'Free Trial' offers can be costly
December 19, 2009 |12:34 | Gossips By : Team X
Those "free trials" you often see online are usually too good to be true. In reality, those freebies can actually turn out to be very expensive.
The Federal Trade Commission, VISA and the Better Business Bureau held a press conference Friday warning people about "free trials" on the internet for things like Acai berry, teeth whiteners and colon cleansers.
In many cases, when you accept the free trial, you may get the product, but then if you don't cancel or opt out of the service, you begin to incur charges for future products or services. According to VISA, almost 30% of online consumers have been victimized by this deceptive marketing.
One company that sells Acai berry supplements received more complaints this year than the BBB typically receives in an entire year about the airline industry. Sometimes, these free trial offers are buried inside what looks like a fake news site. Even the logos of big media companies are used to make this site look legitimate. You may even see fake testimonials or consumer comments.
However, below the fake articles are links to "free trials." Often the details of the offer are buried in terms and conditions. To protect yourself, make sure you always research the companies with the BBB. Pay attention to any pre-checked online 'boxes.' If there is a check in one of these boxes, delete it. A pre-checked box is a red flag. Otherwise, you could be bound to terms and conditions you many not want.
Also, make sure you review your credit card statements for any unauthorized charges. If you do see unusual activity or unauthorized charges, call up the company and try to resolve it with them. If that doesn't work, dispute the charge with your credit card issuer.
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