For people who watch the news regularly, acai berry scam is not an unfamiliar term. Basically, the so called scam has been created by those companies who promote free trials of the popular diet aid: acai berry. Most people who order don't read the terms of service on the websites and are shocked and surprised when their credit card is charged in future months.
The free trial, or risk free trial, is sent when the consumer fills out a form and provides their credit card information. The trial may be free but the shipping is not, although it's a minimal charge of $2.00 to $6.00.
An ethical company's website's terms of service will clearly state that the consumer is authorizing the company to keep charging the card every month and sending out the products. This is called forced continuity. It's also called a negative opt out.
Sometimes the free trial is for 14 days, sometimes 30 days. Another alternative is to say the free trial is for 14 days but send a 60 day supply. The unused product must be returned within a certain time period and with an authorization number obtained by emailing or phoning the company. If the product isn't returned your credit card will be charged and will continue to be charged on a monthly basis until you cancel your order.
There can be additional products sent as well, that you may not think you ordered, such as a weight loss report, a monthly membership, or fat flushing teas for example. Those products, how often they will be sent, and how much your credit card will be charged is usually clearly stated in the terms of service on the company's website.
A risk free trial for 14 days which you thought was costing $4.95 can end up on your credit card as a several hundred dollar billing.
The problem is that most people don't read past the form that requests the credit card information and the companies providing the free trial know this and take advantage of it. Is that a scam? Not really. It's your responsibility as a consumer to know what you're getting yourself into. If there are terms of service on the site, read them. If you don't understand them don't buy the product.
A grey area of scamminess is when the company provides a 14 day trial, starts the countdown on the day you order the product and then delays shipping you the product until you only have a few days left on the trial period to return it. Not only do you not have time to try the product, it's next to impossible to ship the product back in the required manner to avoid at least the first month's charge. Or worse the 14 day trial is included in the first bottle of enough pills for 30 days and your credit card is charged for the difference between 14 days and the 30 days plus the second month's bottle before you have a chance to cancel.
You might feel that the fact your credit card will be charged every month, or every 4 weeks, should be on the free trial sign up form, but it doesn't have to be.
What is a scam is if the company charges a higher price than that stated, doesn't send the product at all, sends a different product, or makes discontinuing the product next to impossible because the phone number on the terms of service isn't answered, doesn't work, or keeps the caller on hold for an unacceptable length of time in the hope they'll hang up in frustration.
Author Resource:-
If you're interested in a acai berry free trialit is possible, just make sure you understand the terms of service. And never use a debit card to order an acai berry free trial. Dee Power is the author of several nonfiction books. Lose weight fast
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