I recently ordered free samples of a product by Berkeley Premium Natraceuticals, Inc. Called Avlimil for my fianc to try. She declined and so I threw the samples into the trash and thought that was the end of that until I received a package of the same product. I was perplexed as to why I was sent these since I did not order them but did not think too much after that for a few weeks. I did not receive an invoice with the sent product and did not realize that I might had been charged. I thought that they accidentally sent them and figured I would call them and let them know when I had the chance.
Soon afterward, though it did not connect in my head until later, that checks from my checking account started to bounce and I received numerous INSF notices from my bank and vendors that I had done buisiness with. I could not understand what I might had done wrong and looked at my bank statements to try to figure out the problem but without success until I called Berkeley to try to send them back their miss-shipment.
To my horror, when listening to the recorded message, I found that I might have unintentionally signed up for an account and to be sent occasional shipments being billed $70 a shot.
When connected with a customer representative I asked her for a refund and told her that I would send the product back. They did not want the product back nor were they willing to send me a refund even though I had been charged several hundred dollars in INSF charges. I did not know until after calling that were automatically charging me for un-ordered shipments of a product that was usless to me and only found the charges in an earlier bank statement that I overlooked.
The customer service representative said that during my internet order that there was an account option at the bottom of the free sample order page that I was somehow supposed to know to click on to see what account options there were. I did not know I was signing up for an account but instead responding to their add for "free samples." I don't even remember seeing such a link and would of not ordered if I had seen it.
I believe this is deceptive advertising through omission and clever placement of features at their internet site. The CS rep did mention that their lawyers help put together the website... Now I know why
This incident has not only cost me money but also cost me my reputation in my community and has humiliated me.
Later upon researching this company and product I found that I am not the only one that has had complaints about their practices and read that others have had similar results from them.
Can anyone help?
Cd
rhinebeck, New York
U.S.A.
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