'Trial offers' dupe Atlantic Canadians into paying for unwanted skin-care products
Consumers forced to pay up to $800 after signing up for 'free' or 'trial' offers online, bureau says
The Better Business Bureau is warning Atlantic Canadians about the risks of online purchases after receiving a significant number of complaints from people who signed up for a "trial offer" of skin care products and wound up with unwanted subscriptions that were difficult to cancel.
Some people have paid up to $800 before stopping the charges, while others had to cancel credit cards to halt payments, according to the advisory issued Wednesday by the bureau's Atlantic branch.
The sales practices of these businesses appear to be quite misleading.- Peter Moorhouse, BBB Atlantic
"We encourage people to read the terms and conditions very carefully before agreeing to an online purchase, particularly one that asks for your credit card information," president and CEO Peter Moorhouse said in a statement.
Extra fees or difficult cancellation procedures can be hidden in the fine print and pose a serious financial risk.
"The sales practices of these businesses appear to be quite misleading, and we don't want to see anyone agree to conditions they aren't aware of," said Moorhouse.
One person, for example, reported ordering "free samples" online.
"I did not expect, however, that a membership (which I didn't sign or agree to) was effective with my order," the person told BBB's Scam Tracker. "It cost me hundreds."
The BBB recommends monitoring credit card statements for any unwanted activity.
Consumers are also encouraged to call and report any suspicious activity to their local Better Business Bureau or to report it online through bbb.org/atlantic-provinces.