These days it’s hard to spend even a few minutes on the Internet without coming across an advertisement for a “free trial” of the next “miracle” product. These trials are particularly prevalent in the nutritional supplement and cosmetics industries, where their ads promise that the touted products will rid users of cellulite or unwanted pounds all for the cost of little more than shipping and handling.
The “free” trials work as follows. Step (1): the consumer orders the trial and pays only the cost of shipping and handling, charged to a credit card. Step (2): the consumer receives the product in the mail. Step (3): if the consumer does nothing, he is charged monthly for the product on his credit card. The ads tout their trials as “risk free” stating that if the consumer is unsatisfied with the product, he can cancel the order within a prescribed period of time, returning any unused product, and have lost only the cost of shipping and handling.
What the ads fail to disclose, however, are the barriers in place to ensure that the consumer is unable to cancel in time to avoid being charged the first month’s fee, sometimes as high as $90. For example, some companies require cancellation by email, but do not provide email addresses on their websites. Similarly, calls to the customer service numbers indicated on the companies’ websites may result in different, conflicting information as to how to cancel an order. These practices are designed to make it difficult for the consumer to cancel the order, ensuring that the company receives at least one month’s payment for a product of little or no efficacy.
The sure way for consumers to avoid being taken by these supposedly “risk free” trials is to avoid them all together. If you are really desperate to try that new cellulite cream, ask yourself if you are willing to pay the cost of a full month’s order. If not, stay away from the trial. If you really must try the product, be sure to keep a record of your order number, the company’s customer service number and any information concerning the company’s cancellation policy.
If you have been charged for unwanted products as a result of a “free” trial, please contact us to discuss your rights.