IvoryBrites

This company sells the IvoryBrites teeth whitening product which is solicited to consumers as a free trial offer. According to the company’s website Terms & Conditions, upon ordering, you agree to pay the shipping and handling fees for the free trial shipment. The cost is advertised as $4.99. The $4.99 price includes a $1.00 insurance fee which appears as a pre-checked box on the order form. According to the company, if they do not receive a cancellation within 15 days from your free trial purchase date, you will be automatically enrolled in an auto ship membership. Your credit or debit card will automatically be debited, and every 30 days thereafter you will be sent another 30 day supply of the product. The company will continue monthly debits from whatever form of payment that you used to order the trial. The monthly cost associated with the membership is $88.97. To avoid being charged you must cancel before your 15 day trial period is over. The 15 day trial period includes shipping and transit time.

We urge caution before agreeing to trial offers or giving your credit card number to unfamiliar companies with unfamiliar products. Although this company's offer is advertised as free, the charge imposed for shipping and handling of the product, ($6.95) actually makes the offer NOT free. Once your credit card number has been provided to cover shipping and handling, it will remain on file with the seller for shipping and billing purposes. If you forget to cancel, or for any reason fail to do so, your card number is readily available to bill for your first shipment of product.

Although the company's website make cancellation procedures appear fast and easy, in reality customers report that cancellation requests are ignored, calls are not returned, credit cards continue to be charged, and unwanted product shipments continue to arrive.

This company's free trial is conditional upon accepting their offer for additional product. FTC Guidelines for advertising this type of offer require that all terms and conditions of the offer, as well as cancellation instructions, be clearly and conspicuously displayed in at least 10 point type before asking for payment or obtaining the customer's consent. Clearly and conspicuously means, NOT disclosed in microscopic print accessed by a web blink to another site, but rather, disclosed along with the free trial solicitation.

Regardless, many consumers overlook the advisory, and are unaware of the charge until their next monthly credit card statement. In this company's case, consumers complain they are unable to cancel services by using the instruction provided by the company. Even worse, they are unable to contact the company at all. Emails are not returned or acknowledged, and calls are not returned. Industry guidelines require marketers to provide a fast easy method of canceling, either by mail, phone, or website, Failure to do so may be a violation of consumer protection laws.

Most credit card issuers will allow the cardholder 60 days to dispute an unauthorized or inaccurate charge. Review your monthly statement carefully. If you discover a charge which is unfamiliar, investigate and dispute the amount with your card issuer as soon as possible to protect yourself from making unwanted purchases.