St. Louis, Mo., Dec. 19, 2011 - Radialabs, a company that touts its wrinkle-reducing face cream as “the fountain of youth in a bottle,” has left a trail of disgruntled customers across Missouri, Illinois and the nation, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) warns.
Consumers say that Florida-based Radialabs, sellers of “Instant Wrinkle Reducer,” offered them free trial samples for $3.95 postage but then charged their credit cards $74.95 or more when they failed to cancel the orders and return the samples in 18 days.
The BBB also has concerns about Radialabs’ advertising claims and suspicious consumer testimonials on its website.
Radialabs has an “F” grade with the BBB, the lowest grade possible. Consumers from 43 states, including a dozen from Missouri and Illinois, have filed nearly 200 complaints involving Radialabs in the last 12 months.
Michelle Corey, BBB president and CEO, said Radialabs’ marketing takes advantage of a so-called “negative option” to sell its face cream. That means that unless consumers cancel within a specified period, they will be charged for the sample product as well as for any future shipments. Several complainants told the BBB they were not aware of the terms; others said they were aware of the terms, but had difficulty canceling in time to avoid the additional charges.
“Businesses like Radialabs don’t make money giving away free samples,” Corey said. “If a company wants your credit card number for a $3.95 payment, chances are it wants more than just $3.95. It’s crucial that consumers read and understand all terms and conditions of any online sale.”
The BBB raised several additional concerns:
- The testimonials on Radialabs’ web site appear to be from users of the face cream, but many of the same testimonials appear verbatim in online ads for other companies’ face creams. In several cases, the women’s photos, names or hometowns have been changed. Typical is a testimonial for Radialabs from a woman identified as Louise Dickenson of California, under the heading “Real people. Real Results.” The woman is quoted as saying, “My pores have visibly tightened, my skin not only looks good but it feels smoother than ever!” The same testimonial, sometimes using the photograph and name of a different woman, is used on sites for at least five other beauty creams.
- The advertising copy on Radialabs’ website is virtually identical to the copy on the websites for similar products, even including charts that compare their products to the “leading wrinkle reducer.” The websites for Radialabs and at least five other similar products all claim “demonstrable effects an astounding 28 days after the first use.”
- The Radialabs Instant Wrinkle Reducer site is almost an exact copy of a site for a Facialabs Instant Wrinkle Reducer site. Customer Support for Radialabs is listed in Hollywood Florida; customer support for Facialabs is listed in South Jordan, Utah. Radialabs’ registration with the Florida Department of State lists a principal address of 20533 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 266, in Aventura, Fla. That is the same address listed by Strixaderm Marketing Group, a nine-month-old business that markets a product called StrixadermMD No Wrinkles Now. Customer service representatives say that Radialabs and Strixaderm are separate companies.
A woman from Brentwood, Mo., told the BBB she ordered a free trial sample of the Radialabs cream several months ago for $3.95 shipping. When she missed a deadline for returning the sample, her credit card was charged $74.95 on March 18. She said a second $74.95 charge was levied on April 3 for a second bottle of the cream which she returned unopened. Despite company assurances that her money would be refunded, it has not been. “Their intent, clearly, is to bilk the customer . . . any way they can,” she said.
A Camdenton, Mo., schoolteacher said she, too, ordered a trial of the face cream for $3.95. She said she returned the cream shortly after the deadline, but was still promised a refund. Her card was never credited. “They said it was a risk free trial, but it ended up costing me $75.00,” she said.
A woman from Defiance, Mo., said she paid for a trial offer after Radialabs contacted her through an online news site. Ultimately, Radialabs charged her $150 for a product she said did nothing to help her skin. She said she never saw anything that indicated the company would charge her if she didn’t cancel.
Officials with Radialabs did not respond to a BBB request for information.
Similar “negative option” websites, selling everything from tooth whiteners to health products to cosmetics, have come under fire from state agencies in recent years. In most cases, the businesses offered a sample or free trial and then charged the consumer full price when it was not returned on time.
FWM Laboratories, which like Radialabs also used a Hollywood, Fla., address, was targeted two years ago by the Utah Division of Consumer Protection and the Florida attorney general’s office. Those actions involved similar free trial offers. During the Florida investigation and settlement negotiations, FWM made over $34 million in refunds to consumers. In addition to the restitution, the company agreed to pay $200,000 in attorneys’ fees and costs and to continue to issue refunds to any consumers making complaints.
The BBB offers the following tips to consumers considering free or reduced-price offers:
- Be cautious when ordering free trials or free samples via the Internet, especially if you are asked for a credit card number. In many cases, you will be charged full price for the trial product unless you return it by a specified deadline.
- Read the website carefully, especially the section marked “terms and conditions.” It is that section where you usually will find any restrictions or added charges tied to the trial offer.
- Be alert to fine print and be careful when clicking a box authorizing recurring charges.
- If you want to return the trial offer before additional charges go into effect, make sure you follow the return rules. Some companies will reject your cancellation request if you do not follow the instructions exactly.
- Get a BBB Business Review by going to www.bbb.org or by calling 314-645-3300.
Contacts: Michelle Corey, President & CEO, 314-584-6800, mcorey@stlouisbbb.org, or Chris Thetford, Vice President-Communications, 314-584-6743 or 314-681-4719 (cell), communications@stlouisbbb.org, or Bill Smith, Investigator, 314-584-6727, tpc1@stlouisbbb.org
