Caught out by DazzleWhite

Mally_england

competitionscafe wrote: »

Jesse Willms / Just Think Media (the person and company behind the Dazzlewhite scam) have been featured on an American consumer affairs programme called ABC News 20/20 - you can watch the short clip online here (it's on after the ad and the bit about hotels at -03.20). They even visited the Head Office of Just Think Media looking for Jesse Willms but the receptionist kicked them out:

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerindex?id=9318162

Lol i have just seen the vid above - Is there ANYTHING genuine on line. How can that sweet innocent elderly lady work for such a scum bag.
As for Jesse Willms i would love to personally knock that smile off his face. He certainly wouldent have a use for toothpaste when id finished with him a dentist yes then maybe "steradent tablets" and a glass to put his false pegs in.:D

competitionscafe

Another site promoting these teeth whitening scams: consumerjournal.co.uk

Registered to a Timothy Cone with an address in Dubai: http://webwhois.nic.uk/cgi-bin/whois.cgi?query=consumerjournal.co.uk&WHOIS+Submit.x=40&WHOIS+Submit.y=14

sooperb

I have written to 3 different companies advertising these "offers", not one has written back! I have also contacted Advertising standards who have promised to look at them, not heard anything in over a week. Watch dog never replied. So far, no money taken this month but I am checking my account every day at least twice because I am so anxious about it. I have given up trying to telephone especially after I got the BT bill showing 4 poundsworth of "international" calls which were from phoning the alleged freephone number that obviously wasn't, all I got was to be in a queue.

Never mind onward and upward and many, many thanks to all those sleuths who are doing such a great job keeping us informed )

sooperb

Well, after this morning's post I came home to a letter from the ASA. The basic content was that they probably couldn't help me but one of their problems was that they couldn't find a banner advertising free trials. Does anyone know of one on any site that I can take a screenshot to send them? They can't act via a web site only on banners that appear. There is one once again on proboards but it isn't advertising a free trial, they want one that is upfront, not via a click.

They also say that as these scams appear to be based in the US our legislation doesn't cover them and they may be allowed by Us law. So, if anyone can point me in the right direction it would be appreciated.

competitionscafe

sooperb wrote: »

So, if anyone can point me in the right direction it would be appreciated.

There are some screenshots of ads and landing pages here if that helps:
http://strangelyperfect.tv/7120/from-pww-to-white-teeth/

ad: http://strangelyperfect.tv/wp-content/uploads/Pacific-WebWorks-Discusses-Infrastructure-Improvements_1260722750118.jpg
site: http://strangelyperfect.tv/wp-content/uploads/Dont-Break-the-Bank-A-Moms-Trick-to-Whiter-Teeth-London-News-Web-Daily_1260722777134.jpg
(click on images to enlarge)
One here too http://www.thebigmoney.com/articles/0s-1s-and-s/2009/09/02/love-god-i-don-t-want-whiter-teeth-or-flatter-stomach?page=full

Also if you Google a relevant keyword phrase, like whiter teeth you should get an ad like this:
'Trick To White Teeth' Single Mum Discovers 1 Simple Trick To Turn Yellow Teeth White For Free consumer-tips-weekly.co.uk

Which leads to: consumer-tips-weekly.co.uk/teethwhitening.php - clearly aimed at a UK audience as it comes up on Google.co.uk and goes to .co.uk website.

competitionscafe

Visa cuts off 100 merchants for scamming consumers

"Visa Inc. has cut off 100 scammers who use bogus marketing techniques to dupe consumers in the past six months.Among the most common hustles: billing the credit cards of customers who thought they were getting free trial products like dietary supplements or teeth whiteners $79.95 per month or more, and then making them jump through hurdles to get the charges to stop.

"Consumers are being fleeced," Sheedy said.

Visa told The Associated Press that about 100 merchants had their payment processing terminated because of chronic complaints since early summer. The scam is now so common, the Visa is teaming up with the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau to alert consumers."

Full article at: http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9CL2N0O0.htm

Twenty-nine percent of online U.S. consumers victimized by deceptive marketing:

"With free trials with a negative option feature, a company takes a consumer's failure to cancel as permission to begin charging. While many merchants use this billing process appropriately, others pre-check consent boxes, bury the details of the offers in the terms and conditions and make cancellations or returns difficult, catching consumers in a cycle of recurring charges for products and services they do not want."

Consumers who think they've been victims of deceptive marketing and who haven't been able to resolve the issue directly with the merchant should call their card issuer to dispute the charge. They also may report their experiences to the FTC at www.ftc.gov/complaint or their local BBB at www.bbb.org. More information is available at www.visa.com/negativeoption

David Vladeck, Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection said, "Online shoppers: If you see charges on your statement or debits that you didn't authorize, fight it. Start by contacting the merchant. If you are unable to contact the merchant or they can't or won't help, call your card issuer and then file a complaint with the FTC. You can do that online at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/

Full article: http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/visa/41736/

sooperb

Thanks for that cc but what they want is a banner ad, the sort that appear on forums like proboards, across the top. At present the one on the proboards doesn't mention free trials so maybe they have changed the format again. They found the newspaper style article and whilst they agree it's misleading, what they say is that you make the decision after reading it to click through to the web site, they want the deceptive "come-on" style ad to consider.

That's good news about visa though, let's hope that stops them taking more money from me!

We fight on though :beer:

competitionscafe

Okay, will let you know if I find a banner as described. However the Google adwords ad is definately false/misleading advertising:

"Single Mum Discovers 1 Simple Trick To Turn Yellow Teeth White For Free"

Apart from the fact that the whole single mum thing is fake - they use the word free when it is anything but. Unless the 'sample'/trail is returned unused within 14 days of ordering (impossible to do as you often do not even receive it within 14 days!!) you get charged $89 (£50ish) or more!

Here is another ridiculous ad for this scam (run on the adsonar.com network):

Did the Dentist Scam You?
If You Paid for Whitening He Did. Learn How to Get Same Result at Home
WNews9.com

How is a dentist scamming you by charging you for teeth whitening? How ironic - a scammer calling other people (dentists) scammers!

beleac

It has been overlooked by many people that the passing on of CC details to the subsidiary health/weightloss companies is not, as Dazzlewhite has said, in accordance with the terms and conditions. These were on the front page of their website. Reference to subsidiaries appeared on the free trial page, but the site claims that all use of the CC must be in accordance with the Terms and Conditions. If you can demonstrate this to your CC company, they are more likely to take an interest rather than shrug you off.

competitionscafe

Jesse Willms and Just Think Media have been on the TV news again - this time the reporter went to the Just Think Media offices and to Jesse Wilms home (or $2.6 million dollar mansion as the reporter called it):
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?rn=222561&cl=17176941&ch=

And another TV news clip report here:
http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/News/Canada/Edmonton/ID=1362286889

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