kidz5aday Is this a scam?

redsandy101

I recently ordered a trial of kidz5aday (powder you add to drinks to give your kids their 5 a day) for £4.99. No matter how I tried to disguise it they didn't like it and glad that I had only ordered a trial I put it down to experience and decided not to reorder.

A few weeks later I noticed my Visa card had been charged £29.99 by Kidz5aday. I emailed and he explained that I had not liked the product and hadn't reordered he said that it was on the website that reordering was automatic if you did not contact them to cancel. I did not see this on the website and there was no mention of it in the packaging with the powder.

After a few emails he agreed to cancel the reorder and refund the £29.99 as I did not want another package. A few days later an email arrived telling me my next package was on the way. I emailed again and Neil confirmed that my refund was on its way and that the new powder was a freebie as it shouldn't have been sent out. Over a week later and the refund is still not showing up online on my mastercard and the new cannister has arrived.

Does this seem like a scam, can they charge my Mastercard card again next month, can I contact the Mastercard company and ask them not to allow any more charges from this company???

Worried that charges will keep on coming. Any advice appreciated.

competitionscafe

To be fair, unlike the free trial scams, it is made clear that you will be charged (at least on the version I saw) and you say they reply to emails:

http://www.kidz5aday.com/kidz-5-a-day-free-trial-today/
Kidz 5 A Day Free Trial Now
Get a free 30 day trial of kidz 5 a day for just £1.95 :-) like it? then do nothing and we'll send you another 30 day supply in 30 days at the discounted price of £29.95 (SAVE £10!) hate it? cancel any time with a simple e-mail or phone call, no commitments no hassle :-)

On the other hand a few red flags:

Hiding their whois info: :mad:
http://whois.domaintools.com/kidz5aday.com

There is also a username of kidz5aday on fiverr.com on a page listing people who bought (fake) testimonials - not only unethical but against ASA regulations: http://fiverr.com/stephanielh/shoot-a-natural-30-seconds-testimonial-for-your-business-or-product


As you have it in writing (email) that you will be refunded the initial £29.95 and that you will not be charged for the second delivery and have cancelled all future shipments, then you will be within your rights to challenge /chargeback any further payments taken from your account.

As for the promised refund which has yet to materialise, perhaps send them a follow up reminder email and at the same time request that they confirm in writing (email) that there will be no further shipments or charges.

KIDZ 5 A DAY LIMITED
OFFICE 4
219 KENSINGTON HIGH STREET
KENSINGTON
LONDON
ENGLAND
W8 6BD
Company No. 07541837
http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/459fbdc7391378553dc255e354557d51/compdetails

Neil Asher appears to be the owner:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/kidz5aday

More red flags:

Same person seems to have some rather dodgy get rich quick stuff on his websites / youtube channel:

neilasher.com/Billionaire_Ads.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiZxa5qbu5A&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

While this site has some 'interesting' comments on it! (Kidz 5 a day is mentioned in a few of them)
http://neilasherscam.net/

As does this: http://www.scam.com/showthread.php?p=906269#post906269

He was even mentioned on MSE last year: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2472227

paddyrg

On the other hand, I very much doubt this really does count as anything over 1 of your 5-a-day - eating veggies isn't about processed, dehydrated, packaged convenience food, it's about fresh nutrients, fibre, etc too., and a healthy varied diet.

heretolearn_2

exactly, try giving your kids an actual 5 a day, not chemical carp.

Dave101t

powder for kids 5 a day? you having a giraffe?

Oliver14

I'm actually shocked by the OP I can't believe someone would think this is OK. What a sad world we live in.

redsandy101

Thanks for all the help especially competitionscafe whose detailed and helpful response was full of excellent info. which I will follow. No need to be shocked others, I didn't replace their food with this, just thought I was adding what I felt was a vitamin supplement as there were allegedly ingredients such as wheatgrass, beetroot etc which my children don't eat and I thought might add to the fruit and veg they do already get (although admittedly don't always finish).

competitionscafe

paddyrg wrote: »

On the other hand, I very much doubt this really does count as anything over 1 of your 5-a-day - eating veggies isn't about processed, dehydrated, packaged convenience food, it's about fresh nutrients, fibre, etc too., and a healthy varied diet.

Indeed and I am sure that the ASA would be very interested in the claim made on the front page of kidz5aday.com that
"1 glass a day gives your kids all their recommended 5 a day the easy way" and statements like "Kidz 5 A Day is chock full of 33 different organic fruits and veggies to give your child five servings of fruits and veggies in every delicious glass."

Not to mention some of the other claims made, such as "Plus, your child could increase their academic scores by up to 81%" http://kidz5aday.com/gokids/wide.html

A 30 day supply = one 180g tub of powder (6g per day). I very much doubt that 6 grams of powder even qualifies as 1 portion of the recommended daily intake of 5 portions of fruit and vegetables.

The product appears to be a relabelled version of this product (Amazing Grass Kidz Superfood Powder) which incidentally costs about a third of the price ($18/£12) in the US.

In any case £30 for a 180g tub of powder is ridiculous - you can buy a lot of fresh fruit and veg for that.

competitionscafe

He also seems to have a very similar site at nutrientburst.com which also makes false/misleading claims like "yes, every single serving of Nutrient Burst contains the equivalent of 5 servings of fruits and veggies" : nutrientburst.com/about-nutrient-burst3/

One of the testimonials is from a person called Joff Day. Neil Asher just happens to have a friend called Joff Day - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkcO4V6T7W8&feature=player_embedded

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.188718927858599.50884.186488798081612&comments=1

One of the testimonials on kidz5aday.com is from a Cher Pearce - who happens to be in the get rich quick er sorry 'internet marketing' business - just like Neil Asher: http://cher-pearce.com/why-start-an-internet-business/ https://twitter.com/#!/neilasher

Neil Asher also just happens to have a facebook friend called Cher Pearce: http://www.facebook.com/neil.k.asher?sk=friends&v=friends and one called Ali Kehoe (which is the name of another person giving a testimonial on nutrientburst.com; as well as one called Jennifer Dann (which is the name of another person giving a testimonial on nutrientburst.com) and he is also friends with a Libby Karhan - (which is the name of another person giving a testimonial on kidz5aday.com)
kidz5aday.com/real-stories/

They also seem confused about the ingredients of their product:
"no salt" kidz5aday.com/ingredients/nutritional-information/
"Other ingredients: Sea Salt" kidz5aday.com/ingredients/

redsandy101

I could kick myself for falling for this. :eek: Well marketed site that I originally noticed on one of those deal site emails, I'm guessing they got a lot of other people too. I won't hold my breath for the promised refund but will contact the disputed payment section of my credit card to see if I can stop any further payments.

Thanks for all the info. competitionscafe having read the various websites complaints about his various schemes and the trouble they have had for naming and shaming him I hope anyone else reading this thread stays well away from anything in which he is involved.

Thanks

dealer_wins

Do they also sell "30 mins a day physical exercise" powder.