Infomercial Scams
Infomercial scams can range from the quality of the product, the customer service, the guarantee or the shipping and handling charges.
You have probably seen the catch phrases before:
'But wait, there's more'
'Buy one, get one free'
'Results guaranteed'
'Buy within the next 5 minutes and you will receive the following bonuses absolutely FREE'
What is the truth behind all these claims? Are they genuine? What's the catch with some of the infomercials that appear to be a bargain?
Can you trust them?
Types of Infomercial Scams
Shipping and Handling
In these infomercial scams the cost of shipping and handling [S&H] is increased to add to the profitability, as well as deter purchasers from returning the product.
A lot of infomercial products have a 30 day guarantee, however in a lot of cases, the refund only applies to the purchase price, and not the S&H costs. The refund may also only be given if the product is returned, so there are two S&H costs to incur to receive a refund.
The higher these costs are, the less likely a refund will be sought.
Refund
A lot of infomercials come with a 30 day money back guarantee, however it usually only applies to the product and not the shipping and handling costs. You are also usually required to ship it back before the refund is processed.
In some cases, the 30 day guarantee period starts when the product is shipped, and with some slow shipping times, there is often not enough time to try the product, and return it within 30 days.
Some people have complained to us that even when they returned the product, the company disputed receiving it, or advised it was received after the 30 day period expired. The only way to avoid this is with 'proof of delivery' with the shipping, however that adds to the cost.
In some instances, just trying to contact customer service for a refund can be challenging. Often there is a voice message service for you to leave a message, but nobody returns your call after you have left a message. Every time you ring the contact number it is busy, or appears to be out of service.
Free Products
Some infomercial scams offer free products and state that no purchase is necessary to receive the items. All you pay for is shipping, using your credit card.
Some people have been surprised to find their credit card charged each month after that for more product, not realizing the conditions in the fine print state that after you receive the free products, unless you advise otherwise, you will be billed each month for more product until you cancel.
Getting the monthly billing cancelled can be a challenge on occasions as a condition of receiving the free products was that you would receive monthly product after that. By the time you realize it and contact the company, it will probably be two months of product billed on your credit card before it can be stopped.
Little Company Contact Information on the Product
Occasionally the product you receive may have little, if any company contact information, on the item itself, or on the packaging. This is done to minimize contact with customers, in relation to defective product or 30 day refund periods.
The goal of these infomercial scams is to delay the time it takes you to find the information, until after the 30 day refund period has lapsed.
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