HELP Have I been SCAMMED while trying for a Freebie???

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  • animalambulanceman
    animalambulanceman Posts: 40 Forumite
    edited 19 January 2011 at 7:10PM
    I've just got home to find this email from ClearSmoke waiting for me to read in my inbox

    Please do not reply to that message.
    If you need further information, simply call
    our Customer Services on 0800 335 7004 UK free phone, between 08am till 08pm every day.

    Dear MICHAEL,

    Your Clearsmoke account has been CANCELED.

    If not already done, could you please send ClearSmoke's kit back to:

    Clearsmoke
    PO Box 1417
    Bedford
    MK41 5AL
    UK

    Should you have any questions about your
    account, please call our customer service center on 0800 335 7004 UK free phone, between
    08am till 08pm every day.

    Sincerely, ClearSmoke Customer Service


    Now I just need to get back my £4.95 which I don't think is going to be very simple.Also it just remains for me to take advice from Consumer Direct about if any rules have been broken as I'm not going to be getting the kit now-PITY as it may have worked! even if it only limited the amount of ciggs that I could buy to smoke due to lack of money
  • If it was me and it did turn up tomorrow (and if I smoked!), I would certainly try it before sending it back. I'm not sure what goes into these kits, but I presume that it will have to be disposed of anyway for hygiene reasons and they did give you an extension.

    If you do, then you will feel better if you don't get your £4.95 back and it might help you start cutting down.

    Please don't shout if I'm wrong about the hygiene thing - I'm not a smoker - just trying to help! :hello:
  • Hi belly_dancing_girl'
    I somehow doubt if the kit will turn up in tomorrow's post but if it does I will certainly give it a go as I really want to give up smoking.As they canceled my "membership" late this afternoon I would imagine it was before they sent out todays orders and don't honestly think it will show-even more so because they had my original order on the 6th but had taken no action on it by the 18th,some 12 days later.
    I think that possibly someone from ClearSmoke saw my posting on this site(as I had mentioned it in my email to them) and felt that it would be a good move to get rid of me as a customer,especially as I was reporting each development as it occured here for everyone to read.I expect that they ditch/scrap most parts of any returned kits that go back as they can't really be sent out again for hygene reasons but the batteries and chargers could certainly be used safely by another smoker without any risk to their health.
    I'm going to attempt to get a refund of my £4.95 by writing to them as I have no faith in a telephone conversation resulting in a satisfactory outcome and will update this thread when the matter is finally resolved.
  • I sent for the e cigarette 'free' trial pack last November for my daughter. The original email was dated November 9th, I ordered it about 6 days later and it took a couple of weeks to arrive. My daughter and my friend both tried it and it just didn't work. There was no smoke, steam or anything from it. We checked the cartridge and it seemed to be quite dried up - old stock? It was put to one side and we forgot about it.
    (My daughter and my friend both have major health problems - my friend has been battling breast cancer for almost 3 years and it's now in her bones and lungs - so we had hoped these e cigs would work to at least alleviate her breathing. Turned out she had pleural effusion and has had a drain inserted. She has since given up smoking, and my daughter is working on it, too. But you can understand why we forgot about the ClearSmoke.)
    It had never occurred to me that there would be further charges, as there is a chart with the original price crossed out and replaced with '0.00' and showing a total charge of £4.95.
    However, I just checked my recent credit card statement to find a charge of £59.95, dated November 26th.
    I have emailed them, so we'll see the outcome and I'll let you know. But there was certainly not a 15 day gap between arrival and payment - not even between ordering and payment, I don't think.
    It certainly makes you think the product is no good, if they've got to push it in this way.:(
  • Hi CarolAnn49,
    I am very sorry to read about your daughter having serious health problems that are smoking related-I am in a similar position myself but luckily they are not as serious as hers.I know that I need to stop smoking or I will never become a grandad as with 2 sons in their twenties it can't be that far away!!
    It seems that there may be problems now with the security of ClearSmoke's website as they now have written to me saying that the "UNEXPECTED cancellation notice" I got yesterday afternoon is to be totally disregarded by me and all the other unintended recipients!!
    I must be totally honest and admit that I don't really understand the explanation given for this email being sent in error due to lack of knowledge about how things work BUT I can't help thinking it is very worrying that if they can't control their own email sending system they possibly can't keep either personal or financial data secret and secure.What is the true state of their clients credit/debit card details-is it secure?From reading on another forum I have found the following thread-message only to comply with posting rules and not show links.

    The missus was mooching through her E-mail and saw an ad for this Clearsmoke thing, which involves a pretend smoke, where you only exhale water vapour.

    You pay £7 for a trial pack containing a rake of stuff, which seems brilliant xyxthumbs.gif

    Seeing as she has health problems, she knows she needs to pack them in, hence was just halfway through signing up.
    She asked me a question about it.

    I went and had a look and the site looked moody.
    It was talking about how secure it was, had a big tab, saying "rush my order" (always snidey imo), had no "https" and no lock on the bottom of the page.

    Anyway, getting to the point, I'm sure this particular site was well dodgy, but whatever.

    I did a bit of research and it seems there is such a company, with just that same deal.

    What they don't tell you though, is that if you don't return the kit after 15 days, you will get billed for £60.
    And on the 45th day and every 30 after, you'll be billed for £25 for monthly supplies.

    As much as I'd like to call this a scam, it isn't, because it's all there in the T&C's.

    But it's at least sharp practice imo.

    The point is, it may well be a perfectly good product, but make sure you know the facts before signing up wink.gif


    This is ClearSmoke's "Unexpected Cancellation Email" which I'm most concerned about-is this one genuine and intended,or should I check it with them first??

    Dear MICHAEL XXXTX-Blanked by me to keep personal info private,
    A number of customers have called Clearsmoke support lines after receiving an
    UNEXPECTED account cancellation notification email on Wednesday Jan 19, 2011.
    First and foremost we thank our valued customers for their business and extend
    our most sincere apologies for any confusion or grievances this may have caused.
    If you did indeed receive an UNEXPECTED cancellation email this afternoon,
    please DISREGARD the request to return your kit.

    EXPLANATION:
    Clearsmoke has corrected an email notification issue that was isolated to only the
    email communication service of the Order Management System. For customers who
    might have concerns about data security, please rest assured that any and all account
    information in the system is safe.
    Any account status change will be restored in the next few hours.

    RESOLUTION:
    Clearsmoke technical and customer support teams have identified all affected customers
    who will receive an update email before midnight Wednesday Jan 19, 2011.

    Please accept our apologies again for any inconvenience caused.

    Kind Regards,
    ClearSmoke Support Team

    I'm now going to wait and see if the "KIT" arrives in the post today and will let you all know later this evening-Have a Good Day!!
  • 7roland8
    7roland8 Posts: 3,601
    Debt-free and Proud!
    Forumite
    I'd cancel everything immediately - by email and follow up in wiriting and keep a copy.

    Not worth the hassle of dealing with a company like this.

    hen I had a quick look at their site and you click to leave a pop up asks if you really don't wnat to join - then instead of closing it takes you to ther application page - hard sell.

    I don't smoke but I'm sure there is stuff out there from reputable sources.
    Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day. -- Sally Koch
  • animalambulanceman
    animalambulanceman Posts: 40 Forumite
    edited 20 January 2011 at 1:15PM
    Hey 7roland8,

    Thanks for your input-Glad I'm not the only one who is getting the distinct odour of "Rodent"-no pun about Roland Rat intended- about dealing with this company.I'm still going to wait for the postie to pass by before I cancel my order as it still may be the answer to my problem if it ever reaches my door.
    I have now found a very similar product called an intelliCig at £39.99 which I can return for a full refund within 30 days if it doesn't meet my need.There is a £15.00 re-stocking charge if I do send it back but this is made very clear from the outset.Additional nicotine supplies/cartridges are only sent out upon ordering so will only come when they are required-unlike ClearSmoke who send and take payment automatically.Also the refills/supplies are much cheaper than from ClearSmoke so it makes sense to buy from them if I have to have an electric puffer as I'm too weak to beat my nicotine addiction and can't just give up smoking without an "aid".
  • 7roland8
    7roland8 Posts: 3,601
    Debt-free and Proud!
    Forumite
    Hi stumbled across this thread http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=2166187 on quit-kits etc and some info might be useful to you
    Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day. -- Sally Koch
  • Thanks 7roland8
    I've just applied for a kit from the NHS as per your link.
  • unholyangel
    unholyangel Posts: 16,863
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    Forumite
    Just a general word of advice for the OP and anyone else in the same situation......

    Freebies should be entirely free (as another poster said), if they ask you for payment details of any kind then it is most likely a con.

    After all, if it is free, why would they require payment details?
    You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means - Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride
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