Life Cleanse Scam: WARNING!

sunskirty

I am moved (sorry!) to admit that I too have been conned by this company...their customer services not much help and told me thy couldn't spend any more time talking to me as they had another call waiting...! Bank said they could fill in a dispute form but as it's a dispute between me and the company it might be rejected.I have to say though, I'm so glad it's not just me! Thanks for the laugh I had reading through the other responses - I needed it! I might just ring my bank again and ask about a chargeback...

sunskirty

Hello again!
Check this out: it tells the story of Sandra and the steps she went through to get a refund. Hope it helps!

tlcinvestigations.co.uk

brightonman123

i worked in a building that also had a diet 'advice' firm, that offered a drop in (!) service, with a similar product to this..

best get to the shared loos first thing in the morning, or they woud get backed up.. stench was awful.

mia68

I fell for this too and I feel gutted, please let me know if you manage to get your money back or expose them for the crooks they are.

arunadasi

Just wanted to say that after weeks of nagging I finally got a refund of £68. I didn't mind too much, because I refrained from telling them that they never charged the initial £4 for postage anyway! So inthe end I did not lose too much. I did get a host of mails and messages however, from people who had been scammed 100's by this company, and from all over the world.

To everyone: I have been deeply moved by all your messages of compassion; may you all be blessed with sparklingly clean colons!

dawrob

I fell for this one to unfortunately they didnt just get one payment of 75.58 but have also taken out other monies on numerous occassions re- cyprus and singapore, the debit card company have blocked it now but i was told because when ordering the vitamins etc they put in a tiny clause which means the debit company cannot help, i was advised to contact the company and ask them to stop taking anymore and for a refund, thats a laugh they do not answer and angry i was so stupid its nearly £400 in total

competitionscafe

The same people are behind an Acai berry scam and a tooth whitening scam.

Interesting article here on these free trial scams and some of the legal action being taken against them:
http://www.jayweintraub.com/2009/08/day-of-reckoning-is-near-fake-blogs-finally-under-fire.html

However despite this they and many others are still advertising these 'offers'.

Who says 'crime' doesn't pay.

You can file a complaint online at www.FTC.gov https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/ (short online form) or at www.econsumer.gov

The more complaints the more likely the FTC will take legal action and also your name will be on the list for any refunds/compensation if the company is forced to pay fines etc..

This website also mentions a UK address and phone number:
http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/life-cleanse-scam-c167549.html
HealthScience?, Ordman House, 31 Arden Close, Bradley Stoke, Bristol, BS32 8AX, United Kingdom 0808 238 9891

There is some detailed info on the company and advice for victims at: http://tlcinvestigations.co.uk/viv3labs2.html

Also see this article: Complaints flood in to distributor as diet pills face probe http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/Complaints-flood-in-to-distributor.5621178.jp

However according to Companies House Trading Planet Ltd are "in a pre-dissolution state" and have applied for striking off. (Taken the money and run??)
http://www.ukdata.com/creditreports/viewCompanyDetails.do?companyId=06980841&only-match=1

So, worth contacting trading standards as well possibly? Hopefully their investigations will get to the bottom of this.

yorksrabbit

Great advice from competitionscafe.

It would help everyone's purse if word was spread that "free trials" offered by online retailers are now pretty much discredited due to the presence of so many criminal scammers who have seized on this as a way of duping the public.

It used to be that there was no such thing as a free lunch.

Nowadays, there's no such thing as a free trial. For anything.

competitionscafe

There is a very interesting comment here from someone who claims to be an ex-employee.

Including that "They are operating using various companies: Viv3Labs for Europe, FMW Laboratories for US And, lately, to avoid the problems caused by the scam using Viv3Labs, they are using Trading Planet Ltd for Europe and Information Tech Systems LTd for US. Also, they are using PurpleSky LTD at Cyprus for Europe."

and that: "Hosting for Local Billing and for the pills sites is held in the Netherlands, in a company called RedBee.
Also, they are using a company called Phytoscience, located in the same address than viv3, to make the handling and the postal distribution of the products.
Other addresses of these scammers:
Local Billing Ltd, Pau Claris, 100, 08009 Barcelona, Spain (they are operating from here, it is an useful contact for the police)"

...and also provides 2 new UK addresses; including one for Trading Planet Limited:

LB Pegasus Limited
Dipton
Stanley
Co Durham
DH9 9LG
United Kingdom
+48 222 120 179
and
Trading Planet Ltd.
Pelton
Chester Le Street
Co Durham
DH2 1QH
United Kingdom

A Google search on those addresses shows several links which would appear to confirm the info above:
Trading Planet Ltd.
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-GB%3Aofficial&hs=dP2&q=%2256+Thorton+Close%22+Durham+DH2+1QH&btnG=Search&meta=

[Although from a search on the postcode on Google Maps the correct street name is actually Thornton Close or Thorntons Close]
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&q=%2256+Thornton+Close%22+Durham+DH2+1QH&start=10&sa=N

LB Pegasus Limited
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-GB%3Aofficial&hs=Okh&q=%2229+Wordsworth+Gardens%22+DH9+9LG&btnG=Search&meta=

Also, very interesting to see addresses in County Durham crop up again and again because as you can see by the comments on this webpage addresses in County Durham are what several different scams have in common including Dazzlewhite teeth whitening and various work from home schemes/scams.
http://strangelyperfect.tv/4308/google-revolution-different-name-same-scam/comment-page-1/#comment-1889

Something very very fishy certainly going on with all these scams having links to UK Ltd companies with addresses in the same small area of County Durham!

By the way the nearest Trading Standards appears to be:
http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/southtyneside/consumers/linksc.htm
http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/southtyneside/contact/contact.htm

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Volcano

Before anyone goes and hoists a brick through the aforementioned addresses' windows, bear in mind that sometimes scammers will just use any name and address they've picked at random to give an air of credibility. The scammer may have nothing at all to do with the address and the occupants may even be unaware their address is used in such a way.