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Think twice before signing on for a free trial
What can you lose by signing up for a free trial offer? A lot of money, it turns out.
Many online ads invite you to try out a product for free before committing to buying it. These offers seem perfectly innocuous, promising that consumers can test a sample “risk-free.” The only cost is a negligible shipping fee of $4.95 or $5.95, which you can put on your credit or debit card.
Stop right there! Without realizing it, you may have just signed up for something more than you wanted.
For more information read, “Free Trials Can End Up Costing You.”
The FTC recently charged several skin care manufacturers for using allegedly bogus “risk-free trial offers” to sell skincare products online. Consumers could enjoy samples from AuraVie, Dellure, LéOR Skincare and Miracle Face Kit for the nominal shipping cost of $4.95, payable on their credit or debit card.
Customers didn’t realize, however, that they had inadvertently agreed to pay the full price of the product—typically $97.88—under terms hidden in the fine print on the sellers’ websites. Furthermore, they had been enrolled without their consent in a subscription plan under which they were shipped more products and charged recurring monthly fees.
One victim wrote, “I did not mind the $4.95 and the $5.95 but then it went up to $149, and it was going to come every month. That’s when I went to my credit card company and told them I did not give them the OK to bill me for the regular size and I did not sign up for [product delivery] every month.” She was able to cancel the subscription through her credit card company.
Involuntary memberships in clubs or subscriptions that are automatically renewed are a typical ploy, as anyone knows who has ever been lured by an introductory package of free books, CDs, magazines or movies. The companies make it difficult to cancel the memberships, stop or avoid charges for the products they shipped you without your consent, or obtain a refund.
How can you avoid paying unexpected costs hidden in “free trials?”
Research the company online. See what others have said about the company’s free trials and other product offers. Complaints from other customers can tip you off that something may be wrong with the “free sample.”
Dig into the fine print. Read the specific terms and conditions of the offer. If you can’t find them or don’t understand exactly what you’re agreeing to, don’t sign up. Similarly, find out how you can cancel future shipments or services. Do you have a limited amount of time to cancel?
Beware of pre-checked boxes. Many free online trial offers come with boxes that have already been checked for you. But that checkmark may give the company permission to continue the offer past the trial period or it may automatically sign you up for more products that you have to pay for at full price. Click on those boxes to uncheck, as needed.
Mark your calendar. Your free trial probably has a time limit. Once the expiration date has passed without you indicating that you want to cancel your “order” or “membership,” you may be stuck paying for more products.
Pay attention to your credit and debit card statements. These statements are often the first sign that you’re being charged for something you didn’t order.
If you are being charged for something you didn’t agree to, contact the company directly. If that doesn’t work, call your credit card company to dispute the charge. Ask to reverse the charge on the grounds that you didn’t actively order additional merchandise.
There’s no need to avoid trial offers in the future. Just remember that the best things in life can be free but only if they don’t come with strings attached.
— Catherine Fredman
Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.
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