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Sunday, January 17, 2010

When FREE is not FREE

Thats right, have you ever jumped at a FREE opportunity only to find out afterwards that it is not FREE.

I receive a periodical email from a company called Freestuff.net.au. Its generally filled with FREE stuff or discounted opportunities. I am a lover of FREE stuff - who isnt?

Well about 8 weeks ago I applied for a FREE sample of a product called PureLift Ultra, it promised results similar to botox, smooth those wrinkles lift that jowl. Okay I said to myself, why not try it...its free.
All I had to do was pay for postage. So after reading all the wonderful things this product was going to do for me, I passed on my Credit card details. The charge initially said $4.95 but because it was coming from the USA it turned out to be $15.95 with conversion etc.....
10 days later my Ultralift sample turned up. It arrived in a padded bag but was damaged, with the lid being broken and the pump had fallen off. Also the product did not come from the USA but an address in Australia Hmmmm not happy but there you go.

2 weeks after receiving my product, I noticed a small charge for $4.09 on my CC from a company called Insidertips in Gibraltar. What the ...???? Had I been secretly betting in my sleep??

I did as I do with most unknowns....I googled it, only to find myself on the complaints board reading complaints of others worldwide who had also had this small charge.
It turned out that the Purelift free sample sign up, also gave my CC details to a weightloss company who was now charging me for information that I did not recieve. Through more research I discovered a phone number that you had to ring in order to cancel the subscription....of course it was a number overseas and after many calls I finally got thru to cancel. I also put in a transaction dispute with my bank.
Another 2 weeks passes and a 2nd charge to my CC for $73.29 from Purelift... I google this and find out I am once again not the only one. Apparently on accepting your free sample you also have been signed up for ongoing product, which you never receive. I once again thru research discover another cancellation number, which I ring, to stop these payments coming out and I dispute with my bank again.
Thinking it is now all behind me, I have another charge to my CC of $72.45 from BeautyPack.... So at this point I am livid, who the hell is this !!

I have disputed this transaction once again and have had to put a stop on my CC and reapply for another. I am so angry with myself and this company. Now I have to wait for another CC, so I cant shop until I get it, I cant get into my internet banking because of the stop on the card, and was trying to pull together $100 cash yesterday to pay for my daughters specialist bill because I had no CC. It has made me realise how much I use it.

So just a word of warning if you ever get offered a FREE sample be careful that that is all you will get.

DO NOT SIGN UP WITH PURELIFT ULTRA. Vasilissis Freiderikis..AND the other ripoff is for..Easy Weight Loss Tea - Wu Yi Tea - Vasilissis Freiderikis.

I have certainly learnt my lesson.

4 comments:

  1. Holy smokes ! There are a LOT of scams around.Great story : ) but what a bummer.Maybe the universes is telling you your beautiful enough .

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  2. Loving your very honest blog :) Kim

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  3. Thank you Stickytiki :-)

    Hey Brian, it really was not about beauty...well alittle bit was...more about my love of FREE stuff LOL.

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  4. Geez!! That just sux! Thank you for sharing your story - it will definitely make me think twice the next time an offer like that comes up!

    All I can about the company, or really, the people behind the company, is that karma will rebalance their account eventually and it usually takes a much greater debt to wipe out the negative actions they have used for personal gain.

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