A few weeks ago, island resident Gini Brown was perusing an online jewelry store when a pop-up advertisement for a teeth-whitening product appeared.
Brown clicked on the ad and was impressed by the testimonials and with what she thought were endorsements by Fox News, CNN and other major news outlets, she said.
Like hundreds of consumers, Brown decided to sign up for a free trial of Dazzle White, a penlike apparatus used to apply whitening solution to teeth.
But when she realized she would have to give her credit card number to cover a $2 shipping fee, she declined, she said.
What happened next was nothing to smile about, she said.
Brown received the product anyway. And last week, she was surprised to find a charge on her credit card bill by Pristine Health, an affiliate of Dazzle White, for $87.62.
Better Business Bureau offices across the country are being bombarded with thousands of complaints from consumers like Brown, most of whom said they thought they were signing up for a free trial. Those consumers are telling Better Business Bureau officials their credit or debit cards are being billed before the trial ends and, in some cases, are billed after they have told the company they want to cancel.
Along with Dazzle Smile, other names behind the teeth-whitening ads include White Smile, Teeth Smile, Ivory White, Celebrity White Teeth, Ultra Cleanse Plus and others, according to the Better Business Bureau.
Stain On Whitening
Officials of the Better Business Bureau serving Houston and South Texas said they aren’t familiar with Dazzle Smile, but the bureau has gotten 130 complaints so far about a company called Premiere Whitening. Consumers who have lodged complaints said they signed up for a free trial with Premiere Whitening but would have to give their credit card number to pay for shipping charges, which were anywhere from 99 cents to $4. But the consumers reported to the Better Business Bureau that their cards were charged anywhere from $138 to $150, then an ongoing monthly $50 payment also was charged to the card.
Whether Premiere Whitening is related to Dazzle White is unclear. The Better Business Bureau has been able to communicate with the company only through e-mails, bureau spokeswoman Deana Turner said. Premiere Whitening is based in the United Kingdom, according to the Better Business Bureau.
Hard To Find
Premiere lists its U.S. headquarters as 15621 Blue Ash Drive in Houston. But according to Google maps, the address is home to an apartment complex, Better Business Bureau officials said. Premiere Whitening officials did not immediately return phone calls Friday.
Dazzle Smile is based in Canada. The company also does business as Just Think Media, according to the Better Business Bureau. The Daily News was unable to reach Just Think Media corporate officials by phone. The company on Friday did not return e-mail inquiries. At least two sales representatives, reached through Dazzle Smile advertisements, declined to give a corporate telephone number but did give an address of 3600 Army Post Road in Des Moines, Iowa.
High-Profit Products
According to its own Web site, Just Think Media plans to “dominate the beauty, supplement and information products industry by creating high-profit margin products that are in demand online and offering unmatched commitment to customer service, integrity and community responsibility.”
Just Think Media has worked to improve complaints, according to its Web site. But consumers must read the fine print, the company said.
“Health and beauty are high-pressure industries. Because people sometimes have overly optimistic expectations when it comes to wellness and beauty, our business is subject to more complaints than others. One of our ongoing challenges is that a small percentage of our customers fail to read our terms or fully understand their obligations under the trial offer.”
Terms And Conditions
Brown might have read the terms and conditions on the Web site had she completed the transaction, she said. But she insists she changed her mind about the trial offer after she gave her name and address but before she gave her credit card number to the company. Other consumers said they did provide credit and debit card numbers.
Under “terms and conditions” on Dazzle White’s online trial offer, the company, also going by yet another name — Premium White — said: “If you decide to cancel your membership before the expiration of the 14-day trial period, your active credit card will still be charged the fee of $87.62 at the end of the trial membership.”
Brown’s card was charged on Oct. 21. She had 30 days to return the product to be eligible for the refund. If she didn’t cancel her membership, she would be charged a $87.62 monthly fee, according to the company’s terms and conditions.
Last week, after numerous attempts, she was able to reach a Dazzle Smile sales representative who told her to return the product and she would get a refund credited to her card. Brown spent $19.80 to ship the package overnight to an address in Colorado.
Now, she’s afraid to order anything online, she said.
Consumers should be leery of Web sites that used third-party endorsements, such as “As seen on ABC or Fox News,” Turner, said.
Red Flags
Although teeth-whitening products might be advertised on the Web sites of such news outlets, that doesn’t mean they’ve been endorsed by reporters at those companies, officials with the Better Business Bureau said.
Consumers should check with the bureau before doing business with online companies, Turner said. Most are legitimate, but some immediately raise suspicions.
Not being able to easily find contact information about a company should be a red flag, she said.
Consumers also should read the fine print on offers, she said.
“I know it’s painful and some people don’t want to do it, but when you’re giving your credit card information, always read the fine print,” Turner said. “Ultimately, it takes more time to correct it or get the charges dropped than it does reading the terms and conditions.”
Consumers also should keep in mind that very few companies selling beauty items ever give away products for free or for a $2 shipping fee.
