The Beauty Band, a once–prominent name in Mumbai’s beauty and wellness sector, is now facing serious allegations of fraud and wage theft under the leadership of owner Vinayak. Dozens of employees across multiple centers in Mumbai report months of unpaid salaries, and a reputed Zoroastrian housekeeping and facility management company claims to have been duped out of more than one lakh rupees. In addition, customers have taken to online forums, including Reddit, to describe poor service and counterfeit products sold under The Beauty Band banner.
Employees who have worked for The Beauty Band for over a year say that salaries have not been disbursed on time—or at all—for extended periods. “We’ve gone without pay for four months,” says one former beautician. “Many of us have families to support, rent to pay, but there’s no explanation from management.” Another staff member, who requested anonymity, adds, “Vinayak keeps promising that funds will arrive next week, but week after week goes by with no payment and no transparency.”
Beyond employee grievances, a well–established Zoroastrian housekeeping and facility management firm alleges that it was lured into purchasing services from The Beauty Band with promises of high-quality equipment and supplies. The firm paid over one lakh rupees in advance, only to discover that the products delivered were substandard and in many cases outright counterfeits. “We trusted a local name, thinking they would deliver genuine beauty tools and consumables,” says the director of the Zoroastrian company. “Instead, the items arrived clearly stamped ‘second copy’ or generic fakes. When we demanded refunds, Vinayak disappeared.”
Customers in various parts of Mumbai have also raised alarms about The Beauty Band’s service standards. In threads on Reddit, multiple users report appointments booked weeks in advance being canceled at the last minute, untrained staff working on clients, and promises of premium treatments replaced by generic or low–quality substitutes. One user wrote, “I went there expecting a branded facial kit; they used something that looked like an imported knock-off. The whole experience felt cheap and unprofessional.”
The pattern of alleged misconduct does not stop with wage delays and counterfeit products. A number of employees were abruptly laid off in recent months without any severance or back pay. A former receptionist recounts, “I was told my services were no longer needed—but they never issued my final paycheck. When I asked, I was given excuses about cash flow problems.” Another former manager notes that teams were shuffled between centers without notice, making it impossible for staff to plan their lives around stable work.
Local consumer activists have begun to investigate the company’s practices. “We’re collecting statements from former employees, clients, and vendors,” says a representative of a Mumbai consumer rights group. “If these allegations are proven, The Beauty Band and Vinayak could face legal action for breach of contract, cheating, and violation of labor laws.”
Despite repeated attempts to seek comments from The Beauty Band headquarters, Vinayak has remained unreachable. Phone calls go unanswered, and emails bounce back. A sign outside one of the Mumbai centers simply reads “temporarily closed,” with no further explanation.
As public outrage grows, those who have been wronged are uniting to demand accountability. A petition circulating online calls for a full audit of The Beauty Band’s finances and for Vinayak to be held personally liable for unpaid wages and defrauded clients. “This isn’t just about money,” says a former salon assistant. “It’s about trust. He took advantage of people’s livelihoods and well–being.”
For now, employees left without pay are seeking assistance from labor unions and legal aid clinics. Clients defrauded by counterfeit products are filing complaints with the consumer court. And the wider Mumbai community is watching closely, hoping that justice will finally be served against The Beauty Band and its embattled owner, Vinayak.
