As fast as I can highlight new scams out there the products highlighted seem to simply rebrand under a new name. This is particularly true of acai berry products, which I have commented on before under various trade names. They are now again being heavily promoted this time under the name “Slimvida”
Other than the name change the ads show little variation from the standard formula. The product is sold together with another product called “Colon Flow”. Totally unrealistic claims are made for the product, bolstered by pseudo scientific bollocks. There is of course the ubiquitous free trial, where you only pay postage, and no other way of paying than allowing a regular debit authority on your debit card.
They rely of course on people not reading the terms & conditions, particularly where it says “your credit card be automatically charged 1 easy payment for the 1 trial bottle at just £69.95”
Are there really still people out there who are still ignorant of how this scam works? Surely people are beginning to wise up.
Thanks for the information. I had a feeling that this company was "not for real" and operated a subscription service which in fact is far from free!!
ReplyDeleteI unfortunately fell foul to these scammers and at a cost of £140.00 they should be stopped
ReplyDeleteWe had a brush with Colon Flow and Slimvida. Our card has been cancelled and we were advised by our bank to report the site to Action Fraud so we called them on 0300 1232040 and gave them the information. It is now in the hands of the police!
ReplyDeleteSuggest if you see them you do the same maybe we can eventually put a stop to them.
My mum was had by this ridiculous scam. There seems to be no way of getting ur money back??!! Cancelled her card but £150 is daylight robbery. How do these ppl sleep at night?? Will also report to Action Fraud
ReplyDeleteI too fell for this scam because I didn't read the TCs until after I had placed my order, I then reported my card lost to prevent any payments other than the postage being taken from my account, I will never make the same mistake again,and will always read the TCs first before I purchase anything online.
ReplyDeleteWhy oh why didn't I read this BEFORE I fell for the "lose-weight-in-minutes" scam...! But thanks to the above advice, I'm now cancelling my direct debit card in order to stop payments coming
ReplyDeleteI purchased two items from these crooks. Slimveda and Colon Flow. I was not impressed with the item description and tried to return them. The telephone number on the website is rubbish, no one answers the phone, which I expect is good for them, more money is their crooked pockets. Because the 14 day free trial had ended they took nearly £140.00 out of my Bank account. I notified Trading Standards and they told me to get in touch with my Bank and tell them that as I had tried to return the items but was unable to, this was a Fraudulent action on behalf of Slimvida. Spoke to my NATWEST bank and luckily as I had paid by my debit card they refunded my money. Thanks Natwest. As a Penisoner I cannot afford to loose £140.00 out of my pension. I wish I had looked further into this scam. I will definately read the terms and conditions more closely in future.
ReplyDeleteYes me as well, didnt read the terms & conditions properly, thought I was just paying £4.95 for each product, found that I had two lots of £69.95 taken from my account. Didnt know about the 14 day conditions. So that is on top of the 2 x £4.95 plus Insureship. Please keep clear of this scam.
ReplyDeletethank you so much for your info. Like most people the promise of a quick fix to weight loss is so tempting. Luckily i looked past the Slimvida web sites and found your info. Thanks again, you have saved me a lot of heart ache.
ReplyDeleteI had been conned by this company, Luckily for me I cancelled my debitcard with the bank. Please can I advise that the tel No you need to call for the RMA code is bollocks, this is just so they can speak with you to get you to change your mind, she even suggested that I still buy the product and give it as a gift to a friend? The RMA code that you require is actually on the top left corner of the envelope that they sent you with your name and address on. You need to send back just 14 days tablets. Cancell your debit card and inform your bank that this is a scam. Good Luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your post. I've been had by these "people" and only just realised it. Is the RMA code the 6 digit number?
DeleteI ordered because it was on channel 4 website so I thought it was ok. I paid £3.48 for a trial and 14 days later they took £69.95 from my bank account. I emailed them through the website to cancel but they said they haven't got the facility but they have!! They said I should have rang and cancelled with 14 days if I wasn't happy! I didn't receive anything for 14 days to know if I was happy or no! I am now out of pocket by £69.95 and haven't even tried the pills!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI ordered similar product Acai Berry and Colon Cleanse on 7day Free Trial. As soon as I received the product I phoned to cancel any further orders and was told by a recording that I would be charged 69.95 for the order I had received as apparently the 'Free Offer' was for only 7days which I new but they had sent me a months supply which I hadn't asked for! They said I could return the unused amount but would still be charged 39.95. They told me that this was explained in their T&C I told them that their Terms couldn't even be seen until the order had gone through. After a lot of arguing I threatened them with Trading Standards and they agreed to credit my debit card with the full amount that would automatically be charged when I returned them! Don't back down with these unscrupulous people! They are little more than snakes in the grass and should crawl back under the nearest stone from which they had obviously crawled out from!
ReplyDeleteIt was suggested to me that I ring their customer care line and ask for my money back. Repeatedly calling. It is a freephone number 00800 2011 1400 or 00800 2011 1200. I guess if everyone does this they might come to a grinding halt?
ReplyDeleteI have been conned by this company not once but twice! I recived the slimvida and colon flow on the free trail basis and paid the full ammount for them,at the time I thought ok but I wont be doing that again!
ReplyDeleteI went away on holiday for three weeks when I returned there was another pack of both tablets waiting for me,I phoned america and spoke to there customer service department they refused point blank to give me a returns number and said they would not give me a refund under any circumstances. luck had it I paid with my credit card so my bank is sorting the money side of things out for me, the number for customer service no is 00-800-2011-1200, I demanded they close my account with them or I would bring court action against them,this seemed to work!
i too fell for this con in sept 2012 with experiencing the same problems as every one else here. i am currently trying to make a claim against the insurship insurance policy, but it seems that they may be as bad at customer service as slimvida. have cancelled my debit card so they cant charge me again!!!! also dont be tempted to try their home and health product. they said it would just cost me £2.99 but they charged me £49.95. more money lost which i cant afford as on sick bebefits. i wont be conned again that for sure !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI have also just been scammed by this unscrupulous company. I immediately phoned them after receiving the order and they did everything they could to change my mind,I told them to cancel my direct debit,got the RMA number and sent both products back unopened. I have just got my statement, they have taken 69.95! On my way to the bank to cancel DB
ReplyDeleteYes I join the club too same as everybody else I returned the products the same day I received them by registered post to Galashiels in Scotland with their RMA nos, only to find £69.95 taken fron my credit card.Phoned them and spoke to Cory at Slimvida who told me my account had been closed and yes they had cancelled my account, gave me a confirmation number too
DeleteWhat more can we all do to stop this company?
cant believe they rip people of..i did the same mistake,i am so angry
ReplyDeleteI got ripped of aswel cnt believe they charged me £69 for free trial botle,I am so angry
ReplyDeleteOMG....I can@t believe that I felt to this scam as well. Luckily after ordering the free trial...I have not even received the fre trial products ...and went to do a seach online and found that soemthing is wrong....I even call their so called customer service free UK phone number of 0808 ...and got a very aggresive guy telling me how greta the company is but when I ask if they are based in UK or USA he got all defensive so thought something is not right and immediately called my bank...luckily these crooks got away with only the postage which is around £7 so not as much as £70 but still...feel like a big FOOL....should know better as there is no easy way of slimming down then pure good healthy food and training.
ReplyDeletedid u get a number to prove ur account had been closed ?
ReplyDeletehow soon after ordering do they deduct funds from your bank account ?
ReplyDeleteI just received my bottle today and then came across this forum. I called my bank straightaway and canceled my debit card. My bank said that I did the right thing, as they wont be able to charge any more future transactions and I blocked their reference as well, so that anything attempted from their end will be considered suspicious. They dont have your sort code and account number, just the long card number, so just cancel your card and they wont be able to take money from you, the buggers!
ReplyDeleteu dont even have to cancel card banks well aware of this scam and can block without any hastles this scam needs to be stopped i fell for it recently as well feel foolish as everyone doe s but trading standard s are very intrested please everyone report this to them ! this must be stopped
DeleteI also have fallen for this scam and £69.95 debited from my account I rang a uk customer service number and was put thru to an American woman in a call centre who wouldn't let me get a word in edge ways then accused me of talking over her threatening to hang up the phone!
ReplyDeleteNatwest will not refund me as I cancelled 3 days after I realised the money had been taken, I signed up for a free trial and I relieved the pills on the day the trial period expired!
I have offered to return the sealed items but they refuse to refund me!! I'm at my wits end not only has this cost me £69.65 I knew nothing about but now incurred me extra overdraugh costs..
My husband also ordered the same time as myself and he's had £140 taken from his account.. We could have had a holiday for what these poxy rip off tablets have cost I'm upset & angry please can anyone help us recover our money as the bank and slim Vidal are not at all interested :(
trading standards will help they are well aware of this scam make sure ur bank put a block on them they are obliged to do so ! or u will be billed continuously slimvida s uk adresss does not exist as I just received back a letter I sent I was lucky posted back day I received then phoned my bank immediately and put block on them taking any funds
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