Acai berry scam: You'll lose money, not weight, Free trial isn't free

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Acai berry scam: You'll lose money, not weight
Free trial isn't free; diet claims are bogus; payment practices are unfair

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38958053/ns/business-consumer_news/

By Herb Weisbaum ConsumerMan



For the last five years, the exotic acai berry has been the superstar in the world of diet supplements. Acai berry weight loss products claim to “boost your metabolism,” thereby making your body burn fat more quickly.

For the last five years, the exotic acai berry has been the superstar in the world of diet supplements. Acai berry weight loss products claim to “boost your metabolism,” thereby making your body burn fat more quickly.

Of course, there’s no proof the acai (pronounced ah-sigh-EE) berry can do anything to help you lose weight, but you’d never know that from the ads.

Using bogus claims, fake testimonials and slick marketing tricks, companies have sold hundreds of millions of dollars worth of acai berry supplements. They often use the “free trial offer” to snag customers.

That’s how they got Landria Brattain, who lives near Indianapolis. She saw a pop-up ad for a trial bottle of AcaiPure. All she had to do was pay $4.95 to Central Coast Nutraceuticals (CCN) to cover shipping and handling. The deal was simple: Try it and if you don’t like it, return the bottle and you won’t pay anything. But the package came with a bill for $68 that was already charged to her debit card.

Brattain used the stuff for three days, but it made her very sick with diarrhea, cramps and nausea. She called the company to complain but they would not remove the charge.

“They were very rude and very unfriendly,” she remembers. “They kept saying, ‘It’s your fault because you did not read the fine print.’ ”

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. If it sounds too good to be true...

it almost certainly is.

Good grief.

Does nobody do any critical thinking anymore???

:eyes:

[Amerigo Vespucci]

5. I have a client...

...who was introduced to me via a mutual friend because they were scammed by a "marketing company" that invited them to a seminar, offered a free lunch, sold them a "starter kit" that would supposedly allow them to go home and build their own Website with no HTML knowledge.

They got home with the "kit" and said "We don't understand any of this." At my friend's request I Googled the company and at the time they had six HUNDRED outstanding complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau. So I got them out of that relationship and built their website for them.

But they are very into the acai thing, having started with Mona Vie (as "sales representatives" where they sell bottles of the stuff out of their store) and now some other company. They are always looking for additional revenue streams and they are always getting burned. They are simply too trusting.

[MorningGlow]

6. Mona Vie--SOMEbody's buying (suckers)

A couple of years ago we had the good fortune to stay at the uber-expensive Gaylord Hotel in Orlando while a Mona Vie convention was going on.

We had never heard of the company before, but after seeing all the Mercedes and Jags and such in the hotel parking lot sporting the company logo, we looked it up. Truly shocking that an acai scam can suck in so many people that the vendors could afford cars like that. :wow:

[Raster]

8. Oh yes, very aware of that company. Out of Utah, I believe.

Quite a slick little presentation. A troop of young men, well-dressed, ties, etc. Reminded me of the "missionaries" from that other scam-job outfit out of Utah... Two friends asked me to go with them to the "seminar" and evaluate it and the company. Oh my! My favorite parts of the presentation were when the slick boys from Utah told the seminar participants to "not pay attention to the detractors and nay-sayers... they are just envious and jealous... they did not believe enough...", and various other statements to this effect. Real hard sell and they wanted credit card info on the spot.

[trotsky]

7. A *lot* of people turn their critical thinking module off when they hear "natural cure" or

"big pharma doesn't want you to know this" or similar phrases. So they get ripped off, but they go back for more.

[semillama]

2. oh come on. That company was just upholding its "Health Freedom" n/t

[Donnachaidh]

3. al of these *free but pay shipping charges* offers are SCAMS

And that includes video professor, acai, debt consolidation programs -- ALL of them.

People need to start complaining to the FTC and FCC about these *offers*. And those groups need to really slap down all of this nonsense. Someone needs to write a rule that a FREE offer needs to be just that -- FREE.

The consumer has been screwed too often by scams.

[robinlynne]

4. I lived in Brasil for 20 years. Acai is not for weight loss at all. That idea was

completely made up. Acai is however an amazing fruit because it is full of iron. That's all. It is delicious eaten for breakfast with tapioca. It has iron. That's it. For the poor people who live in the Amazon, where it comes from, it is a major part of the diet. (and delicious) The frozen stuff and powdered stuff that comes here may or may not have any nutrients left. who knows.

[HuckleB]

9. Kick.