Beware Of Teeth Whitening Free Trial Scam

Carol-ann

I have recently brought a teeth whitening product directly from a website, they offered it as a free trial for £4.95. I have recently viewed my bank statement, only to find that they have taken out a further payment for £79.95 before my 90 days cancellation period is up. Their first payment was taken out on 13th October 2015 and then on 27th October 2015. When I called to get some answers and to cancel my contract from the number provided on the website (020 3006 2872), after waiting 1/2 hour for an operative to answer my call, after answering several security questions about my credit card details, the operative claimed that I did not have an account with them. It should be noted that the line was poor and offered availability/contact times during 14:30 pm - 01:30 am only and appears to be from abroad. When the items arrived there was no delivery note or receipt enclosed that indicated that I was a customer or an account number nor was there a return address supplied. The packaging was plain and devoid of any branding. This started alarm bells to ring for me and led me to query whether this was an legitimate trading. I am now feeling rather foolish as I have not even used the product and is unable to use or return it. I have since contacted my bank to cease all future payments and cancelled this account. After doing a proper research (yes I know too late) I found that NO ONE can help because the supplier has no address as a means of contact so how do we get this site closed down and others like it?

tykesi

Carol-ann wrote: »

I have recently brought a teeth whitening product directly from a website, they offered it as a free trial for £4.95. I have recently viewed my bank statement, only to find that they have taken out a further payment for £79.95 before my 90 days cancellation period is up. Their first payment was taken out on 13th October 2015 and then on 27th October 2015. When I called to get some answers and to cancel my contract from the number provided on the website (020 3006 2872), after waiting 1/2 hour for an operative to answer my call, after answering several security questions about my credit card details, the operative claimed that I did not have an account with them. It should be noted that the line was poor and offered availability/contact times during 14:30 pm - 01:30 am only and appears to be from abroad. When the items arrived there was no delivery note or receipt enclosed that indicated that I was a customer or an account number nor was there a return address supplied. The packaging was plain and devoid of any branding. This started alarm bells to ring for me and led me to query whether this was an legitimate trading. I am now feeling rather foolish as I have not even used the product and is unable to use or return it. I have since contacted my bank to cease all future payments and cancelled this account. After doing a proper research (yes I know too late) I found that NO ONE can help because the supplier has no address as a means of contact so how do we get this site closed down and others like it?

Where did you bring it?

wealdroam

Carol-ann wrote: »

I have recently brought a teeth whitening product directly from a website, they offered it as a free trial for £4.95. I have recently viewed my bank statement, only to find that they have taken out a further payment for £79.95 before my 90 days cancellation period is up. Their first payment was taken out on 13th October 2015 and then on 27th October 2015. When I called to get some answers and to cancel my contract from the number provided on the website (020 3006 2872), after waiting 1/2 hour for an operative to answer my call, after answering several security questions about my credit card details, the operative claimed that I did not have an account with them. It should be noted that the line was poor and offered availability/contact times during 14:30 pm - 01:30 am only and appears to be from abroad. When the items arrived there was no delivery note or receipt enclosed that indicated that I was a customer or an account number nor was there a return address supplied. The packaging was plain and devoid of any branding. This started alarm bells to ring for me and led me to query whether this was an legitimate trading. I am now feeling rather foolish as I have not even used the product and is unable to use or return it. I have since contacted my bank to cease all future payments and cancelled this account. After doing a proper research (yes I know too late) I found that NO ONE can help because the supplier has no address as a means of contact so how do we get this site closed down and others like it?

That phone number is answered in California.
14:30 pm - 01:30 am GMT equates to 6:30am – 5:00pm PST

What website did you use?

James3670

I have had the exact same scam pulled on me, I feel very foolish. I only noticed today that there was a debit from my account for £79.95, listed as 'Bioskin'. I immediately contacted my bank, they have put a block on any future attempts to take money from me, but I have been asked to contact my bank's disputes team tomorrow to ask whether they will refund what has been taken already, I don't blame them if they don't, but will be very careful in future (I thought I was one of the cautious ones already). Sorry to hear about all your experiences, I only hope these f***ers choke on whatever they buy with my money, and die a long slow and painful death.

elizabethw

today I became another of the hundreds who have been caught up in this scam and I am so annoyed with myself for falling for it!! I paid a £4.95 postage for a FREE trial of teeth whitening product to later find £79.95 had been taken from my bank and then received a whitening pen in the post together with invoice which these scumbags had helped themselves to £49.95 from my bank!! I phoned them and the "lady" put the phone down on me (wrong thing to do!!) so rang back got a man on phone and he told me my account had been temporarily suspended I told him to permanently end my account!! I didnt trust these people not to take anymore money from my account so a trip to the bank was made apparently they have had hundreds of complaints about these companies and I am now in the process of filling in forms to hopefully get my money back as the T&C wasnt stated and when you try to click on their website to see the T&C they have a message there saying they are working on a new web page!!! the bank have blocked any more payments and I might have to cancel my bank card to stop them trying to help themselves to more money the bank are trying to get my money back but I dont think its going to happen these people should be jailed for doing this

marchman

I seem to have succumbed to the Advanced white teeth scam. Thought all it was going to cost was £4.95 and have just noticed a payment to BESTBALANCE for £79.95. The money has gone to Mauritius. i have spoken to my bank who have stopped my card. hopefully that will be the end of it.. Do i have to do anything else as i do not have any contact details for this company.

ccr

I too got caught up in this SCAM! And when reporting it to my bank they state that it is common for this company to scam people! After signing up to a free trail and receiving confirmation, they have withdrawn two payments from my account. once at £49.99 and the other at £79.99. The payments come up as 'Best Balance' however the sample product was bought from 'Advanced White teeth whitening System'. The confirmation email which I received provided details although there was no information regarding the 'membership' and ongoing payments. When I discussed this with the support staff at Advanced White, she stated that the information was in the 'term and conditions link' however since trying to click on this, the whole website has been taken down (most likely to tweek the t&c's). When I spoke to the bank, they said that this is a common problem and there are many companies which scam consumers like this. In addition the lady who I spoke to in 'Advanced white' also said that a number of people have complained about this scam!!
Furthermore if i did agree to the supposed membership... they have not sent me any products! just taken money from my account and provided me with nothing!!

STAY AWAY! i have emailed requesting a refund and also contacted the "best Balance' but i am not hopeful that they will refund!

jm_in_surrey

I have just stung by a very similar scam - Advanced White Smile. I was invited to order a free trial, no terms and conditions were available until after they processed my order! I thought I had cancelled within the 14 days but they still 'stole' £79.95 from my account! Their current website can be found by searching ADVANCED WHITE SMILE.
I'm thinking of reporting them to Trading Standards and maybe for fraud although the present order system now includes T&Cs and have removed the word 'free;

H-J-M

I am ashamed to say but i was scammed by 'advanced white smile' free trial. i sighed up to get a free trial pack after reading the reviews, they claimed that i only had to pay £4.95 for the postage and packaging. which i did. they then sent me their terms and conditions in a confirmation email (which were not available prior to the purchase) which stated that after 14 days i would be charged £79.95 for the good i had received - so not so free after all!!! then i would automatically be signed up for a monthly fee of £49.95 thereafter. this is a complete fraud. i did not agree to this - the terms and conditions were not available prior to purchasing the so called free trial and none of this information was available until it was too late. i immediately contacted my bank who cancelled my card so that no payments could be taken from my account and stated that they would even get my £4.95 back.

Sjc1973

Yes I have been scammed by Advance white smile as well. They are extremely misleading - initially ad was saying a free trail, then when i clicked the link and it changed to 'trail kit' for 4.95 postage and packaging (RED FLAG I CHOSE TO IGNORE ARRAGH). No mention of terms and conditions until they TOOK my money and sneakily attached them to a confirmation email about my order. No mention of their terms and conditions or further debits on the email tho (they later took in two week intervals: 49.95 then 79.95). I rang them twice and they put the phone down on me, i can only email if i want to communicate with a manager (yeah right more like A SCAMMER).

I have contacted Visa payment disputes as it was with their card i purchased this, they are investigating them - I may or may not get my money back! Although i am annoyed at myself and feel some personal responsibility - im am challenging these unfair costs on the basis 'that they lead me to believe this was a 'trail' , they did not mention their T and Cs before i made the purchase. Even when they attached them, they do not refer to their T and Cs in their confirmation email or future debits. I am may be way off here and sure someone on here (or elsewhere) will put me straight if im fighting a losing battle. However, I would advise you to pressuring the banks/debitcards etc to do something and refund your money!!! Put in in writing!!!!

FYI - in case anyone else get scammed the person i spoke to on the phone said they were based in Holland and the company that took my money had a different name called Beta Vision.

If i have any luck i will let you know!