Diet Supplement/Weight Loss Scams

Not much feels worse than being scammed or ripped off by someone or a company.  About the only thing that makes it feel worse is when you've ordered something because you were feeling bad or bad about yourself in the first place.

I'm referring to the multitude of online ads for all kinds of diet supplements, both for health and weight loss.  You can't go online anymore without being inundated.  And God forbid you ever ordered one time....you will then receive a million email offers as well.  You know the ones I mean...acacia berry, colon cleansers, green tea, etc.  Basically you name it, there is a supplement that will supposedly fix it.  

So you see an ad that sounds like they are talking to you.  It may say something like "are you tired?"  Or it may refer to a old remedy for how to get rid of belly fat.  So, you click on it and a new window opens up.  If it's for weight loss, of course there are always skinny girls in skimpy bikinis.....in an effort to give you something to aspire to.  Yeah....right.  

And invariably there are always before and after pictures.  You have to love these.  There are two typical types. The first one is usually of a woman who in the before shot is wearing no make-up, her hair looks awful and she's dressed either super sloppy or in such tight, ill-fitting clothing that it makes her appear even heavier than she really is.  Then in the after picture, always taken in a different location, she is thinner.....but now she also has on make-up and a nice hair cut and is dressed in clothing that flatters her.

Then the second type.  This one usually has a picture of a woman in her 20's and is usually in a two piece bathing suit.  The pictures are taken usually against a white background.  The "before" picture looks like the woman may need to lose 10 pounds if that.  Then you look at the "after" picture and the background is the same and she now looks a little thinner.  And the claim is that she lost 40 pounds in 8 weeks.  But when you look closely at the pictures...you start to realize that the "before" picture really looks like the "after" one except maybe slightly distorted by some sort of editing.  Somewhat similar to standing in front of the fun house mirror that makes you look short and pudgy.  

Now assuming you are still interested, you start reading about the product.  They say you won't have to change your eating or exercising and make promises about how easy and fast you'll see results.  Of course when you get to the bottom of the page, in the tiniest print known to computers....you will read that the results shown there are not typical.  Gee....go figure.

But let's say you decide to try it anyway, you begin filling in information.  It tells you that you can try the product for just shipping and handling, and if you aren't satisfied, you can return the unused portion within a certain number of days and get a refund.  Now here's the catchy part:  Some of the ads tell you at this point that if you DO NOT cancel before the allotted time, your credit card will be automatically charged for the monthly supply and another 30 day supply will be sent to you...also automatically.  But this time, it isn't for the say $4.95 charge, but one ranging from $60 to $100.  And that it will continue to charge you until you notify them to cancel your "membership" in the program.

But there are other sites where this is not mentioned until the last page you are on, and it is literally in such fine print that you don't notice it.  So you go through with the "free trial" offer and if you aren't careful....31 days later, you see that big charge on your card. At that point, you are basically screwed.  Because it will take numerous phone calls and emails to even get through to a live person to acknowledge that you want it stopped and the charge refunded.  If you are LUCKY, they will agree to do this, but tell you it may take 7-14 business days for you to see the refund.

If you aren't lucky enough to get anywhere with them, you are then forced to go through your bank/credit card and dispute the charges and make a ton more calls and send more emails to the bank to get them to intervene on your behalf.

There is certainly something to be said for the phrase "buyer beware."  But it truly is a shame that so many companies prey on people who already have self esteem issues, possibly health problems, etc.  So my advice is this:  If you choose to try one of these products....be sure you read every single line of every single page it takes you too.  Also, as soon as you get the product, call and cancel the membership.  Then cancel it by email also.  The worst that can happen that way is if you find you like it and want to stay on it....you order it again.  But at least that way, you don't have to worry about forgetting to cancel it.  And if by day 10 after when you placed the order, you have not received it, go back and contact the company and let them know and cancel at that point.  Because the bottom line is that they will get you however they can...including by deception in sending the product late, thus giving you minimal time to try it and cancel.

So as they say:  Buyer Beware!!