Apple Watch offer may be part of a scam. A recent promotion in India is going viral as individuals claim that a company is not honoring its agreement in a free Apple Watch promotion. While there is currently little recourse for those impacted, I want to take a look at what the promotion entails and what users can do to avoid potential scams such as these in the future.
Get Moving: Looking at the HDFC Ergo Free Apple Watch Offer
According to Times of India, a deal was in place between HDFC Ergo and the insurance distribution platform Zopper. Aiming to encourage individuals to get fit, the two companies launched the “India Gets Moving” program. This program challenged people to reach a daily goal of 15,000 steps for a year. Users tracked their goals through a point system, with users earning a certain number of points for reaching a certain number of steps on a given day. It would be up to the user to collect 110 points every month.
Those who finished the challenge would receive a refund for the purchase of an Apple Watch. Those that didn’t reach the required point total could still receive some money back, depending on the amount of points earned. Furthermore, the offer was good for the Apple Watch Ultra and the Series 10, among others.
However, multiple users online claim that the program is a scam.
What Happened Next
Reports from Moneycontrol as well as social media show a flurry of irate individuals who completed the program, only to find their cashback claim for the price of the Watch seeing rejection. Additionally, some users even report that along with receiving a claim denial, they also saw their insurance coverage removed.
According to users, HDFC Ergo states that users are manipulating their step count, either through the use of third-party tools or by giving the Apple Watch to someone else. To make matters worse, even users who provided heart rate and GPS evidence had their claims denied. Unfortunately, this is leaving many to suffer the cost of the Apple Watch purchased for the program.
What You Can Do
If your claim was denied by HDFC Ergo, unfortunately, there is little you can do at this time. According to Moneycontrol‘s report, HDFC Ergo maintains its stance that certain individuals contributed “unusual and suspicious data.” The company also maintains that it is honoring claims “where no manipulation was found.”
In this instance, Moneycontrol suggests reviewing the terms and conditions of promotions before applying to them, keeping detailed records of your progress, verifying the track record of companies running promotions, and avoiding making large financial commitments.
Although recourse is limited for those affected, always stay vigilant when encountering online promotions and offers.