It Also Fixed Amy's Wallet. It Fixed it Real Good.

These advertisements pop up on all manner of websites, tapping into your vanity – while aiming for your wallet. It’s a perfectly legal scam, and I’ll tell you exactly how it works.

First of all, there’s no secret. In a nutshell the “Trick discovered by a mom” simply involves sending you a free sample of teeth whitening gel – a couple of tiny “trial” tubes purchased in bulk from reputable brands. All you pay for is the postage, which is how they get away with the “Under $5” claim.

Doesn’t sound so bad right? Well, this is where the ethics fly out the window. I’d like you to meet my friend: the small print.

If you do sign up for this miracle teeth whitening, you’ll only initially be charged for the postage.
However, if you don’t cancel your “free” trial within 10 days (not a lot of time to receive the item and trial it I might add) then prepare for Operation Shock and Awe on your credit card.

For example:
“In the event you do not cancel within ten days after you order your trial product, you will be automatically enrolled in our convenient home delivery plan and your credit card will be charged $92.37. Thereafter, 30 days from your initial order, you will be billed the monthly charge of $92.37 each month when product is sent to you.”

Doesn’t sound convenient to me. This means the “free trial” is only actually free if you manage to receive the item, trial it, and then cancel within 10 days of buying. If you can’t do that (let’s face it, that’s most of us) then the “free trial” for this one product will cost you $96.13 USD + plus that initial postage.

And I should warn you it get’s worse from here. I’ve read instances online of continued charges even after customers made their cancellation requests within the specified time. One of these many online “Mom” teeth-whitening scams (from the same entrepreneur) had over a thousand complaints against it on one website alone.

Once you’ve recovered from the initial assault on your credit card and cancelled your so-called free trial, you can forget any chance of a refund as the small print says, “If you call after 10 days of your trial date and you have opened the product then you are not entitled to a refund for that product.”

This smallprint covers the scammer from having to refund your money even if you haven’t opened the trial product.

If for some reason you haven’t been watching your credit card, and didn’t notice the initial $96.13 going out, the contract you’ve entered into allows this company to remove $96.13 + postage every single month from now until the end of time.

If you’re lucky you might even receive a new little trial pack each month for your $100+ US monthly fee.

Sadly, because of the small print this entire process is perfectly legal. Unethical, yes, but illegal, no.

It’s not breaking any laws, and it’s not only through one website or company. In fact the same offer is sold through numerous websites from numerous companies (it only takes a few minutes online to create registered companies). For example, this “Mom’s trick” is available at:
www.smilewhitespro.com
www.momtheethwhitening.com
www.white-smiles.com
www.momswhiteningsecret.com
www.myteethtrick.com
(and probably a dozen other sites).

There’s even a fake news site, www.tallahasseereporter.com, which raves about the scheme – uh, I mean scam.

Personally, I hate these sort of scams as it eliminates people’s trust when buying products online.
As many of you know, I sell a tutorial package on the internet which is ethical – and which I stand behind.
I even use my real name, and any internet search can find out exactly where I live, in case you feel the need to post me a dead marsupial. Again.

Yet because of the plethora of scams out there, my sales are impacted and I get constant emails from wary buyers asking me to verify that my product is genuine and that I’m not another “fly-by-nighter”. This takes time away from A: my customers, and B: my life!

A good rule of thumb is to look for real testimonials on sites selling things. Not emails or letters that have been written by “Sandy from Arkansas” or “Jeff from NY”, but actual videos of real people, with real names offering real reviews. My site has them, and I’m proud of them!

Remember that line, “If it sounds to good to be true; it probably is”? It’s especially true when it comes to buying online. Remember, do your research and always, ALWAYS read the small print!