Exposing Dark Pattern of Online Extortion: The Case of Startup Story Media and Anil Bakshi”
This article is published to clarify misinformation and protect our brand against malicious defamation attempts led by an individual posing as a media professional.
Published on: 6th October 2025
By: D’DASS Store – India’s Largest Wooden Mandir Brand Since 2014
Website: www.ddassstore.com
📌 Introduction
At D’DASS Store, we have spent over a decade building trust, honoring heritage, and delivering handcrafted wooden Pooja Mandirs to thousands of families across India. Founded in 2014, our brand is rooted in the legacy of Seth Dungar Das Bissa, and we take pride in offering products that uphold cultural and spiritual significance.
But in September 2025, we were forced to defend our business and reputation against a malicious campaign of defamation and online blackmail, orchestrated by a customer named Anil Bakshi, the self-proclaimed founder of Startup Story Media (https://startupstorymedia.com), a company with a long trail of unresolved complaints and scam allegations.
This article sets the record straight — with full transparency and documented facts.
Background of the Issue
On 27th August 2025, Mr. Anil Bakshi placed an order with our store for a wooden Pooja Mandir. The product was delivered on 3rd September — ahead of the required religious event, and within our promised timeline.
Despite delivery being on time and the product being as described (with clear dimensions listed and product videos available), Mr. Bakshi claimed it was “unusable” without substantiating evidence — notably, no unboxing video was provided, which is essential to validate transit damage per our return policy.
We offered a free replacement of the upper portion without requiring a return, which he rejected, demanding a full refund. His dissatisfaction escalated into an alarming set of actions that raised serious red flags.
📦 ORDER TIMELINE: THE FACTS
- Order #5953
- Customer: Anil Bakshi
- Order Date: 27th August 2025
- Product: Premium Wooden Pooja Mandir
- Order Amount: ₹8,073
- Promised Delivery Date: On or before 6th September 2025
- Actual Delivery Date: 3rd September 2025 (3 days early)
- Courier: RIVIGO, Tracking No: 1010533889
🛠️ CUSTOMER COMPLAINT TIMELINE
- First Complaint Received: 3rd September 2025, 8:13 PM
- Our Response: 4th September 2025, 12:47 PM (within 16 hours)
- Replacement Offer Made: 6th September 2025, 12:09 PM
- Replacement Policy: Full replacement of upper Mandir portion without requiring reverse pickup, dispatched at our cost
- Customer Response: Rejected replacement, demanded full refund instead
Attempted Extortion & Threats
On multiple occasions, Mr. Bakshi openly threatened to publish defamatory content across 400+ news websites under the brand name Startup Story Media (https://startupstorymedia.com) — which appears to have a record of unresolved complaints, including:
- Fraudulent marketing claims.
- Non-payment of stipends to interns.
- Poor client service and exaggerated media syndication promises.
He made statements such as:
“One article will cost you more than the refund. I run a media platform with syndication to 400+ websites.”
This is a clear threat to force a refund through blackmail, not a legitimate customer concern.
❗ EXTORTION & DEFAMATION ATTEMPT
When the customer’s demand for refund was denied due to violation of our clearly stated return policy, Mr. Bakshi resorted to threats, stating:
“I run a media platform with syndication across 400+ websites. One article will cost you much more than this refund.”
This message was sent to our official support team and archived as evidence. This communication is a textbook example of extortion — attempting to coerce a business into a refund using threats of public defamation and media manipulation.
🧾 RETURN & REPLACEMENT POLICY – Ignored by Customer
Our return policy, displayed clearly on our website, requires:
- A mandatory unboxing video to validate damage during transit.
- Eligibility for refund only if:
- A product is damaged beyond repair and
- No replacement can be provided in a timely manner
Mr. Bakshi failed to submit any unboxing video.
Still, we offered a replacement on priority, without requiring a return or added cost — which he refused.
⚖️ CHARGEBACK ATTEMPT – RULED IN OUR FAVOUR
Mr. Bakshi escalated the matter by filing a chargeback request with his payment provider, falsely claiming that the product was “not delivered as described.”
After reviewing our delivery records, customer support communication, product images, and replacement offer, the payment gateway ruled in our favor in September 2025.
✅ Order Delivered
✅ Product Matched Listing Specifications
✅ Replacement Offered Promptly
✅ Return Policy Clearly Communicated
✅ Abuse/Threats Documented
📸 UNAUTHORIZED USE OF PERSONAL IMAGES
After losing the charge-back, Mr. Bakshi published defamatory content online under a brand page called “The Illusion of Heritage and Legacy”, targeting D’DASS Store with:
- False claims of fraud and scams
- Use of our founders’ personal photos without permission
- Misrepresentation of our brand’s heritage and product quality
- Doctored narratives designed to appear like investigative journalism
This is not only defamatory, but also a violation of privacy and cyber law under Section 66E of the IT Act (2000) and Section 499/500 of IPC.
🧾 CUSTOMER SERVICE COMMUNICATION (EXCERPTS)
6th September 2025 Email to Anil Bakshi:
“We have prepared a replacement and will ship it without requiring reverse pickup. We’re treating this as a priority request. Kindly confirm your availability.”
20th September 2025 Email to Anil Bakshi:
“As the matter is under review by the Department of Consumer Affairs, we await their verdict. However, defamatory or false content published online will be considered a legal offense. We reserve the right to take legal recourse.”
⚠️ WHO IS ANIL BAKSHI & WHAT IS STARTUP STORY MEDIA?
Startup Story Media claims to be a platform offering media coverage and PR syndication for startups — but its online footprint tells a different story.
🔍 Reviews & Complaints from Former Clients and Interns
🔴 Google Reviews:
- “Startup Story is a fraud company” – Shivam, customer, paid ₹14,000 and received nothing
- “They kept calling to upsell, didn’t deliver what was promised” – Animated Learning
- “Mr. Anil Bakshi has no clue about marketing” – Rohit Bhandari
- “They took ₹51,000 and vanished” – Arvind Parakh
🔴 Glassdoor Reviews (by Ex-Employees & Interns):
- “Bloody stealers”
- “Toxic environment, unpaid internships, scam company”
- “They use interns, don’t pay, and offer fake promises to clients”
These are not isolated cases — they suggest a pattern of fraud, unpaid dues, and extortion-like behavior.
🚨 OUR ACTIONS TAKEN
- ✅ Filed complaint with Cyber Crime Cell (cybercrime.gov.in)
- ✅ Submitted complaint to Hostinger, the website host of startupstorymedia.com, requesting takedown of defamatory content
- ✅ Responded to the Department of Consumer Affairs with full documentation
- ✅ Preserved all email and message records as legal evidence
- ✅ Exploring legal notice for defamation and misuse of personal images under:
- Section 499/500 IPC (Defamation)
- Section 66E IT Act (Privacy violation)
🛡️ WARNING TO FUTURE BUSINESSES
We urge startups, clients, and PR seekers to exercise extreme caution before dealing with Startup Story Media or its founder Anil Bakshi. Always verify credentials, review public complaints, and avoid companies using intimidation tactics to extract money.
Our Stand
We do not negotiate with extortion. We welcome honest feedback, offer real solutions, and comply with the Consumer Forum, banking partners, and cyber crime authorities.
✅ OUR COMMITMENT TO ETHICS
At D’DASS Store, we:
-
Deliver on time
-
Resolve genuine concerns
-
Offer fair policies and product guarantees
-
Operate transparently and respectfully
We will continue to defend our brand against false accusations, blackmail, and malicious campaigns.
📣 FINAL NOTE
A Mandir is not just a product — it is a sacred space for worship. We respect that fully.
But when someone weaponizes religious sentiment to threaten, defame, and extort a family business, it crosses a legal and ethical line.
We stand by our truth — and will let the law, the facts, and the public decide…
