Oh, sure. You think you've run into some real scammers online, but I think my recent and extremely unfortunate interaction with Derma Essence Cream (aka TheFacialCream.com) has to represent the absolute bottom of the barrel. I feel duty bound to share my experience in the hope of helping others avoid this slick trap.
We live in a world of unprecedented customer service. Legitimate companies will do almost anything to ensure customer satisfaction and build long term relationships. Derma Essence seems to not only go out of its way to perpetrate its borderline fraudulent activities to ensure their customers are unable to unwind orders, but they take the extra step of bayoneting the survivors.
A friend, who has dementia, placed a 'free trial' order for $3.95. Not reading the fine print, she didn't understand she was actually signing up for an $88.70 per month purchase in perpetuity. Calls trying to remedy this and cancel the order were unsuccessful. I was told I would have to call back at least three more times to resolve the matter (after spending about 25 minutes on hold on two previous attempts to resolve this).
Call #1 would be to request an RMA. The 'customer service rep' (my sincere apologies for offending legitimate CSRs everywhere) said they would then request the RMA from the 'home office.' I would have to make Call #2 two to three days later to receive the RMA number from them. Call #3 would be after I shipped the product back using the RMA and providing my tracking information, so they could confirm the product had been received by their warehouse.
Keep in mind that all this has to happen within 14 days...after trying the product for at least one week. Customer service is only open Monday through Friday from 10am - 6pm. Do you think this maze is well thought out to ensure customers lose their chance of recourse? I do.
I'm embarrassed to admit it, by I actually paid a negotiated price for this questionable product from an even more questionable company just to make these people go away. My goal was to end the phone conversation with a complete resolution/cancellation and the promise that I would never have to deal with such a disreputable company ever again. Alas, it seemed the only way.
PLEASE DO NOT BITE ON THIS UNWHOLESOME AND DISTASTEFUL SCAM.
Read more to arm yourself with information:
http://www.moneywise.co.uk/scams-rip-offs/scams/scam-watch-free-trial-scams
http://www.theguardian.com/money/2012/feb/17/free-skin-cream-trial-victims
We live in a world of unprecedented customer service. Legitimate companies will do almost anything to ensure customer satisfaction and build long term relationships. Derma Essence seems to not only go out of its way to perpetrate its borderline fraudulent activities to ensure their customers are unable to unwind orders, but they take the extra step of bayoneting the survivors.
A friend, who has dementia, placed a 'free trial' order for $3.95. Not reading the fine print, she didn't understand she was actually signing up for an $88.70 per month purchase in perpetuity. Calls trying to remedy this and cancel the order were unsuccessful. I was told I would have to call back at least three more times to resolve the matter (after spending about 25 minutes on hold on two previous attempts to resolve this).
Call #1 would be to request an RMA. The 'customer service rep' (my sincere apologies for offending legitimate CSRs everywhere) said they would then request the RMA from the 'home office.' I would have to make Call #2 two to three days later to receive the RMA number from them. Call #3 would be after I shipped the product back using the RMA and providing my tracking information, so they could confirm the product had been received by their warehouse.
Keep in mind that all this has to happen within 14 days...after trying the product for at least one week. Customer service is only open Monday through Friday from 10am - 6pm. Do you think this maze is well thought out to ensure customers lose their chance of recourse? I do.
I'm embarrassed to admit it, by I actually paid a negotiated price for this questionable product from an even more questionable company just to make these people go away. My goal was to end the phone conversation with a complete resolution/cancellation and the promise that I would never have to deal with such a disreputable company ever again. Alas, it seemed the only way.
PLEASE DO NOT BITE ON THIS UNWHOLESOME AND DISTASTEFUL SCAM.
Read more to arm yourself with information:
http://www.moneywise.co.uk/scams-rip-offs/scams/scam-watch-free-trial-scams
http://www.theguardian.com/money/2012/feb/17/free-skin-cream-trial-victims
