Rebates
Complaint
Michael Kemler
Country: United States
I purchased 3 products, each with an advertised "after rebate" cost. I submitted the rebate form, and was issued a discount on future purchases certificate via e-mail. My Webster's Dictionary defines rebate as "refund after payment", not a discount on future purchases. I requested a check by mail, and so far have been ignored. I will write to them again, perhaps threatening to sue them.
Comments
Regulatory Actions against Michael Teplitsky, M.D.
Stephen Barrett, M.D.
Michael J. Teplitsky, M.D. (1926– ) practices what he calls complementary and alternative medicine in Brooklyn, New York. He is also hosts a radio show in New York City and is "medical director" and a part-owner of Physicians Choice, Inc., a Florida-based company that sells herbal and dietary supplement products. New York State's licensing authorities disciplined him in 1995 for sexual misconduct in 2003 for negligence, incompetence, ordering unwarranted treatment, and failure to maintain adequate records. In 2005 he signed a consent agreement to settle charges of false advertising brought by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
The board's 1995 action was based on a criminal conviction for "sexual abuse in the third degree," a class B misdemeanor for which Teplitsky was fined $500 and ordered to stay completely away from the alleged victim. The board placed him on three years' probation and ordered him to have counseling with a psychiatrist or other counselor. According the the Board's records, the conviction resulted from an incident in which he grabbed a patient's breasts without her permission [1]. The board concluded that the incident was a "single act" and did not warrant an additional penalty.
In the 2003 case, the board concluded that he had negligently and incompetently treated eight patients. In all eight cases, the board concluded that he had filed to maintain adequate records and to obtain and document informed consent before treating them with human growth hormone. In seven of the cases, the board concluded that he had ordered unnecessary tests or repeated tests despite normal values on the initial studies. The board's order noted:
The Hearing Committee was very concerned about Respondent's non-caring, cavalier attitude towards his patients. This attitude was very apparent to the Committee throughout Respondent's testimony. Further, Respondent's prior discipline for sexual abuse of a patient showed a lack of respect and concern for his patient's welfare. In that regard, the Committee considered the prior discipline to be an aggravating factor.
Respondent's medical records do not reveal a coherent thought process behind his treatment decisions. Patients come in, often seeking specific therapies. He orders panels of laboratory tests, without regard for the actual needs of the individual patients. This results in absurd situations, such as obtaining PSA [prostate-specific antigen] levels for female patients. When the laboratory tests came in, Respondent frequently failed to follow up on the results [2].
In the FTC case, in 2005, Teplitsky and a business partner settled FTC charges by agreeing to pay up to $20 million in consumer redress—the largest monetary judgment ever obtained in an FTC health fraud case [3-5]. In addition to Teplitsky, the FTC complaint named Great American Products, Inc. (GAP) and Physician’s Choice, Inc. (PCI), both of Destim, Florida; and Stephan Karian. Karian is an officer of both corporations. Teplitsky, who is described as PCI's medical director, formulated PCI’s product line and appears in its advertising. The FTC documents also say he owns half of PCI. In matters related to product marketing, Teplitsky uses the name "Teplisky."
According to the FTC, the defendants’ advertising deceptively claimed that the dietary supplements Ultimate HGH and Super HGH Booster and homeopathic sublingual sprays called Master HGH and Super HGH will (a) significantly increase growth hormone levels, (b) provide the benefits purportedly shown in various studies involving prescription-only HGH injections, (c) reduce fat, cholesterol, and blood pressure (d) increase muscle mass, and (e) improved cognitive, immune, and sexual function. The FTC’s complaint also challenged deceptive claims that Fat Blaster and Super Carbo Blocker cause weight loss by suppressing appetite, reducing the conversion of carbohydrates to fats, and enhancing metabolism; and that Ultimate Wild Oregano Oil and Super Wild Oregano Oil prevent colds and flu and, when taken orally, treat and relieve bacterial and viral infections and their symptoms. The complaint further alleged that defendants falsely represented that radio and television infomercials for their products were independent shows when, in fact, they were paid-for commercials. In addition, the defendants violated the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) by failing to obtain informed consent to charge consumers’ credit cards for additional products after a first telemarketing sale was completed. The alleged HGH enhancers typically sold for $100 for a three-month supply, with total sales exceeding $70 million.
Under the settlement agreement:
Future claims for any dietary supplement, food, or drug, or any service purporting to provide health-related benefits, must be true, non-misleading, and substantiated.
The defendants are prohibited from using a format which could mislead the consumers into thinking that an infomercial is an ordinary television program.
The defendants must pay $6.5 million immediately and set up a redress program that would provide up to $13.5 million to eligible consumers who request a refund.
Avalanche clauses provide for a total potential liability of $80 million—an amount representing total product sales—if it is discovered that the defendants misrepresented their financial status [5].
In 2004, the Electronic Retailing Self-Regulation Program asked PCI to substantiate core claims in its infomercial for Super Prostate Formula, but the company had declined to do so [6]. Ironically, despite the fact that New York State disciplined Teplitsky for inappropriately prescribing HGH, several Web sites that market PCI's Super HGH still claim that Teplitsky "has not only developed all of the nutritional formulas on this site, but he and his patients have been using them for years with astounding results!"
I purchased an electric shaver for $99.99. This was $10 cheaper than Amazon. They added a "processing fee" of $2.99. When I received the product it was not in the original manufacturer's box. SO I emailed them for an explanation. The lady responded that the website stated that it was "reconditioned". I went back and looked at the page carefully and, sure enough, it did say that, but it was written in such a way that the casual shopper would not notice it. The problem I have is that this statement should be prominently displayed so the consumer will know EXACTLY what he is paying for. Hiding this fact in small print is deceptive, at best, and maybe dishonest. I called them and was told that upon their receipt of the razor I would be credited for the full amount, but I would have to pay the shipping. I then called American Express and complained. They said that they would put a hold on this transaction and for me to send the product back, ensuring that they sign for it. This I am doing. The verdict on the shipping cost is still to be determined.
Their employees, and supervisors are so rude when you have a question surrounding your money, or account!
I placed a order for $52.98 total , to this day I have not receive my oreder or my money back. When I ask questions it is replyed to me it is for past fees owed to them.
Why than was I not told about these charges, and fees?
Contact your State Attorney generals office I am, going to.
The entire company is the width of a hair away from a illegal scam. They don't mind being dishonorable, deceptive, and immoral as long as they don't cross the line into illegal and get into trouble with the states' Attorney Generals or the FTC. I think they figure there's a fool on every street in America, and that's all that they need to stay profitable.
While some of the their products are decent, much of it is imported 3rd-rate factory seconds from overseas factories -- and it's priced as such. As long as you know that and can live with their business practices (more in a moment), you'll be fine. A good share of their merchandise is also customer returns at retail stores. If you're willing to take a chance on their merchandise and potentially pay too much for stuff that doesn't work, you're fine. Some of their merchandise works well, for a while. Some of it works for a long time. Either way, they're in the business of making money whether they sell you a catalog item or not. They don't really want your business unless they can get your money. Selling merchandise is merely the excuse to do that. They'll find a way to get money out of your purse if you allow them.
It's really a big shell game designed to make money for the owner(s) and their management. It goes like this: you buy stuff, we sell membership, you don't use membership and we win, you use membership and we win because you'll buy more stuff than you need, membership auto-renews every year and we win, you buy stuff and return it and we win because you had to pay return shipping and we're just going to send out another defective item to waste your time, energy, and money. We win again. Some day, when you're tired enough of all the give and take, we'll charge you $30 a year to give you a membership so that we pay for all the shipping back and forth -- we win again, and again, and again. Then we auto-renew the membership every year whether you want it or not and we win anyways. We always win, over, over, and over.
This is all just another way of printing money legally. It's not really a catalog company -- that just the mechanism they use to offload their warehouse onto the unsuspecting public, at a price the public can sometimes afford, for merchandise ready to fall apart in the shipping box which they barely stand behind, if they stand behind it.
They PUSH THE VALUE CLUBS really hard onto customers, so beware. From what I can tell, the call center employees must be practically beaten with a stick to make sure EVERY caller hears the spiel about the value club and to pressure every customer into getting it through listening to endless rebuttals...and other B/S. The membership auto renews, so watch your CC bill. Alternatively, don't sign up for it unless you plan on buying in bulk from them. ONLY then might a Value Club make sense. If someone's putting a lot of pressure on you, say no and hang up. Be in control of the call -- it's your money and you're the customer.
I guarantee you that the reps are probably being pushed to be in control of the call and sell the memberships, so be in control of the call yourself. They must make far more money with less hassle on memberships than they do on the actual merchandise.
After all of that, isn't it just easier to spend another 10 or 20 bucks and buy the good stuff through a reputable company like Amazon.com, LL Bean, Land's End, etc. and put these fools in Minnesota out of business? Be a good American and vote with your dollar bills. It seems to be all that works these days.
I told Megan I would just take my buisness somewhere else and she said "I don't care, go ahead".
I googled Heartland America complaints and apparently I'm not the only person to have had a problem with the customer service at this company.
As a buisness owner myself I firmly believe in treating my customers as family and want to keep their buisness and for them to spead the word on how well they were treated.
I went ahead and ordered my spell checker from Amazon.com.
Don't do business with this company they don't give a damn about customer service they don't even know what that means.
I tried to get the name and phone number of the ceo,not listed. That should tell you SOMETHING!!!
....garbage company......garbage products