Better
Business Bureau is warning consumers to be extremely wary of pervasive online
ads offering the promise of a whiter, brighter smile. BBB has received a recent onslaught of complaints
from consumers who thought they were signing up for a free trial of teeth
whitening products but were repeatedly billed for products and services they
didn’t want.
The
ubiquitous ads for teeth whiteners can be found on popular sites such as
FoxNews.com, CNN.com and ABCNews.com. The ads typically link consumers to phony
blogs and fake news sites that are designed to look like impartial 3rd
party endorsements of the products. The phony endorsements then direct the
consumer to a main Web site that claims the product sold is “As seen on” ABC,
Forbes.com, CBS News, CNN, and USA Today—and includes the logos of these news
outlets.
“From
the complaints we’ve received, it’s obvious that many consumers are
unfortunately letting their trust in respected news outlets influence their
level of trust in the products being advertised on their Web sites,” said Frank
Whiney CEO of the MidCal BBB “While it may be true that advertisements for the
teeth whiteners were placed on major news Web sites, reporters for USA Today or
CNN did not write stories about the efficacy of the specific products being sold.”
The
countless Web sites for various teeth whitening products claim to offer a no-risk,
money back guarantee, free trial of the product. To sign up, customers must
provide a credit or debit card number to cover shipping. Complainants to BBB state that they are
billed before their trial ends and continue to be billed after they have told
the company they want to cancel. Complainants also may find mystery charges for
other companies and services that they didn’t realize they were signing up for
with their “free” trial.
BBB
has identified several companies that are behind the teeth whitening ads and Web
sites online including:
Dazzle
White, White Smile, Teeth Smile and Dazzle Smile – The BBB serving Edmonton
has received 450 complaints in the last 12 months from consumers in 47 states,
five Canadian provinces, and the United Kingdom, about Dazzle White, White
Smile, Teeth Smile and Dazzle Smile. Complainants report being billed as much
as $79 for the free trial and are charged for several other services—such as a
weight loss program.
Ivory
White – The BBB serving Denver
has received 611 complaints from consumers in 46 states. Complainants say they
were charged as much as $78 a month for their free trial. Other related
companies include Ortho
White and Bella
Brite which are mounting complaints as well. All three companies have been
asked to add more disclosure to their Web sites regarding the free trial offer.
The BBB has not yet received a response to these requests.
Advanced
Wellness Research – The BBB serving West
Palm Beach has received thousands of complaints from
consumers regarding Advanced Wellness Research’s acai berry supplements and has
begun to receive complaints from consumers about their teeth whiteners sold
under the names of Max White, My Whitening, Gleaming White Smile and many
others.
BBB
offers the following advice to consumers on purchasing teeth whitening products
online:
- Beware of supposed third-party
endorsements.
Be extremely cautious of any ad that links to a blog or Web site news articles.
The blogs and supposed news articles were likely created by the company
and are not the unbiased endorsement of real consumers or reporters.
- Always read the fine print. Many Web
sites offering a free trial of a teeth whitening product do not disclose
the billing terms and conditions or do not have such details prominently
displayed on their Web site. Before giving the company any credit or debit
card information, review the Web site fully and be aware that free trials typically
result in repeated billing.
- Check the company out with your BBB
first. Before signing
up for any free trial, review the business’ Reliability Report™ online at www.bbb.org to see if the BBB has identified
issues with the company.
- File a complaint with BBB if you feel
you’ve been ripped off. Consumers who feel they are being
deceived by a business selling teeth whitening products online can file a
complaint with their BBB at www.bbb.org.