According to the news portal Sina.com, customers who applied a refund found the related policy, which was officially published on Monday, shows that customers who qualify for the refund policy will be offered gift cards with an amount of money equivalent to the refund value, and the cards could be used in different online platforms where they purchased Vatti products.

But this is obviously not the same as the company's original promise of a "full refund", which means the consumers ought to receive automatic refunds to their accounts.

"'Full refund' literally means a refund in money, not through gift cards," said Qiu Baochang, director of the consumer rights protection committee of Beijing.

For those who purchased Vatti products in brick-and-mortar stores, things haven't gone well either. Only those individuals who purchased a "champion package" in June, signed an agreement for the "full refund" promotion, and kept the purchase receipt will get the full refund. Some customers said they didn't even know there was a refund agreement when they bought the company's products.

The China Consumer Association posted a notice on its Sina Weibo account on Thursday, hoping that Vatti could keep its promise and fulfill its responsibilities.

"It's a good idea to give the money earmarked for advertisements to consumers. We hope Vatti will deliver on its promise (of refund)," said the notice, adding that "integrity is what drives marketing."

Experts said customers who suffered because of the company's failed commitment can protect their rights and interests through legal means.