this sucks...
Source: hxxp://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/health/1834215,CST-NWS-health20.article
William Truscott thought he was getting a good deal when he responded to an ad he got by e-mail offering a free, two-week trial of teeth-whitening products.
Instead, he says he ended up getting billed for products he never ordered, costing him $88.
"They said, 'If you're not satisfied, let us know within two weeks,' " says Truscott, who lives in Schaumburg. "But they went from the date of the e-mail instead of the date the trial package arrived. It was a real scam."
And Truscott wasn't the only one who fell for such pitches, according to the Better Business Bureau. It's gotten thousands of complaints from around the country from people who signed up for free or low-cost samples of teeth-whiteners, only to get slammed with hidden charges.
Online ads for these whiteners appear on the Web sites of news outlets such as CNN, USA Today and Forbes. They often link to fake blogs or news stories made to look like third-party endorsements, according to the Better Business Bureau.
Several companies appear to be involved. Some might go by more than one name.
The Better Business Bureau says these are some of the companies behind the ads: Advanced Wellness Research, which also has been the subject of thousands of complaints about its acai berry supplements; Ivory White; and Dazzle White, which, according to the consumer agency, might also advertise as White Smile, Teeth Smile or Dazzle Smile.
Trisha George, who identified herself as a customer-service representative for Advanced Wellness, disputed the complaints, saying, "Customers need to read the terms and conditions on our Web site . . . . All of this information is clearly mentioned."
A Google search, though, failed to turn up a working Web site for the company.
Representatives of the other companies could not be reached for comment.
Before consumers sign up for a free trial of teeth-whiteners or anything else, the Better Business Bureau encourages them to check out the company's rating on its Web site, www.bbb.org.
Source: hxxp://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/health/1834215,CST-NWS-health20.article
William Truscott thought he was getting a good deal when he responded to an ad he got by e-mail offering a free, two-week trial of teeth-whitening products.
Instead, he says he ended up getting billed for products he never ordered, costing him $88.
"They said, 'If you're not satisfied, let us know within two weeks,' " says Truscott, who lives in Schaumburg. "But they went from the date of the e-mail instead of the date the trial package arrived. It was a real scam."
And Truscott wasn't the only one who fell for such pitches, according to the Better Business Bureau. It's gotten thousands of complaints from around the country from people who signed up for free or low-cost samples of teeth-whiteners, only to get slammed with hidden charges.
Online ads for these whiteners appear on the Web sites of news outlets such as CNN, USA Today and Forbes. They often link to fake blogs or news stories made to look like third-party endorsements, according to the Better Business Bureau.
Several companies appear to be involved. Some might go by more than one name.
The Better Business Bureau says these are some of the companies behind the ads: Advanced Wellness Research, which also has been the subject of thousands of complaints about its acai berry supplements; Ivory White; and Dazzle White, which, according to the consumer agency, might also advertise as White Smile, Teeth Smile or Dazzle Smile.
Trisha George, who identified herself as a customer-service representative for Advanced Wellness, disputed the complaints, saying, "Customers need to read the terms and conditions on our Web site . . . . All of this information is clearly mentioned."
A Google search, though, failed to turn up a working Web site for the company.
Representatives of the other companies could not be reached for comment.
Before consumers sign up for a free trial of teeth-whiteners or anything else, the Better Business Bureau encourages them to check out the company's rating on its Web site, www.bbb.org.
