Here we go again. Hydroxatone is at it again!
This time they are pitching "an exciting, exclusive" oppurtunity to get their newest product ABSOLUTELY FREE!
Or not so free. When you go to dreamlashes.com, you are asked, of course to enter your information. But wait, All you see on the site is the word FREE. There is NO WAY to view the terms and conditions until after you enter personal information. Now in the world could anyone know if they are truly interested in their "offer" without first having an oppurtunity to view what the REAL cost will be?
The only thing on the website says this and I QUOTE
"*Product is risk-free to try for 30 days. Pay today only a small shipping & processing fee. Customer responsible for return postage."
That's all the info they give you about this incredible, once in a lifetime (or should we say multiple oppurtunities every time you turn on your television) oppurtunity. NO WHERE is it indicated that you WILL be
*CHARGED for what is being represented as a free sample, or market trial (hence, market trial. These are traditionally FREE, where the company tests how effective and popular a product might be, therefore, the consumer does the company a FAVOR by trying their product and reporting their results. No longer is this the definition of a FREE MARKET TRIAL.)
*Automatically enrolled in a monthly "membership", where you, the consumer (victim) has the exciting oppurtunity to have outrageous amounts deducted from your account.
*Unable to cancel, due to 'high call volumes', but notice how quickly you can get through to initially give away your card number
*Shipped other MIRACLE products from this company without your consent, and charged accordingly, whatever the company feels their amazing product is worth, EVEN IF YOU DECLINE THEIR OTHER OFFERS while you are bombarded by a desperate salesperson over the phone.
*Also signed up for 'online memberships' to things you have no idea about, that are completely WORTHLESS.
*Surprised when you receive TWO lashatones instead of one. This is because the company is sooo 'confident' that you will LOVE their MIRACLE product, that you are more than willing to pay around $200 for two of them!
*Above all, you will be disappointed that the product you have paid SO MUCH MONEY FOR, that was supposedly FREE doesn't work at all!
Now, what can you do if you fall into this free trial scam?
YOU CAN do something about it. First off, by LAW, if a company has you in an auto membership, they CANNOT make you wait long hold times to reach a representative to cancel. This means that if you are unable to reach them after five minutes, it is acceptable by law to cancel via email. You want to include the date, your order number, and that you are hereby canceling ANY membership program they have you enrolled in that results in any kind of charge.inform them that you are aware of the law, and since the company requires a return authorization number to be written on the box of every return, you are giving them 24 hours to respond by phone or email with one. Also, let them know you are saving and printing out this email correspondence to give to your bank or credit card for your proof that you have tried and failed to reach them by phone for this RMA number, and to not respond with an RMA number is in violation of consumer protection laws.
DO follow up on this, save EVERY correspondence you have with them. Also, have a recorder ready in case they call you by telephone in order for you to record the conversation. They WILL likely reach you by telephone, because they will desperately try to give you a SPECIAL MIRACLE DISCOUNT, in order for you to keep the products, and of course to stay enrolled. FIRMLY tell them NO, and say NO to ANY offers. They often pitch walmart, target, and gas cards if you will enroll in online memberships. Tell them NO. The consumers that do say yes NEVER receive the gift cards, and end up with VERY high monthly fees they can't cancel.
Be firm, let them know you ARE recording the conversation of cancellation for your records. Let them know that you do not want ANY more products of any kind from their "prestegious" product line, and do not want your card deducted for ANY further reason.
Get the RMA number, and go ahead and let them know that you are paying for the signature confirmation AND insurance. If you do not do this, they will claim either they never received it, the postal service must have stolen it (when THEY are the ones committing mail fraud, which is a serious crime), or that the package was damaged in the mail. This way, you have all of those bases COVERED.
Be sure to keep all of this proof of cancellation and from the post office.
Go ahead and give COPIES of these to your bank or credit card, and keep the originals for yourself. Let your bank know that you have read that this company continues to charge consumers under different company names AFTER cancellation. Ask your bank to go ahead and change your card number because it is impossible to keep up with their new names popping up daily.
Now that you've prevented them from taking more out, don't be surprised to open your mailbox and see a box with a name on it that is affiliated with this company. They will probably give you an invoice for it of hundreds of dollars. That's when you, again, call or email this company (recording or printing out of course) that you have canceled ALL memberships with the company, that you have kept PROOF of this, and that you have proof they received the products back from you. Let them know that by LAW when a company sends you products you did NOT order or authorize, that by law you may consider that a gift from the company. When they tell you that you must pay to ship it back, or pay for it, or the all popular pay a 'discounted' price for it, remind them of the law again and that you are not oblidged by law to ship it back or pay for it. If they threaten you with a collection agency, let them know that it is a crime to give a negative report on your credit of false charges, and that you WILL alert the proper authorities.
They may turn you over anyhow, this is when it is vital to have all of your proof. Let the collectors know this is a false charge, you have proof of it, and you will press charges if they pursue this or negatively impact your credit.
YES, this a LOT, but it is the ONLY way to prevent them from harming you. Remember, turn any criminal behavior into the fbi at ic3. Gov, the ftc at ftc. Gov, and also to the attorney general.
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