deceptive sales tactics
Complaint
Jocelyne Houghton
Country: United States
This complaint is regarding Guthy-Renker,which is the parent company of both ProActiv Solutions & VitaPower supplements. I was a satisfied customer of ProActiv Solutions (acne cleansing system) for years, beginning in the mid-90s (before they used celebrity endorsements). My mother got the account for me & I used the product for many years; we terminated the account only due to accumulating a stockpile of the product. Cut to this summer, when I opened an account with ProActiv for myself. There was an "Introductory Offer" of the VitaPower vitamins for $3.99, and I accepted it. There was no information about how much the product was after the "introductory offer." When I received the product, it came with absolutely no paperwork - no receipt, no product information, no contact information, no way to accept or decline an actual subscription to the product. Due to this lack of information, it was unclear that VitaPower was a separate entity from ProActiv. The fact that there was no product information, receipt or any other paperwork gave me pause, and I did not want to continue with the product (I didn't try it; I just didn't see fit to add more vitamins to my regimen). I should have taken steps to contact the company, but there wasn't any contact info provided with the product, and I promptly forgot about it ... until a month later when $33.99 was taken out of my account by the VitaPower company. I did then contact ProActiv for VitaPower's customer service number and promptly called to cancel my unwanted and unsolicited subscription, only to get a very sarcastic attitude from the agent when I declined to listen to his lecture about cancelling without trying the product, and trying to keep me from cancelling the account. I called back again to clarify about the lack of information about the product & subcription status with the shipment of the product & how it was a suspicious & deceptive tactic, to no avail. I then expressed my displeasure re: the experience with VitaPower and the (lack of)information given when signing up for the "introductory offer" with ProActiv, whereupon I learned that VitaPower is part of the Guthy-Renker "Family" (umbrella company) and, in short, did not care about my negative experience. I have subsequently cancelled my account with ProActiv. It's shocking to me that they would be so unconcerned with complaints regarding these dodgy & cheap sales tactics, given that they actually have competition these days. Boo!
Comments
Getting off their mailing list is a torture! I called the Customer Service number SO many times, I can't count anymore. Each time, they said that I was off the list, and wouldn't receive any more mailings. WRONG AGAIN! It's been eight + months of calling their support number, and the Guthy-Renker Corporate Office number (760-773-9022) trying to get off their stupid mailing list. Renee, an agent in the Corporate Office has been "helping" me in the last four months, and I'm still receiving pamphlets in the mail for the Proactiv! She said that the Guthy-Renker IT Department is looking into it and will take care of it once and for all. WRONG AGAIN, AGAIN! Although Renee has been kind and patient with me, MY PATIENCE with GR is about to the end. I HAD IT WITH THESE CROOKS!
So in conclusion, I would NOT recommend that ANYONE to order from Guthy-Renker. Their "Customer Service" is a complete joke and a lie, and the Corporate Office hasn't helped me much either. DO NOT ORDER FROM GUTHY-RENKER, or you'll be sorry! I wish I NEVER would have ordered Proactiv in the first place, I never really needed it anyway. So BEWARE of marketing tactics, once they get you in, it's hard to get out!
Thanks,
Ben (in PA)
Get the prohibitory order against the sender. Be vigilant. Every time you get a mail piece in violation of the order, send it to the post office. Guthy-Renker will try to wear you down. Eventually, the post office will send them a letter stating they have evidence they have violated a prohibitory order against the sender. After this one warning, on the next occasion they will likely issue a show cause order which will require Guthy-Renker to show cause why they violated the order. You can be assured you can shut them down like an overheated Yugo.
Next complaint goes on You Tube! Others should do the same. They're getter richer through suckers like me..who've been sitting still...until now
To the no-product and no Service Guthy-Renker
Dear Sirs:
You can find the following complaint from me, Jeannie Furlong @ 13910 Far Hills Lane, Dallas, Texas 75240 and other complaints due to your refusal to refund $$$$ to your customers who bought products in good faith....on this Website......http://www.consumercomplaints.in/new_complaint/
And forthcoming on You Tube ....Enjoy!!!!
February 22, 2010:
l ordered Sheer Cover from Guthy-Renker online and am still experiencing fraudulent merchant practices from Guthy-Renker as follows:
I. The product,Sheer Cover from Guthy-Renker, was ordered right after Thanksgiving, November. I paid extra fast delivery Sheer Cover from Guthy-Renker never arrived. In December I called the no-Guthy-Renker Customer Service line and the Agent a. Couldn't find the order then: b. Traced it using my CC # and it had been shipped to a wrong address which was 12140 Peyton Dr instead of 12840 Peyton Dr. c. Ordered another shipment to come to me if I once again , a 2nd time, paid for the extra fast shipping
II. 2nd Package still didn't arrive and once again I called the Guthy-Renker no-Customer Service line and the Agent a. Said that nothing would happen until I filled out an afadavit that said I never received the package, which as soon as it arrived I did....it couldn't be emailed or faxed to me (even though it was blank)..so two weeks end of December
III. In the meantime I had also been in contact with the Agent at Guthy-Renker no-Customer Service line and the Agent indicated that they would have to research my problem and of course the Guthy-Renker no-Customer Service line Agent never contacted me and no doubt they're still researching the matter.
III. Have sent documentation via Certified Mail from the bank that charges were taken out of bank account. No Response.
IV. Finally after all sorts of emailing and discussions with AGENTS, I received a package. Now, that package was returned to the no-response and no service Guthy-Renker Company and I am out $72.
V. Next I will send this complaint and email address to Agents atg the no-response and no service Guthy-Renker Company so they can read it themselves.
VI. You Tube will be next. I do want my $72 refund from no-response and no service Guthy-Renker Company
xx
Trying to help my sister, who has been hospitalized with a serious medical condition now for several months. These jerks keep sending her boxes of Meaningful Beauty and VitaPower vitamins, charging her check card $39.95 per month for both. I've called customer service, who assure me that everything has been cancelled, but the boxes keep coming!! When I call again, they can't seem to find her in their records, but how interesting that they have her address to send the boxes of crap they call skin care, and cheap vitamins!! The customer service person asked for the credit card the items were charged to! Yeah, right, I'm gonna give that number to these crooks again, so that they can start charging more of their celebrity-endorsed crap to an unsuspecting, hospitalized person who can't speak for herself.
I would like to suggest you call your bank and report these as fraudulent transactions and they will give you the money back. Citibank did this for me and issue me with a new card!
Job done :)
Mrs B U.K
Each separate email in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act is subject to penalties of up to $16,000, so non-compliance can be costly.
These emails keep arriving in violation of the following provisions of the CANSPAM act:
the originating domain name and email address are not accurate and identity of the person or business who initiated the message is also fraudulent.
The law makes it clear that even if you hire another company to handle your email marketing, you can’t contract away your legal responsibility to comply with the law. Both the company whose product is promoted in the message and the company that actually sends the message may be held legally responsible.
Not knowing it was a Gunthy Renker company, I ordered Meaningful Beauty products and subsequently endured the same terrible stealing from my bank account.
After a long process, they eventually returned my money.
AL Jones ~ Tampa, FL
My money was returned within 72 hours.
I hope this helps
I also questioned the size of their 90 day supply. Per the 30 day trail size, the 90 day supply was only double. So they are trying to sell me a 60 day supply for 90 pricing. Her answer was all the products were not to be used every day. I quickly pointed out per their pamphlet, the mask was the only thing not to be used daily. Of course, she had an answer (excuse) for everything. No wonder GR is a multi billion $ company.
I then asked if I could just by the product as needed. I said I did not see it on the site to purchase separate, which is how they make big money. She said I could not online but had to call them direct. NOT!!
I can’t believe Cindy Crawford endorses this product. I really liked her, not because she is beautiful but because I thought she was a genuine good person, unless she is clueless. But I guess what does she care, just more money to add to her millions. After reading several complaints about this company, I read that Cindy does Botox. Is that false advertisement?
I suggest everyone run the any product GR sales. They need to change their marketing. Sure, right now they are raking in big money but it will catch up with them one day. Oh wait, they have billions of $’s to pay their way out of it.