A local woman says all she wanted was a free sample of face cream. But the free sample morphed into unwanted products and more than $400 on her credit card.
When a friend shared a free offer on FaceBook, Lorraine Lehto says it seemed like a freebie bonanza.
"There were all these sorts of coupons and free samples," Lehto said.
Lehto followed a link to an offer for a sample of Equinox skin care by Sheridan Labs of Utah. When she clicked to accept the offer, she says expected only shipping and handling charges of $4.95 as stated in the fine print on the original website.
"Okay, $4.95 for facial cream sample, that sounded good," said Lehto. "I tried it out, and about 2 days later, I got another box in the mail. Couple weeks later, suddenly I had 2 more boxes arrive!"
When Lehto called to complain, she was told she'd signed up for a free trial offer that automatically converted to a purchase plan after 14 days.
"When I received the merchandise, the package included instructions on how to use the product. But there was nothing in there saying, 'Here is your product. This is a 14-day trial. You must return it or you must cancel the subscription', There was nothing to that effect!" she said.
Lehto's bank investigated, but in the end held her responsible for the charges because she agreed to the terms when she provided her credit card number.
"When I had looked at the first two products and they had whole strings of products that they were offering, I had stopped at the one product I wanted and it showed 'Click here for free sample'. I did not go to the very, very bottom of a long list of products and see the very tiny, tiny print that said after 14 days they would charge you for the whole program," Lehto explained.
She packaged up all the products, including the partially used sample mailed them back to Sheridan Labs. She even paid extra to confirm the returns were delivered. Then she saw the charges on her credit card statement.
"It came up to $407.80," she said. "I feel like I've been taken!"
Lehto is not alone. The Better Business Bureau gives Sheridan Labs the worst possible rating of F. And the internet is flooded with complaints. In fact, there's now a class action lawsuit. The Chicago law firm Lite DePalma Greenberg calls the free trial ads deceptive.
"Our Complaint alleges that Defendants Sheridan Labs, Inc. and Phoenix Labs, Inc. omitted or buried key language concerning the true cost of the products to consumers, as well as the terms of the 'Free-to-Pay' conversion program," said attorney Kyle A. Shamberg.
Lorraine Lehto eventually got a partial refund from Sheridan Labs, but says she's still out more than $200 with nothing to show for it.
"It may not be a lot of money to some people, but it was to me. And it was this feeling that I'd been totally taken advantage of," Lehto said.
Sheridan labs insists the details of its offers are provided on their website. The company moved to have the suit dismissed but a judge recently ruled the case can go to trial. The soonest that would happen, if it does happen, would be sometime next year.
If you feel you've been deceived by a free sample or free-trial offer, file a complaint with the State Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission. They want to know about these things.
Your best bet is to avoid unpleasant surprises in the first place. Remember that the word "FREE" rarely means free. There's always a trade off. At best- you're giving up access to your personal information and some degree of privacy. At worst- you're signing up for unwanted products and services that you'll have to continue to pay for.
Always take the time to read every word of all service terms before you agree. And if critical details seem to be written in a way that's a little too easy to miss -- just hit delete and remind yourself that "Free" almost always comes with a catch.