While losing weight is a popular New Year’s resolution, the Better Business Bureau has issued a news release saying consumers should use caution when buying diet and weight loss products to help them on their quest for health — especially products that advertise a free trial. One Ste. Genevieve woman found out the hard way that “free trial” doesn’t always mean “free.”
The internet is rife with miracle products promising effortless, fast weight loss, and buyers are often enticed by a “risk-free trial:” Just enter your name, address and credit card number, and the product will be on its way, with only a nominal shipping and handling charge.
According to a December 2018, in-depth investigative study by Better Business Bureau (BBB), the fine print associated with many of these free trial offers ensnares consumers in so-called “subscription traps” that hook them for expensive shipments of products they didn’t expressly agree to buy.
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Annually, BBB Scam Tracker fields reports of hundreds of scams associated with free-trial offers.
A Ste. Genevieve woman reported losing $200 after ordering a free sample of a product she saw mentioned in an online article. The…
