Since 2016 when I almost fell for a clip-on phone lens scam I’ve been blogging about — well, let’s retreat to the neutral appellation web offerings. I hope these posts will help you find the goods, filter out the bads and laugh at the uglies in this wild west marketplace that is the Internet.
Before we raise the flap and step into the tent, let’s get one thing straight. A scam is not a cheap, defective product. A scam is when someone takes your money by trickery or theft. Delivering cheap, defective products is often part of a web scam. But I’ve seen good products that are sold in an evil way.
So most of the content of each post is about how the product is sold, with only brief consideration of product quality. Some sellers in this tent are honest tradesmen who may occasionally get overwhelmed or careless; they are not bad people. Others range all the way to criminals masquerading as reliable Internet stores. In my posts I applaud honesty. I highlight deception, because you wouldn’t want to hand your credit card over to a liar. I pass over ignorance in my ratings but laugh at it elsewhere.
Whether you’re here to learn or to laugh, I hope you find what you came for. And please comment or email me about your experiences with these web offerings.
I can’t find the company’s address. The domain for the email address above is for sale, so that email address is probably tits-up.
Ridiculous claims: TRUE (-1):
“The FreezAir Cooler was designed by two Swiss engineers who were fed up suffering in the hot summers in their winter homes,” says iTrust News. “FreezAir Pro has been engineered by a German engineering team of cooling system experts,” says the Snoqualmie Valley Record. Let’s make that a Chinese engineering team; it’s on sale at Alibaba.
Lying and deception: False (+1):
To their credit, FreezAir never once calls this device an air conditioner, if you overlook the “AC” in the description.
Chicanery: TRUE (-1):
Bulletins about other people snapping up the last coolers.
Careful with that order form; it’s pre-filled for a quantity of two coolers.
From Amazon: “When the order arived, the box was damaged, it was not in a shipping box but just the product box with a label slapped on it. Upon opening the product, the wall plug adapter was not in the package, the cord you could plug into your computer was there but does not plug all the way into the product leaving a good amount of meta showing. When turned on the “silent” fan is noisy and sounds like it is dragging something. The product is also an Artic Air, which does have bad reviews however this dicetive [deceptive] vendor does not tell you Artic Air is what they are sending. Amazon really needs to start cracking down on these diceptive vendors! This is going back!“
“this product does cool if placed close to bed and aimed at bed – it is NOISY on high and not very easy on low speed – the biggest complaint I have is that it came with a USB connector cord, but not the USB charger part that plugs into the outlet to let it work – and it is NOT rechargeable – needs to be plugged in all the time.“
“Like I say it keeps you cool but the unit needs to be close to you could be a little more powerful for the price not bad.”
“You’re better off just buying a regular fan or an actual air conditioner.”
The link to the Terms of Service is broken. Here’s what I found in the main FreezAir ad:
guarantee days
guarantee starts when?
ok to open the package?
ok to try the product?
ok to use the product?
restocking fee
60
?
?
?
?
?
Bad service: False (0):
I found no complaints.
Total score: -4
Unauthorized charges: I found no complaints about this.
Advice: Avoid.
Scoring: There may be nothing illegal or wrong with the above business practices. But they suggest to me that the seller is not to be trusted. I’m using my Trustworthy scoring system; -1 means true (bad), +1 means false (good), and 0 means undetermined. The practice scores total to a Trustworthy Score between +10 and -10. I consider the seller responsible for paid reviewers’ statements.
“I was looking at this site but never hit submit next thing I know I am being charged“
I’m marking PerfectBody a credit card risk because the second you key your credit card number into the order form, you’ll get charged, whether or not you submit an order. See “Unauthorized charges” below.
Suspicious Address: Undetermined (0):
Brand: PerfectBody
Company: Perfect Wellness Solutions UAB
Address: 1000 West Street, Suite 1200, Wilmington, Delaware 19801
Email: hello@perfectbody.me
Phone:
Website: PerfectBody
Let’s say it’s Wilmington.
PerfectBody.me is a division of Perfect Wellness Solutions, which is somehow connected to Karma Processing Inc. of Wilmington, Delaware, which is a division of Kilo Grupe UAB of Lithuania, whose 2019 sales were north of $30M. The Terms say that support is thru the Wilmington address, so here it is. They also say that the governing law is that of Texas, except for privacy issues, which fall under the purview of Lithuania. The Better Business Bureau lists yet another address (in San Francisco) for PerfectBody.me. But that is a Regus workshare/virtual office. See me walking away from this mess to the next topic.
Ridiculous claims: False (+1):
None found.
Lying and deception: False (+1):
None found.
Chicanery: TRUE (-1):
Simply to find out how much the plans cost, you first have to give PerfectBody a lot of medical data. “Once you complete the questionnaire, you’ll see the current available price of the plan.”
But, hahaha, nooooot yet! Next you have to enter your email address and agree to “receiving future information from Perfect Body.” Until you agree to be spammed, the Next button won’t work. At this point, PerfectBody can start renting your personal data to advertisers even if you buy nothing.
Careful with that order form. A 6-month plan is pre-selected. Also, check the fine print following each big-print price that says “… per week.” The real monthly price is in pale gray print a bit further down.
To encourage a thoughtful buying decision, PerfectBody gives you a 15-minute countdown timer.
Terms are 12 pages long, 4,938 words. Sections are in hard-to-read upper case. Privacy Policy is another 9 pages long. A PerfectBody CSR named Aubrey writes “Most of the complaints are due to people not reading the terms and conditions–as not all companies have the same regulations regarding subscriptions, refunds, and other things.” So here you go, 21 pages of lawyerbabble.
They twist your arm to not complain. “* Please note that all disputed transactions might take months until the final resolution, so we kindly ask you to wait until our customer service team will get back to you directly.”
Book: Meal Prep for Weight Loss, by RD Kelli Shallal
****’
$12
Crummy product: False (+1):
From Trust Pilot: “The recipes require buying ingredients of which only a small part are used the remainder goes to waste. It would be better if the following recipes utilize the same ingredients.”
“Maybe it is me, but I can’t live on quinoa and lentils every day. My plan disappeared once already and I was successful getting it back after contacting support,(thank you) but I have not been able to access the app, so stopped trying, and I tried resetting the plan to get more variety, but quinoa and lentils returns.”
“Yes!!! it is the perfect plan for me, I love the plan, easy to follow, easy to prepare, customized. all the food I like to eat, and I don’t feel deprived. I feel more energy , I never thought I could eat so much carbs and lose weight. Lost 4lbs my first week. I finally found the right plan for me.”
“I just completed my first 4 weeks and have lost 11 lbs. This meal plan has changed my life and most importantly, has broken some really bad eating habits. I now pay a little more at the grocery store to purchase healthier food for my meal prepping plan….but it’s totally worth it!”
“I’ve been using the app for a few weeks now, and mostly it’s a great resource. I like the recipes– they’ve very easy, and easy to sub fruit/veg you already have in the fridge. I don’t use the shopping list, the recipes are so easy I can get the items with my own list. The workouts are good for me, but a little more variety would be nice. The one issue that I have with the app is that the total daily calories for me is quite high. I’ve been deducting 300 calories because I know that the number they’re using is too high for me to lose weight at my activity level. The other thing that would be nice is if you could search the recipes. All said, I enjoy the app and it’s been very useful for meal planning.”
From Better Business Bureau: “Plan was too difficult to follow. Meals were not anything that I could eat. When I took the entry questionnaire I marked foods that I COULD NOT eat, but they still ended up on my plan. I bought priority meal plan delivery and Im STILL WAITING for my meal plan!”
You can’t sue them or join a class action suit or group arbitration. You can only request an individual arbitration.
To cancel your subscription, you have to request the cancellation at least 48 hours before it automatically renews.
Bad service: TRUE (-1):
If you’re having trouble contacting PerfectBody, try posting a complaint on the Better Business Bureau website; I see several replies and resolutions there.
From Trust Pilot: “First a link was supposed to email to me, never arrived, then Tried to reset my password and when you get t the part to reset, it never sends. So very frustrated, have been trying and trying. I’m out 67 because they let the time lapse to get a refund. Only way to communicate is via email and it takes days. So very disappointed.”
“This company has top notch customer service, that is something that is hard to find today. They definitely take care of customers and they do so promptly.”
“I appreciate the meal plans that PerfectBody provides on their app. I have one less star due to my experience with customer service.”
From Better Business Bureau: “On May 21, 2022 Perfectbody.me charged to my banking account $67 for a subscription that I had cancelled in September of 2021 through their iPhone app. After cancelling the subscription because I would not be using their services I deleted the app. PerfectBody says they never received the cancellation and ask if I could prove it with a screen shot …” <Futile struggle for a refund truncated>
“I canceled my subscription before the auto deduction came out of my bank account and they still took my money. They said they canceled the auto renew but I could still use their services for the next year and theyd give me half my money back.” <Futile struggle for a refund truncated>
Total score: -2
Unauthorized charges: I found several complaints about this.
From Better Business Bureau: “I was looking at this site but never hit submit next thing I know I am being charged and I have sent multiple emails but no response. I want my money refunded.”
“This company charged my card for services I never ordered. I have never been to this website and all attempts to reach out have failed. Even the phone number does not work. They simply charged me $67 and have no way to contact them.”
“As soon as you enter your credit card info, they charge the account with a recurring fee. This happens even while the order processing says the order is not yet complete.” <Futile struggle for a refund truncated>
“i never finalized signing up –by creating a password- and yet they charged my credit card $40.00. Since i never created a password i can not sign in to the account to dispute the charge.”
Advice: Stay away.
Bloopers:
“You will have access to your plan until your subscription plan is active.”
Scoring: There may be nothing illegal or wrong with the above business practices. But they suggest to me that the seller is not to be trusted. I’m using my Trustworthy scoring system; -1 means true (bad), +1 means false (good), and 0 means undetermined. The practice scores total to a Trustworthy Score between +10 and -10. I consider the seller responsible for paid reviewers’ statements.
“ChillWell uses Hydro-Chill Technology™ that helps turn hot air into cold, moist air.”
“… it’s a wet sponge with the fan blowing on it.“
This gadget is not an air conditioner. Air conditioners use vapor-compression refrigeration. The Chillwell blows air over a tray of ice or water; it’s really a swamp cooler. A small one.
“For The Past Few Years, The Air Conditioner Industry Had Just 3 Big Companies That Could Set Any Prices They Wanted And Kept Ripping Off Customers,” according to Tech Lifestyle. A durable piece of boilerplate that I often see in web offers. “For the past few years, the heating industry had just 3 big companies that could set any prices they wanted and kept ripping off customers,” bellows Top Heaters. Which is ludicrous in Ontel’s case because they sell same gadget on Amazon for $30. Here, as “Chillwell,” they want $90. Clearly, Ontel thinks they ccan set any price they want and keep ripping off customers.
“Did you know big brands spend BILLIONS on advertising, physical stores, and boss bonuses? Can you guess who’s paying for that? Yep, us the customers…”Boilerplate again.
Lying and deception: False (+1):
None found, unless you count calling this gadget an air conditioner.
Chicanery: TRUE (-1):
Bulletins about other people snapping up the last coolers.
Careful with that order form; it’s preset for a quantity of three coolers.
Terms are 10 pages long, 4,385 words. The return policy is, of course, at the end.
Chillwell and Ontel are the same company. See the disclaimers at the bottom of the order form.
Crummy product: TRUE (-1):
From Amazon: “… this air conditioner is really a play toy for Barbie’s Dreamhouse.”
“The first time I used it I wet the filter put cold water and ice in it like suggested, didn’t get a chance to freeze the filter. It did not go for 10 hrs like it said it would with a full tank, still doesn’t. The next day I went to use it, all the water/ice leaked d[t]o the bottom of the tray and was leaking.”
“I received this product yesterday 6/8/21 and was only on for 10 minutes! Even on low it’s so loud, on high sounds like a jet getting ready to take off! I’m extremely disappointed, I only bought for use on my night stand and there’s NO WAY I would’ve got any rest.. also it really didn’t get that cool & I put the filter under running water and into the freezer AND I put ice cubes in with the water in tiny tank,,, IMO it’s a total waste of $40!! And NO option to turn the LED lights off & the machine itself is so tiny… Epic fail!!!!”
“We’re approaching 120 degree heat already so I thought,”Why not”, and ordered this lil diddy honestly because it was well priced. Amen to my instincts because I love it! I put the filter in the freezer, throw in some ice cubes, and pop it on my nightstand and am good to go.”
“… the filter drawer sticks. You literally have to pull from the top to get it open. The unit at it’s lowest setting is very loud and the worse is that the water leaks out everywhere.”
If they sell their company, your personal data is part of the deal.
Onerous terms: TRUE (-1):
guarantee days
guarantee starts when?
ok to open the package?
ok to try the product?
ok to use the product?
restocking fee
60
delivery
no
no
no
$10 or more
Bad service: TRUE (-1):
If you’re having trouble contacting Chillwell / Ontel, try posting a complaint at the Better Business Bureau. Ontel has replied to many complaints there.
From Amazon: “Waste of time. Intel answered my question and said it comes with usb power cord. It doesn’t. They’ve given me the runaround all week. I bought another brand for less money with usb and ac cord.”
From Better Business Bureau; “I originally ordered three battery vaults as Christmas gifts on 12/15/2021. The items never arrived. I contacted customer service on 12/27/21 (two times) and cancelled the order. The first agent could not locate my order but the second was able to find it and cancelled the order. On February 7, 2022, I received an email thanking me for my order and my bank account was charged ******. I received the package on 02/06/22. I did not authorize the charge or place this order. I am returning the package and am waiting for a refund.”
“Ordered product 6/30/21. Emailed them immediately to cancel. E-mail did not go through – box full. Attempted for a week to call and waited over an hour and was cut off.” <Futile struggle for a refund truncated.>
“Contacted Ontel by email and was told I could return for a refund. Shipped the units back to their ********* address in August via post office with tracking number. Postal tracking shows units were delivered to Ontel but I am still waiting for a refund on September 21. No communication from Ontel to advise status.”
Total score: -6
Unauthorized charges: I found one complaint about this.
From Better Business Bureau: “I feel I am being given the run around in getting my refund. My card PayPal account was charged before I even completed the [order form] ********* called immediately to cancel the order. I was charged $248.88 instead of $62.85 as advertised. So far, I have spoken to 3 representatives and would like an explanation on why after THREE EXPEDITED REQUESTS made by your representatives my refund still has not been processed?“
Advice: If you must try this kind of gadget, avoid Chillwell and any other brand associated with Ontel.
Scoring: There may be nothing illegal or wrong with the above business practices. But they suggest to me that the seller is not to be trusted. I’m using my Trustworthy scoring system; -1 means true (bad), +1 means false (good), and 0 means undetermined. The practice scores total to a Trustworthy Score between +10 and -10. I consider the seller responsible for paid reviewers’ statements.
Ah, England; a giddy mix of ancient and futuristic, with not a square block in the place. A location here is suspicious from an American point of view. Brits won’t feel this way. But suspicious to everybody should be the fact that this is not actually Ultimate Life’s office; it’s a Regus co-working/virtual office. Physically, Ultimate Life might be anywhere; and it’s probably not very big.
From DietSpotlight.com: “i took LeanBean for two months and I now have major issues with constipation and have to go to gastro doctor.”
“Leanbean seems like it can be a good supplement since there are a few proven ingredients in the formula. There are, however, also a few fad ingredients in the formula that need a great deal more research behind them before we can give our recommendation.”
From Midss: “Green coffee used in Leanbean contains caffeine. Some people are sensitive to caffeine, and some may even experience caffeine jitters. Also, Garcinia cambogia, if taken in excess, may lead to stomach issues and feelings of being cold. So, you would have to make sure that you do not take more pills than recommended.”
From Consumer Health Digest: “LeanBean seems like a good product, but certainly not the best when it comes to fat burning and weight loss. Its ingredients may be known for their weight loss benefits, but they are the same ingredients other weight loss supplements boast of. In that aspect, there is nothing special about LeanBean.”
1 60-pill bottle Garcinia Cambogia PM Weight Loss Sleep Aid
****
$10
one day’s dose = 2 pills
$0.33
Bad service: TRUE (-1):
From DietSpotlight.com: “Reaching customer service about refund is a JOKE! Takes “Fran” a minimum of 3 weeks to reply to a single email and then it’s a BS reply. Save your money and sanity.”
From Trust Pilot: “This is a scam, please don’t fall for their “money back guarantee!” I returned my unused jars, no refund issued & no response from them once they had the goods back!!!!”
Total score: -1
Unauthorized charges: I found no complaints about this.
Advice: Consult a doctor.
Related:
HealthLine: ‘Glucomannan; is it an effective weight loss supplement?”
Scoring: There may be nothing illegal or wrong with the above business practices. But they suggest to me that the seller is not to be trusted. I’m using my Trustworthy scoring system; -1 means true (bad), +1 means false (good), and 0 means undetermined. The practice scores total to a Trustworthy Score between +10 and -10. I consider the seller responsible for paid reviewers’ statements.
Oritoger advertises that it makes its shovels in Pennsylvania. Oritoger’s Terms acknowledge the governing law of Cyprus. Their domain name owner is located in China. Wherever Oritoger is, their funky english suggests that it’s far from the US. I like Cyprus the best, so let’s say this is Oritoger’s location.
Ridiculous claims: False (+1):
None found.
Onerous terms: TRUE (-1):
guarantee days
guarantee starts when?
ok to open the package?
ok to try the product?
ok to use the product?
restocking fee
45
delivery
no
no
no
no
Returned shovels with signs of use such as “broken seals/ plastic foiling broken [or, heaven forbid, dirt] will not be accepted.” In other words, opening the box voids your guarantee.
Ads, spam, robocalls: False (+1):
Direct advertising is modest compared to many web marketers. It looks like it’s only done with your permission.
“do not track” setting
email ads
robo-calls
“do not call” registry
text ads
junk mail
share your data
yes
You can opt out.
Lying and deception: TRUE (-1):
“PATENTED DESIGN: (Patent Number-ZL201630181410.0).”But I can’t find the patent. Also, this doesn’t look like a real patent number. It’s too long, and it shouldn’t include a Z. On the plus side, I learned that Google has a patent search engine.
“This was a gift for my son, who was a Combat Medic for Bravo Recon Team Third Marines.” But the only mention of a Bravo Recon Team I found is this Halo game fan site. Real marines, please correct me.
“🦅MADE IN USA >>We make F3 Survival Shovel in Pennsylvania.”But surprisingly, Amazon lists the country of origin of an identical shovel as China.
Chicanery: TRUE (-1):
“🔥Limited Stock At This Price. Cease when sold out.🔥”
Automated countdown timer, so you’ll hurry up and order without giving it too much thought.
Phony reviews: TRUE (-1):
Websites with more than 3 testimonials automatically fail this test, regardless of whether they’re authentic. Oritoger has 30.
Crummy product: TRUE (-1):
From Amazon: “I have used the shovel a few times and it is not what i expected. For one, it does not come with any way to carry it when disassembled. Two, the rubber “non slip” grips on the handle spin and move when using it, which is dangerous. Third, after you screw the handles together and start to use the shovel, they begin to loosen and unscrew. And if you crank on them to make sure they are tight good luck unscrewing them. Uhhh, isn’t this supposed to be a survival shovel? Last, there is no way to store the knife blade or spear tip inside the handles. WHAT? … So basically when you just take the shovel apart and put it on your bag, the shovel end will not only tear a hole in you bag, but the loose knife and spear tip with[will] also slice thru the bag or worse cut you hand when you reach in. I had high hopes for this setup, but clearly simple common sense was not part of the design.”
“This Zunelotoo Annihilate Tactical Shovel seems to be very well built. It definitely has weight to it. I have not actually gotten to really test it out in a survival scenario, but given how well built it seems and all the different things you could accomplish with this shovel and it’s accessories, I believe it would perform very well in a survival situation, and be able to take a pounding without breaking. I am very pleased with this purchase, and would recommend it to any outdoorsman or someone looking for a high quality tactical shovel to be prepared for those, if the SHTF situations.”
Scoring: There may be nothing illegal or wrong with the above business practices. But they suggest to me that the seller is not to be trusted. I’m using my Trustworthy scoring system; -1 means true (bad), +1 means false (good), and 0 means undetermined. The practice scores total to a Trustworthy Score between +10 and -10. I consider the seller responsible for paid reviewers’ statements.
It’s been a year since my last post about PowerVolt, and still neither I nor anybody else has figured out their address.
Ridiculous claims: TRUE (-1):
“Power companies will not like it, as they have been hiding this method for a long long time …” C’mon.
Onerous terms: TRUE (-1):
guarantee days
guarantee starts when?
ok to open the package?
ok to try the product?
ok to use the product?
restocking fee
30
order date
yes
yes
no
Subtract the shipping time from 30 to estimate your effective guarantee period. This is assuming they have the gadget in stock.
Ads, spam, robocalls: TRUE (-1):
“do not track” setting
email ads
robo-calls
“do not call” registry
text ads
junk mail
share your data
yes
yes
yes
yes
You can opt out.
If they sell their company, your personal data is part of the deal.
Lying and deception: TRUE (-1):
“This power saving device can help you save up to 90% on your electricity bills.”Further down:“This does not mean that your use of energy will decrease, making any changes on your meter. It will just use it more efficiently, without any more power losses.”Further down:“Even with all these benefits, there are no savings for heating appliances like electric stoves, cookers, etc.”
They advertise a 1-year warranty*. No footnote for the *. Nothing in the Terms about a warranty. What details did we miss?
Chicanery: TRUE (-1):
Terms are 10 pages long, nearly 4,000 words. Nighty-night.
Phony reviews: TRUE (-1):
Websites with more than three reviews automatically fail this test. PowerVolt has 84.
From Reviewopedia: “You can’t and shouldn’t just buy this thing hoping for some kind of magical power bill reduction. Assuming it even works. Some of these are empty inside and really don’t change your power factor at all.”
From SabiReviews: “I purchased two of these units in June of 2020 from a company called Umbra which now seems to be out of service. To date (Oct 2020) my electric bill has remained the same with NO decrease or saving.”
“i have two i bought them over a year ago. my electric bill has not changed one bit.”
“We bought the “power volt”, it didn’t even last ONE FRIGGIN DAY! First the light burned out, and the rest WELL is broken garbage. My husband called for a refund and they wanted us to pay for return postage on the junk, then pay for another device. W T F ??? We just want our money returned in good faith, don’t think it will happen ever.”
“I bought two of these devices a year ago. Twice nothing is still nothing. That’s what these things saved me. The only benefit, IMO, is to the marketers of this product. … I don’t believe I would save the power it takes to illuminate the LED’s.”
From Amazon: “This device has been plugged in for a full month and my bill which was consistently 260.00 a month even through the summer decreased to 132.00. My Electric consumption was actually cut in half. I came on here just to leave this review. I was not compensated in any way for this statement.”
“… my husband is an electrician and tested it and it raised the power consumption. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS PRODUCT. Your electric bill will be higher not lower.”
Unauthorized charges: I found no complaints about this.
Advice: Turn down your heat and put on a sweater.
Related:
Bills Wiz: “PowerVolt energy saver review; scam evidence”
Scoring: There may be nothing illegal or wrong with the above business practices. But they suggest to me that the seller is not to be trusted. I’m using my Trustworthy scoring system; -1 means true (bad), +1 means false (good), and 0 means undetermined. The practice scores total to a Trustworthy Score between +10 and -10. I consider the seller responsible for paid reviewers’ statements.
Returns are allowed only for unused products. But you may be able to get a partial refund for an unsatisfactory product that’s used. “If your pup isn’t happy with their BarkBox, we’ll work to make it right;” comforting but vague.
You can only cancel a subscription before the first day of its renewal month. Unless you cancel, subscriptions renew automatically.
If you have a subscription and your credit card expires, they’ll extend the expiration date (how?) and your subscription, and keep billing you anyway.
You can’t sue them or join a class action suit or group arbitration. You can only request an individual arbitration. However, you can opt out of this restriction within 30 days.
Ads, spam, robocalls: TRUE (-1):
“do not track” setting
email ads
robo-calls
“do not call” registry
text ads
junk mail
share your data
ignored
yes
yes
yes
You can opt out.
Lying and deception: False (+1):
None found.
Chicanery: TRUE (-1):
Popup; “Choose your free zodiac toy!”
The quiz about your dog is way too long; I doubt that BARK makes much use of this data, but it makes them seem caring.
The lawyers did well. Terms are a dog-weary 15 pages long, 6,905 words. Sections are in hard-to-read upper case. The Privacy Policy is another 14 pages. From BARK, via Better Business Bureau: “You will still be billed and will receive boxes for the duration of the subscription that you signed up for. We try to make this clear in our Terms of Service but we understand that this may be missed!”
Phony reviews: TRUE (-1):
Websites with more than three testimonials automatically fail this test. BarkBox has 5.
From Consumer Affairs: “Domino absolutely loves her Bark boxes! It has been so hard to find toys that she both likes and can’t destroy in 5 seconds. We are so glad that we heard about y’all! So far her favorite has been the wrench, she carries it everywhere, even to the vets office!”
“This box was not Oliver’s favorite. He did not like the toys. Treats were good and he shared with his sister. Would like toys that would work for a bigger dog. However even the Chihuahua did not like the toys.”
“I’ve requested no pork base protein 2 months ago, and have had to throw out the the pork treats received in February and March. The toys are awesome. I had a 400.00 vet bill in Jan from the pork treats that caused severe stomach and intestinal issues. PLEASE no pork anything!”
From Trust Pilot: “The arrival of Lily’s Barkbox is the highlight of her month. Now she thinks EVERY box delivered to our house is her Barkbox!”
Overpriced: False (+1):
Seller
item
Rated
price
Bark
Bark Box dog treat/toy box, one month subscription
Bark Box dog treat/toy box, one month subscription
****
$39
Bad service: TRUE (-1):
Unlike most companies that do poorly in this category, complaints about BARK go beyond mere incompetence. Their subscription terms are onerous and are rigidly enforced.
From Consumer Affairs: “I thought, like every other company that exists, that I could receive a shipment and at least try it for 7 days to find out if the product was good. Definitely not that way with this company. I would have been happy to even pay the following month while I wait for them to stop the charges but they said no, they have to continue charging me for the whole year.”
“… I didn’t realize there was a “zero cancellation” policy with this service. Honestly, very few companies have these stringent terms. If a company wants to enforce these stringent guidelines there should be a huge WARNING box that pops up when the consumer is signing up warning them that they cannot cancel the membership.”
“I tried out a 6-month subscription with this company and have yet to receive my first box. It’s been over two months since signing up and they sent me an email wondering why they couldn’t charge me for the 2nd month’s subscription payment. I canceled my card so that they couldn’t. They still have not sent out the first box and have been promising to do so countless numbers of times.”
“Please do not waste your money on product. Poor customer service. Messaged to cancel several times and still continue to take money. For small dog send toys that bigger than dog. Dog won’t eat the nasty treats.”
“My dog gets so excited when he sees his BarkBox. The quality of the products is top notch and the monthly themes are so clever. They make humans laugh and canines literally jump for joy. They also will customize the toys and treats to your dog. I have a dog that doesn’t love the tiny soft treats but goes crazy for jerky, so his box now has more jerky treats. And when a box hasn’t arrived, they immediately send out a replacement.”
“On the whole, I love BarkBox. My Duckie now thinks every package to the house is for her LOL. But the delay in getting it has worsened exponentially. Initially, yes, there’s a pandemic so chill out. But I’m at the point of getting the box as the next month is starting. I’m getting emails advertising for me to add onto the next month’s box when I have yet to receive the current one.”
From Better Business Bureau: “I asked for a refund about 6 times and was only offered MORE FREE BOXES… then promised i would be sent new boxes via ***** that day to arrive the next… another lie oh they also blamed the pandemic… I want my money back now they are ignoring g messages and [no] live human to speak to…. this is insane.”
Total score: -1
Unauthorized charges: I found several complaints about this.
From Consumer Affairs: “I ordered a 5 or 6 month gift subscription for my nephew and his wife’s pups. They had my credit card on file and charged me for 13 months. What started out as a $149.99 a month subscription ended up at $199.99 a month for 7 additional months. They did refund the final month when I realized what they were doing. Bad Dogs!” (1/10/21)
“There is no human to speak with at their customer service #. I have been fraudulently charged by this company and so has my daughter. We never ordered from this company yet they have fraudulently opened subscriptions for both my daughter and then me 6 months later.”
““Nowhere did I read auto renewal. It only says auto ship. So after my prepaid subscription was up, I was charged for another 6 months. I went round and round with emails and have not been reimbursed. The customer service is friendly but to me was very vague on answering my questions. Leaving me feeling manipulated. … $198 loss for me.”
From Better Business Bureau: “I am charged by BarkBox on a monthly basis ($37.10) even though I never signed up or registered for any service, I have never received any good or services from BarkBox, and I have never contacted them for any reason. I contacted the company and they opened a ticket (#********) to seek resolution.”
Advice: Buy dog toys and treats at the store. Put them on the porch and ring the doorbell. Dog will be just as happy.
Scoring: There may be nothing illegal or wrong with the above business practices. But they suggest to me that the seller is not to be trusted. I’m using my Trustworthy scoring system; -1 means true (bad), +1 means false (good), and 0 means undetermined. The practice scores total to a Trustworthy Score between +10 and -10. I consider the seller responsible for paid reviewers’ statements.
Mailbox. But I was looking for a US facility dedicated to Quality Performance.
Ridiculous claims: False (+1):
None found.
Onerous terms: Undetermined (0):
guarantee days
guarantee starts when?
ok to open the package?
ok to try the product?
ok to use the product?
restocking fee
30
delivery
yes
yes
no
Up to 25%
You have to get the returned gadget to them within 14 days of being approved, or within 30 days of delivery, whichever is later.
You have to resolve any dispute by mediation and arbitration, rather than in court. But you have 30 days to opt out of this restriction.
Ads, spam, robocalls: TRUE (-1):
“do not track” setting
email ads
robo-calls
“do not call” registry
text ads
junk mail
share your data
yes
yes
ignored
yes
yes
You can opt out.
Lying and deception: False (+1):
None found.
Chicanery: TRUE (-1):
Bulletins about other people buying the last gadgets.
On my way to the order form, a progress bar creeps along as the website pretends to check if I qualify for special offers, etc.
When I move my mouse away from the order form, a giant coupon pops up.
Once I go to the order form, the browser’s Back button is disabled and I can’t go back to the offer.
Careful with that order form; it’s pre-filled for a quantity of three gadgets. The item with the green border is the one you’ll be charged for.
Terms are a gargantuan 15 pages long, 6,718 words. The return policy is, of course, at the end.
Phony reviews: TRUE (-1):
RangeXTD customer Joseph P. of Minneapolis writes “I’ve tried other WiFi boosters before, but unless I was standing right next to them, they barely made a difference. This is totally different!!” But what use would this clip art guy make of WiFi? Does he have a blog?
Five five-star reviews were posted to TrustPilot, all on December 2-3, 2021. Hmmm…
Crummy product: TRUE (-1):
From Amazon: “Product would not setup and when manufacturer customer service was called I was told it would not work with a Comcast router.”
“This did not improve the wifi range in our home at all.”
“After struggling to connect to my old range extender, purchased this one and found that connecting to this product entailed pressing ONE BUTTON on my router – Voila!. Signal strength vastly improved. Highly recommended.”
“Could not connect to the website to install. When I did plug it in and it finally showed up, had a different name and was unsecured with no way to change it since I couldn’t connect. Don’t recommend, there are other ones available that are cheaper and do the same thing, also easier to install and setup.”
“I can’t measure the improvement other than to just assure you that you will see a dramatic speed jump and fewer drop-offs. Even if it doesn’t work as well as my experience, you should find a jump in speed and response when you plug one of these into your wall socket.”
From TrustPilot: “These are an absolute rort. I bought 3 because if discount thought they were cheap until the order was processed in US$. Took this on the chin. Have tried to set up and none of them work.”
“My colleague recommended me to use this wifi booster so I bought this. Wowww, it comes as my life-saver. 100% improvement on the WiFi performance.No more trouble with the internet connection. GREAT product!”
“The unit comes with adaptors for UK, EU and US plug sockets these do not lock in place properly so if you unplug, or knock, the unit the adaptor part stays plugged in the wall with the metal terminals exposed to the touch. This unit will kill someone sooner or later. BEWARE .. throw it away.” I found many complaints about this dangerous flaw.
I see replies to many posts on TrustPilot. If you’re having trouble contacting Quality Performance, try posting there.
From TrustPilot: “Still waiting for the credit for a return, a month after sending it back. Today I received a laughable offer from a bot called “Janine” asking if I’d like a discont and to keep the order.”
“I ordered the item on Saturday 3/5/2022 4:26 PM and canceled the order 9 minutes later. Then email came to confirm the cancelation. But later I found that product was shipped to me anyway. Now they are refusing to send me the return info.”
“2 hours on the phone and they could not get my device working. I don’t think it works with Apple products. Then they asked for another $69.99 to complete the install. Between a con and a scam. All it did was blink like a champ.”
“I purchased these units from Range XTD and found their customer service to be excellent. Fast response and helpful.”
“still waiting after a month dont touch them. wrote requesting a tracking number they wrote back thanking me for the lovely feedback.”
“Absolutely horrible product!!! The Wi-Fi got slower after installing!!!! Have been trying for 1 week customer service number does not work. Don’t know how to get a refund.”
“They hook up to your router using an HDMI cable. Our router is Ethernet only. We have been trying to get a refund since mid December. Not only can you not reach anyone there is no return address to send them to. I have requested a return address every time I get an email from them telling me that I should check my tracking number, which is close to dozen times so far. I receive plenty of emails telling me how sorry they are about the delay, which is rediculous, since they keep wanting to close the ticket without giving a refund.”
Total score: -5
Unauthorized charges: I found several complaints about this.
From TrustPilot: “Rangextd have charged my card £58.90 for an order that I did not place! I even have an email from them saying… “your order is still open, place it now before we run out of stock”. I was shocked to see the money at the same time had left my Acc, even though I had closed the web page. I have received no receipt. They are not responding to my emails and messages.” (12/9/21)
“I deliberately made sure I did not buy the lifetime warranty or the extra device (I even took a screenshot to make sure I wouldn’t be charged and to show that I only wanted the one as it started to feel like a scam), they charged me for 2 devices and the lifetime warranty.”
“My son and I were looking for a booster, we were on their Web page. We didn’t order a booster. So imagine my surprise and horror when on the following day Rangextd took £46.94 from my bank account. Sent no receipt, no email, no order confirmation. We didn’t order it. Rangextd connected to my G Pay and too the money fraudulently.”
From Better Business Bureau: “Jun 27 I received a text for free earbuds and only had to pay S&H. Item received around Jul 8. My card was billed Jul 12 for *****. I received item but did not open as I wanted to confirm this proper amount was billed to my account. I discovered this was a scam. I was billed full price for item and an additional $5+ for service fees.”
Advice: Avoid hard.
Scoring: There may be nothing illegal or wrong with the above business practices. But they suggest to me that the seller is not to be trusted. I’m using my Trustworthy scoring system; -1 means true (bad), +1 means false (good), and 0 means undetermined. The practice scores total to a Trustworthy Score between +10 and -10. I consider the seller responsible for paid reviewers’ statements.
Nobody wants to give their credit card to a liar. So, one-tenth of an offer’s Trustworthy score is about whether they lie. My lying and deception criteria in 2022:
Any lie or deceptive omission
Use of altered photos, such as forged magazine covers
Legal documents that contradict advertised terms
Lies are statements or photos that I can check. Related categories:
Ridiculous Claims are statements that I can’t check but that are obviously lies; for example, that the X industry is afraid of an advertised gadget and is trying to suppress it and silence the inventor.
Chicanery is manipulation of the customer outside of the sales pitch; for example, pre-filling an order form for a large quantity of product in hopes that the customer won’t notice.
Altogether, dishonesty makes up three tenths of an offer’s Trustworthy score.
The easiest way to catch a liar is to look for inconsistencies. If an offer claims “10 million sold!” and further down it claims “1.2 million sold!” these statements can’t both be true. I’m not interested in which statement is true. I’m interested in the fact that lying just happened.
The offers I review have an unfortunate tendency to contradict their own guarantee terms. In my coverage of terms, where there’s an overlap between the advertised terms and the “real” Terms terms, I report the real ones. If they differ from what’s advertised, that’s a lie. It may be accidental; perhaps the lawyers didn’t read the advertising, or the copywriter didn’t read the Terms. Yet, nearly always, the lie works to the advantage of the seller–for example, by suggesting that the guarantee period is longer than it really is. Whether a lie is intentional or just sloppiness, it’s reason to reduce one’s trust in the seller.
There’s a type of lie that leverages the reader’s hopes and assumptions. If a seller of desktop coolers claims that their device is an “AC,” most readers are going to translate this as “Air Conditioner.” If I find the same “AC” in China’s Alibaba wholesale website, and the device manufacturer says it’s an Air Cooler, that’s a penalty point. That the complete “text” of the lie didn’t come from the seller doesn’t matter to me. I don’t care whether a deception meets some legal criteria or is “fixed” in a small-print disclaimer at the bottom of the page. If customers are being deceived, I’m calling that out.
Photos can also be lies. Sellers of gadgets sometimes photoshop a magazine cover so it features their gadget. Hello, web merchants! I know some of you subscribe to this blog. Here’s reminding you that photographs are easy to search for on the web. I compare the magazine cover image in your offer to the real magazine cover. If you changed it, that’s a lie.
I’ve seen some other interesting photographic lies. One company that thought their facility was too squalid stole an image of a posh office park and claimed it was their own headquarters; but it was way different from the building at the company’s address. Another thought they needed an impressive staff photo, so they stole one from a larger company, not noticing that many of the employees were wearing T-shirts with the company’s logo on their fronts. Liars aren’t very smart, which is another reason not to trust them.
Some photo-lies fall into other categories of the Trustworthy system.
A picture of a person in a white coat and stethoscope goes in Chicanery. More important than whether the model is really a doctor and really works for the seller is the use of doctor-images to enhance an offer’s credibility.
If they’re clip art, the little “social media” avatars in testimonials go in Phony Reviews. (By the way, 99% of the testimonials you see in offers are fake.)
“We will give you your money back right away. No questions asked!“
“People have struggled to get a response“
The program seems okay (guy here), but the customer service sucks.
Suspicious Address: False (+1):
Brand: Pelvic Floor Strong
Company: AMF Training Inc.
Address: 809-110 Switchmen Street Vancouver CANADA V6A2W5*
Email: info@pelvicfloorstrong.com
Phone: 1-800-390-6035
Website: AMF Training
You can only resolve a dispute thru individual arbitration or, within 60 days of your purchase, in small claims court.
Ads, spam, robocalls: TRUE (-1):
“do not track” setting
email ads
robo-calls
“do not call” registry
text ads
junk mail
share your data
ignored
yes
yes
yes
You can opt out.
If they sell their company, your personal data “may” be part of the deal.
Lying and deception: TRUE (-1):
AMF Training and ClickBank share responsibility for this offer in a way that I don’t fully understand. Each has posted their own legal documents, which sometimes contradict the advertising or each other.
Disclaimer: “ClickBank will allow for the return or replacement of any product within 60 days from the date of purchase.“ ClickBank’s Return And Cancellation Policy: “… Sellers are not permitted to make any guarantee that conflicts with the ClickBank return Policy.” But AMF Training’s Terms of Sale state “We will give you a full refund of the purchase pricewithin 60 days of delivery if you are not satisfied for any reason.” The difference between purchase and delivery dates is a big deal.
Advertised: “If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, we will give you your money back right away. No questions asked!” “Even if you don’t like the pictures in the manual you can return it by sending one email or one quick phone call that won’t take no longer than 90 seconds.” But ClickBank’s Return And Cancellation Policy says “When a customer contacts ClickBank by phone or online to request a return, our service and support staff attempt to provide the customer with sufficient instruction, customer service, and/or support.” Looks like you’ll be answering a few questions after all.
Chicanery: False (+1):
Popup: “Don’t miss this one-time offer! Try Pelvic Floor Strong For Over 75% OFF Today!” Cutting them some slack here.
Not sold on Amazon. I couldn’t find any similar products.
Bad service: TRUE (-1):
“BBB Accredited Business” refers to ClickBank, not AMF Training. The Better Business Bureau did accredit ClickBank, and rates them A+. But posters there rate ClickBank 1.62 stars. I see that ClickBank has replied to and resolved many complaints posted at the BBB. So if you’re having trouble contacting them, try posting there.
From BBB: “I try to order exipure online It keeps denying my payment methods I put in my card information two different cards I’ve checked my address I checked the information and all of it was correct. I feel like it’s false advertising that you’re offering this product just to get people’s account numbers? Especially seeing you asking for account numbers expiration CVV address I know my account had enough money in them.” I see many complaints like this. Standard response: “Your attempts were declined by our third party risk control system, which can happen for a lot of different reasons with different rules that get triggered. After a manual review, everything looks good to go, so you can make your purchase attempt again and should not have any further issues.”
[Futile struggle to cancel an order truncated.] “The credit never appeared on my statement. After waiting a bit and countless hours calls CLKBank and the vendor, no one could help me. I filed a dispute with ***** ****. After numerous additional phone call ***** told me that the vendor denyed the claim. I was NEVER REFUNDED theRefund Date: 11/16/2021 6:00 AM PST Refund Amount: $152.64. The bank tells me to contact the vendor. The vendor tells me to contact the bank. I am due a refund from Click Bank according to their confirmation.”
From Reviewopedia: “many complaints state that people have struggled to get a response from the company concerning order issues, refund problems, or general questions. … Some buyers did not receive a download link after completing their purchase. The company was unreachable to obtain the link, and they had already completed the payment process. Therefore, they paid the money but received nothing for their purchase and couldn’t get assistance.“
Total score: -1
Unauthorized charges: I found no complaints about this.
Advice: Consult a doctor.
Bloopers:
Watch as Alex Miller turns into Emily Lark: “You may have heard of Emily before… She is known as America’s leading healthy back expert. However, one thing most people don’t know about her is that I used to suffer from embarrassing accidental leakage for many years after the birth of her second child… “It was impossible for me to do things I used to love like go for a run or get up and dance at weddings…and I was even scared every time I sneezed in public. But then my good friend Alex told me about her program …” Does either of them exist? Emily Lark has a LinkedIn profile, but it’s “not in my network” so I can’t look at it. I couldn’t turn up anything about Alex Miller.
Scoring: There may be nothing illegal or wrong with the above business practices. But they suggest to me that the seller is not to be trusted. I’m using my Trustworthy scoring system; -1 means true (bad), +1 means false (good), and 0 means undetermined. The practice scores total to a Trustworthy Score between +10 and -10. I consider the seller responsible for paid reviewers’ statements.
Web Scammer Jammer 