Caught by diet pill scam

Spotty100 · 19 March 2019 at 7:11PM

My wife unfortunately didn't exercise enough caution when she accepted a "Free Trial" of diet pills. Once they arrived she examined the paperwork, found it unreasonable and then tried to return the pills by phoning the number given. No answer - just a recording.

Cutting a long story short, I now know this is a scam which has been running for many years and is connected with an address in Shannon, Co Clare. Can anyone assist with contacting the company now so that we can end the contract and prevent any hassle in future?

We have already contacted the bank, Consumerline and Action Fraud and are at little risk but it pays to have a safety net.

From the information I can gather this scammer is listed in Panama and has been fined multiple times by the consumer protection agencies of several companies. This time they're trading under "Pure Cleanse Premium" and Pure Keto Premium".

I'd be grateful for any help.

mar14 · 20 March 2019 at 4:25PM

Hi I have been caught by this too. done all of the above but they say i have opted in so can not escape.
Ive not recieved the pills yet.
I have asked them not to send anything to me and they are refusing
I never gave out any bank details but they have gained this through facebook and i never opted in in the first place.
action fraud took a report but where not very helpful as they said that someone must have hacked my account but i needed evidence of this.
there is no way to contact facebook and i cant see evidence of a hack

please can someone advise ,me

thank you

Spotty100 · 20 March 2019 at 4:43PM

mar14 wrote: »

Hi I have been caught by this too. done all of the above but they say i have opted in so can not escape.
Ive not recieved the pills yet.
I have asked them not to send anything to me and they are refusing
I never gave out any bank details but they have gained this through facebook and i never opted in in the first place.
action fraud took a report but where not very helpful as they said that someone must have hacked my account but i needed evidence of this.
there is no way to contact facebook and i cant see evidence of a hack

please can someone advise ,me

thank you

Your bank is your first port of call. Speak to the disputes branch and they will advise you.

In the interim some information has been made available to me.

The contact numbers are:

0300 222 0000 (suspect - in that it's too obvious) *Edit* I have now discovered that is the number for the UK passport office.
0203 808 7366

The return address is: Customer Returns, PO Box 455, Ruislip HA4 6HH.

According to them and other internet posts I've seen you need an RMA No (their designation) for each item you are returning and you must advise them of the tracking number for the parcel before they will close the account and stop taking payments.

mar14 · 20 March 2019 at 6:38PM

Thank you for the advice, have you received a package yet? Was it signed delivery? Thinking of not accepting it you see. And also is there a cost to sending it back if you have?
Are we required to send back if we have not requested it in the first place?

Spotty100 · 20 March 2019 at 7:01PM

Yes we received the package. It wasn't signed for afaik. I'm in the process of returning it.

Snowedunder · 23 May 2019 at 1:31PM

Just jumping in here - my sister, trying to help me lose weight to help me qualify for spinal surgery, was taken in by all the hype and order 5 bottles at a cost of £150, we received the items, and then I read all the info as the name worried me being diabetic. Had to wait 3 weeks to see my GP who said I should in no way take these pills. As none had been opened I typed an explanatory letter which I enclosed within the parcel and sent to their returns address by Insured postage.

Next day my sister received a curt e -mail telling she would not be getting any of her money back as she had not requested a R M A. end of........... earlier, a few hours, she received a cancellation e-mail cancelling her order and saying no further money would be taken from her account. This was a one off order, but they were going to take money on a monthly basis!

We replied, to the effect, well I am requesting the RMA now by e mail as requested, and you can then apply to the returned items.

Today, sorry it doesn't work like that you are NOT getting your money back!!

The items were returned to Bootle, UK. paid for with a debit card, yes I know I have tried to tell her in the past to use her credit card.

So, firstly, buyer beware, and secondly is there any way short of Small Claims of getting her money back?

lisyloo · 23 May 2019 at 2:49PM

Snowedunder wrote: »

Just jumping in here - my sister, trying to help me lose weight to help me qualify for spinal surgery, was taken in by all the hype and order 5 bottles at a cost of £150, we received the items, and then I read all the info as the name worried me being diabetic. Had to wait 3 weeks to see my GP who said I should in no way take these pills. As none had been opened I typed an explanatory letter which I enclosed within the parcel and sent to their returns address by Insured postage.

Next day my sister received a curt e -mail telling she would not be getting any of her money back as she had not requested a R M A. end of........... earlier, a few hours, she received a cancellation e-mail cancelling her order and saying no further money would be taken from her account. This was a one off order, but they were going to take money on a monthly basis!

We replied, to the effect, well I am requesting the RMA now by e mail as requested, and you can then apply to the returned items.

Today, sorry it doesn't work like that you are NOT getting your money back!!

The items were returned to Bootle, UK. paid for with a debit card, yes I know I have tried to tell her in the past to use her credit card.

So, firstly, buyer beware, and secondly is there any way short of Small Claims of getting her money back?

Was is sent back within the timeframe for distance selling regulations.
If so has she tried a chargeback with her debit card bank.

Snowedunder · 23 May 2019 at 2:58PM

Yes, they are not disputing that at all, just that she did not get the RMA, Not sure is this would work with a chargeback, this is usually only Credit Cards?

Tried Resolver but they do not have this company on the system, so nothing there. We do not want to go in 'too heavy' with threats etc. We are not sure where this RMA requirement is listed as we cannot see it on the order e mail, and nothing came with the tablets, like an invoice, instructions etc. I personally have never come across this before. Surely they cannot just say, we have received your returned goods, in time and in tact, but tough luck, we will just hang on to your items (and probably sell them again) and get a double profit,can it really be that easy to literally steal money from customers? Should I try Trading Standards, or just go straight for small claims.

Kathrync · 10 September 2019 at 9:20PM

What address did you send your pills back to. My credit card company stopped them trying to take more money so I don't need to worry.
I am never going to believe any advert on Instagram that is an advert but I don't know how to stop them coming up.
I can't believe these companies taking the mickey out of us.
Very annoyed.

Spotty100 · 11 September 2019 at 2:26PM

I'm so sorry but I can't remember where I returned these goods to. Somewhere innocuous in the south of England is all I remember.

Alison_Curtis · 1 October 2019 at 5:52PM

Hello.
Ive been a bit slow to the party! But I’ve also been caught by this scam.
Paid £4.93 for 14 day trial. Company ‘Pure Keto Premium’ are claiming 14 day trial started when order was placed. Product didn’t arrive until 19 days after I placed the order. By which time my bank had been charged another £59.99!
Bank have put a stop on the payment, and company have agreed that my subscription is cancelled. But they still state I owe them £59.99, and won’t give me an address to send them back.
Any body got any ideas? Thanks

Caught by diet pill scam

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