NORTH TEXAS (WBAP/KLIF News) – You probably have seen advertisements for a so-called miracle product connected to a “no-risk free trial” online and you may have even ordered the item.
The Better Business Bureau wants North Texans to know…most of those deals are scams.
The companies typically peddle supplements and skin care products and are increasing in popularity online.
The Bureau’s Phylissia Clark said they’ve received hundreds of complaints in North Texans about these types of scams.
“Either there’s some term buried in the website or it’s not there at all that makes it so that these companies will charge you immediately after you put that credit card number in there and you’ll see these huge charges…hundreds sometimes thousands of dollars,” she said.
Once you’ve signed up, it’s very difficult to get your money back. Clark said in the past, a customer could call their credit card company and get a charge back because banks are good at investigating fraud and facilitating the charge backs relatively quickly.
However, the businesses in question have gotten very tricky.
“They can show something to these banks to make them feel as though you’ve done this on purpose. In most cases, people have told us they’ve had to cancel their credit card or had to file in small claims court,” said Clark.
For those who are prone to shopping online, there are some red flags the bureau suggests consumers look out for…like outlandish claims of the product’s success, celebrity endorsements and security issues.
“Look to see whether or not this is a secure site. In many instances, we see that your entering your credit card information into a site that’s not protected. So, you could lose your identity in this,” she said.
Most of these crimes don’t get reported but Clark urges those who do fall victim, which happens all the time, to come forward.
“You can be a hero, we count on the public to tell us about these things so we can identify these guys and let everyone know,” she said.
If you need to file a complaint, click here.
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