well you know crap happens and some things are better off left dead... if you bought it why would you expect more than your moneys worth... and they still went to a better place to revive this practice anyways...

If you want restoration of an old practice leave it be and dont let them know how things go bad...

Ignorance is not bliss when everyone is so ignorant

How can you justify being stupid?

What does "Risk Free" trial mean? @paulsaul20 - A "risk free" trial does not mean that you get all of their products and services for free. Silly lady in the article. "Risk Free" means that a company is so confident that their product will be worthy of repeat customers that they will give you a chance to use it for a while before they begin to charge. In turn you can cancel and save your money.

I agree with paulsaul20: "if you bought it why would you expect more than your money's worth".

If companies were required to give all the terms of an offer over the phone it could take an hour or more. Also you cannot expect the terms to be on the top of a website because you would NEVER actually get to what the product is or why you should buy it.

Its silly just to think that an article would be written putting such a spin on business this way instead of discussing the lack of common sense that some people have when buying things.

Are you kidding me? @Pcmax - "And it's not that the terms and conditions aren't on the Web site, it's just customers may have had a hard time finding them. "You have to look all the way down at the bottom of the page," says Driggs."
... Say what? You have to look all the way down at the bottom of the page??? Now that's a scam if I've ever heard one!

Understanding @Gordinho - Why oh why don't people figure this out after a few years of life? If you don't understand exactly what you're buying, or the method you're using (internet) to buy it, you have no business buying it. This woman didn't understand what she was doing, so she should not have done it. I personally refuse to deal with dumb people in my business. I simply refuse to take them as clients. I lose a little money, but I keep a lot of time with which to go get other smart clients. This lady needs to stay off the internet and just go to a store.

It's simple @Mr_neo - If they require your credit card information when you sign up, it's not risk-free.

I totally agree! @Pcmax - It's sad, elderly people are the most affected by todays marketing tactics. Take Proactive, that is a product widely popular and known by everyone. Most people know that when you call them they are going to send you a 30 day supply for FREE but you have to give them your credit card info, and if you don't cancel before the end of the month they will ship you more product and assume you like it and charge you the price of the Proactive, and continue sending it monthly.

Yes @AJigga from Myspace - How terrible it is to think that a person would have to scroll ALL the way down to the bottom of the screen. How misleading...

Duh folks! People don't even feel like they have to read the agreement before signing up for something because if they don't like the agreement after they find out what it is they just report the company and act like a victum.

Grow up people!

Is this your company pcmax?!?!? @Pcmax - This is a classic scam set up to take advantage of people that are uninformed or lonely or whatever. This type of advertising is what is wrong with people that think all is fair if it's done in the name of buisness. If you have to scam people to keep them as a customer, you really don't have business, you're just a theif!

That silly lady! @Pcmax - Is most likely someones grandmother. Have you no compassion or more to the point understanding for people as they age. Why do you think con artists target older folks? You probably haven't experienced chronic pain or know someone who has. People will do almost anything to alleviate it. Companies are taking advantage of loopholes to suck money out of everyone's pockets on a regular basis. That women grew up in a time when you lived in the same town as the business person you bought the product from. If the snake oil guy came through town you knew he was a con. Problem is now the cons outnumber the honest folks. Comments such as yours tell me you agree with the mentality that people deserve to be screwed if they fall for the con which may be true if it were based on greed, but based on pain, come on.

Not everyone has common sense @paulsaul20 - People don't think when they are buying something that the company will try and throw something in there. They should say right up front that they're going to charge monthly fees.

Yes, consumers should take some responsibility, but I'm glad that the state consumer protection and the BBB help people when companies aren't upfront.

Too bad businesses aren't more honest to begin with, so we wouldn't have to read all the small print.

I have had thios problems even from legitimate companies @paulsaul20 - I have a prepaid credit card I use for offers like this that I consider risky...they cant hit my credit card unless there is money on it, and there isn't normally money on it.

My mom ran into this with a fax service. She now uses a pre paid credit card for any transaction she is doing with companies she considers to be a "one time thing"

Decent Comments for Logix and ThinkMoreTalkLess @Logix is My Name - I'm appalled by the others. Most comments on this board are from heartless jerks.

The average i.q. is 100 by definition. That means at least half the population is operating at a deficit. Try having a little compassion. Not everyone may be as wise as you cruel commentators.

I tried Focus Factor about 8 years ago when it was first advertised on TV. I called and canceled according to their advertised policy. Guess what. They kept sending their product and charging my credit card. I had to dispute three months of charges through my credit card company. What a pain.

So I learned my lesson. Never again have I accepted a free trial offer.

A lot of older people don't understand how to deal with these unscrupulous companies, so try to have a bit of compassion like the rest of the human race.

I Use to Work for there support! @paulsaul20 - I absolutely hated it. No matter what time of day the call came in the customer was angry and sometimes refered to bottlie harm to all of us at the support place. They are a big scam. I've read through the terms and conditions and even gave suggestions on how to make customers happier, but all they had to say was that the product is worth anywhere from 69.50 to 79.99 a bottle when in reality it's only worth $20 and you can get it at the health food store. The Ultra relief is no better then bengay, the pills (acai, hoodia, green tea, and what ever else they are pandering to the public now.) are a bunch of hooha. When I first started there we were aloud to hang up on any one cussing. They have one person who is not the actual Manager she is the pretend manager. They will never tell you who the real owners are. They smoke screen everyone. I'm surprised this wasn't written about months ago when this place was under inspection from the FDA. None of the products are FDA approved so only god knows what is really in the product. I've heard all the horror stories from the customers and they go on for days.

Why do people even buy this crap to begin with? Go to the store and buy a tube of Aspircream for a couple of bucks.

The medicine show lives on it would seem.

The Better Business Bureau are a bunch of Jack Boot Thugs. I own a business and they constantly call and harass you to join and threaten you that people will say bad things about you if you don't join them. SKREW THEM. Been in business for 12 years. No need for their Natzi tactics. Business is just doing fine. Thank you.

Utahm's are gullable, Try something like i only agreed to the free part of the promotion until it is over you do not need any credit card info from me just a mailing address.

I had a magazine company i got a 6 month free trial from try to bill me for those 6 months plus a 2 year subscription. I called and said dude cancel this i owe nothing send me a letter stating i owe zero/zilch/ nothing or the next time we speak will be in a court room. Amazing hows they lay off when you call from the court house ready to file papers. If they are out of State file in Federal court the court retains over State lines in Federal court. If they are over sea's don't even waste the time.

Seriously? I'm surprised anyone would even consider legal action for something like this. Its common sense that if you buy something online from a no-name you read the terms and conditions. Especially if you input a credit card.

What about the consumers that get the free trial and cancel before the 10 days are up? They get a free trial. Should the company sue them in federal court? Of course not.

If you going to talk about misleading advertising someone should do an interview with GOLDS GYM. There gimmicks and sales people drive me nuts. They should have to disclose ALL the terms in there advertising not just 20 $ of month. They don't even have terms and conditions!

There, their, they're. @Marx - I'm wondering when the school systems stopped bothering to differentiate between these any more.

There- "There it is"

Their- "their tactics are misleading"

They're- "they're not going to give your money back"

Lost Art @WhoeverSaid - I'm glad I'm not the only one with a "There, Their and They're" pet peeve. I'm afraid it's a dying art to use those words properly. Just like YOUR and YOU'RE have been replaced by UR.

THANK YOU! @WhoeverSaid - My thoughts exactly! This is something that was taught in grade school, when I was in school anyway. I'm sending my child to private school!

Gold's Gym @Marx - Terms and conditions vary depending on who's buying the membership and who's selling it, don't you know?

This is dishonest Sending and charging for unsolicited goods is a new and pushy business practice, but not necessarily dishonest unless the customer isn't clearly told that there will be more products they are expected to pay for. Lying can be as simple as not speaking up, especially if it leads to a bad situation for others. This case is definitely a dishonest practice that companys should be held responsible for.

On the other hand, consumers should be responsible, too. Free trial products are quite common, so many people could fall for this scam. However, you should always be clear on what you are agreeing to, especially if it's something on the internet. These days, the best thing to do is to get a referral from a friend before trying anything new.

Here's your names @Dennis - Just do a search on the internet for Free Trials. There are tons and tons of these. Everyone is the same. Give us your credit card info and we'll send you something for nothing, then we'll keep sending you stuff and charge the life out of your credit card, unless you call us and tell us not to. It's all clearly explained in the details and they're usually really easy to find. It's the poor idiots that think they can get something for nothing that get taken with this scam. I think it's stupid, but more stupid are the people that continuously fall for it.

this is A TOTAL AND COMPLETE Crime how can anyone SAY YOU AGREE TO ANYTHING, if you DONT AGREE TO IT YOURSELF. why didnt ksl contact the Attorney General's office. Laws must be passed to stop crimes on the internet and YES REGULATE THE CROOKS, the internet is a GOLD MINE of sales opportunties and a big plus for the consumers if it is DONE FAIR and like a regular business. Too many scam artists operating on the INTERNET NOW. You should only deal with

Seems like it falls under deception in advertising any company who does this is baiting the consumer with a percieved deal, then switching the deal to something they know the consumer didn't expect. They should be legally required to indicate that your free sample will be followed by an automatic subscription to regular shipments at full cost that will be automatically billed to your card or bank. And this caveat should have to be in the same font as the "Free Sample" hook.

If anybody knows the names of the people behind this fraud, please post them so that we can all blacklist them from commerce of any sort. We need some good ole fashioned community organizing. Boycott any grocery stores that sell these predators food: I say we should starve them out of our community.

Here's your names @Revilo - Every website ever created on the internet. Do some searches for Free Trial. Every single one is the same set up. Here is some free stuff, give us your credit card and we'll keep sending you stuff each month and bill you for it unless you cancel. The details are easily found if you look. Poor stupid people need to read and not jump on every traveling salesman that stops by.

THIS LADY WANTS PAIN RELIEF? 1. NOTHING THAT REALLY STOPS PAIN IS ALLOWED TO BE SOLD VIA THE INTERNET.

2.A WOMAN HER AGE CAN'T BE THAT STUPID.
3. SHE SHOULD CALL THE CREDIT CARD COMPANY IMMEDIATELY AND STOP ANY FURTHER PURCHASES FROM THIS COMPANY.
4. ALL OF THE ABOVE I HAVE BEEN THROUGH WITH MY TEENAGERS WHEN THEY WERE FIRST TAUGHT ABOUT CREDIT RESPONSABILITY. THIS LADY SHOULD JUST EAT THE EXPENSES. JUST BECAUSE SHE IS STUPID, THE CREDIT CARD COMPANY SHOULDN'T HAVE TO EAT THE EXPENSE.
5. IT'S BUYER BEWARE.

[Please don't shout with ALL CAPS.]

Hey anonymous tough guy (person) @XL3employee - So I'm curious, would you say these things to this woman in person? And if you would, how would you like it if someone treated your grandmother that way?

I've found that treating people with compassion leads others to treat me that way when I need it. Whenever I see an older person, I think to myself, "how would their grandchildren like me to treat them?"

Drop the a-hole attitude, you'll live longer.

This lady should learn how to read before she goes on the internet and orders stuff. If I was her I would feel pretty stupid going on the news and telling everyone about how dumb she really is. If I was this lady I would spend my SS check on a class how to read and not cream that will make pain go away. Also this lady needs to lose a few pounds.

Home Despot The big boys like to play "bait-and-switch" too.

I went to Home Despot (sometimes spelled Depot) for some paint and other supplies. The nice clerk talked me into signing up for a HD credit card. I got 10% off my first purchase ($97), and 6 months interest free. The 30 minutes it took certainly soured the $10 I saved.

When the statement came, I just put it aside, knowing I had 6 months to pay. The following month, I get a statement with $2 in interest AND a $20 late fee added on. I called to see what the deal was, and was told that I had to buy $300 or more to get the 6 months interest free deal. There went my 10% savings times two! Luckily, they reversed the charges, I paid the REAL bill, and ran the card through my shredder.

When it comes to money, you can't trust ANYBODY!

DILDO" I just came bact from Home Depot. @Dilbo - Can you read at all? READ it is very clear about the intrest free with purchase of $300 or more. Are you an idiot? READ HELLO NO WONDER SO MANY PEOPLE IN UTAH ARE TAKEN..YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO READ !

I was offered the same thing. @Dilbo - Luckily I looked at the information and realized I had to spend over $300. You should never take a salesman for his word. Always read the information they give you and the offer. They're not going to tell you everything, only the good stuff. Sounds like you the typical Utahn that lacks the common sense to do his/her homework.

@Joel G. - Yes, because old people in other states never get taken. And yes, I have lived elsewhere.

Stop @Dilbo - Getting talked into things! If someone is pushing something on you it generally isn't because they're overly concerned with your well being.

@Dilbo - This doesn't at all fit under a bait in switch. Bait and switch is when business advertise a bargin price for an item to draw customers in. Once the customer arrives the item is no longer available or sold out. The stores then attempt to sell you something else, usually with a higher price tag.

Bait and switches are illegal, but hard to prove. And most companies, legitimate ones make sure to fully comply with the law in this. That is why, all over the HD advertisements for this special, it mentions that you must spend "x" amount.

So either A, you didn't pay attention or B the sales person was misinformed. But the information would have been right there in the Terms and Conditions. Maybe you should have used some of that 30 minutes to know what you were signing up for.

When did consumers stop being held responsible? I'm sorry, but any time you are asked for your credit card number, and agree to "terms and conditions", you most certainly should be held responsible for knowing exactly what it is that you're agreeing to. Why is it the company's fault that you didn't take the time to read? They advertised "risk free trial", not "lifetime of free product". AND - if you got another tube in the mail that you weren't expecting (accompanied by a $67 cc charge), why wouldn't you call to remedy the situation immediately, rather than wait until the next month and let it all happen again?

It's like people who sign up for adjustable rate mortgages, not really understanding how they work, and then freak out when the rate adjusts.

At some point consumers need to buck up and take responsibility for their purchases, signatures, agreements, etc.

Deceptive While the company DID have the disclaimers and terms on their website, and the consumer SHOULD have read all of the fine print before signing up and ordering the product, this is still a very deceptive business practice. Their justification of saying that they auto-bill and ship the product as a 'convenience' is just spin. This should be required as an opt-in option for all businesses, and not an opt-out.
Too many are blaming the lady for being too hasty, and getting downright harsh with her. Yes, she should have read further, but how many of you have read all of the fine print of every agreement you have signed up with? Have you read the fine print for your internet service provider? How about your cell phone contract, your Dish / Comcast / DirecTV contract, etc? How many of you know that most of the websites you post on have agreements to gather some information from your activity, including other sites you visit, etc? Did you read all of the fine print on the biggest investment in your life, your mortgage, or did you take their word for it on what each and every page you were signing meant?

Did you even bother to read the fine print below the button on this webpage where you submit comments to this forum?

Ok, pots, let's start calling this kettle black.

@rideutah - Yes, the idea of auto-ship is justified as a convenience but not always seen that way. If a business provides a consumer with all the details... and the consumer doesn't take the time to educate themselves, why is the business responsible? There is nothing illegal about this practice. You may think that it is deceitful, but some people enjoy it. There are certain products I order that auto ship and I love it. I use the product all the time and it is nice not having to remember to order it.

I have read the terms and conditions for all contracts I sign, from the gym membership to the cell phone. Anytime I give my credit card number out online I read all of the fine print, I check the security of the website and pay attention to the account I used.

Because in the end, I am responsible for myself, not my friends, not my family and sure as hell not some company.

While it is too bad that the woman didn't due her due diligence, this is not something that represents a need to peruse legal action against the company. I am guessing she is playing a game of a noisy wheel getting greased. In the end this was a woman that wanted something for nothing and didn't understand what the definition of free TRIAL is. It did not state free product, it stated free TRIAL.

you know where brown eyes come from... @browneyes98 - what exactly do you recieve that is automaticaly rebilled and delivered?

@D K. - Oh, what a clever little remark. Like I haven't heard that before.

And I get makeup this way. Comes every 90 days and I pay a discounted price for having auto-ship.

Why do people act like this is new/fraud This kind of offer has been around since long before the Internet. Ever heard of Columbia House? Ever seen free trail offers in magazines 20 years ago? Come on people. Don't try to assign your lack of paying attention to someone else.

The lady in the story says "They're taking money out of my bank account and I didn't authorize it" when it actuality she did in fact authorize it. I agree this site was being on the shady side by only making the terms a not-so-obvious link, but get real, if you are entering a credit card to make a purchase, read up and educate yourself before clicking "buy."

This kind of story just bothers me because it further allows consumers to justify relinquishing responsibility for their own actions. Sure, companies need to be straightforward, but don't categorize an entire industry and even a marketing practice by the actions of one company. Especially don't categorize it by what the BBB says; anything they comment is clearly biased in their effort to justify their existence.

Just a little FYI for the consumers of the world: there is no "free" offer...ever. Even if there isn't a negative option associated with an offer, you are at minimum giving your contact information and the right to advertise to you in exchange for your "free" item being offered.

Tip I have a solution that works well for me. Several credit card companies have one time use credit card number services. I use Citibank and I know Discover has a similar product. You download a program or use their web version to acquire a one time use CC number tied to your account. At least with Citi you can put on time limits or amount limits, etc. Anytime I purchase something I use this. When they try to use the number again - to bad for them it doesn't work.

Is it worth it? I call it dishonest. @ThinkMoreTalkLess - I agree you can "get away" with a freebie using your solution, but do you feel it is worth being dishonest for it? What you are doing is really more fraud than what people are trying to categorize as these kind of offers. You are knowingly misleading and defrauding a company based on the terms you are agreeing to.

You misunderstand @Greatprojects - I am not suggesting you not pay for something. For example in this situation. You use one time number, they confirm credit card payment and ship product. Next time they run card, no approval - they don't ship product. Simple as that. Not suggesting a freebie, it is plain to see I am suggesting it as a method to minimize the damage if you want to take a risk purchasing a product where the company or others may take advantage of your credit card number.

This process is @ThinkMoreTalkLess - What you are saying is heavily used as a deceptive practice if the offer does in fact state you are agreeing to an autoship type program. I understand the desire to minimize potential risk in true fraud, and that's a great situation. But, if you are doing it to avoid the terms of an offer then it is being deceptive.

I apologize if this was not your intended statement, but do realize there is a whole movement of people doing this with online purchases. There are forums that "teach" people how to trick offers to try and get freebies this way.

Provide an example then! @Greatprojects - Who auto ships without first confirming they have a valid credit on file? Credit cards expire all the time - duh! If you are that big on the concept of negative options, are you on the other end promoting them?

Not going to drop to the name calling @ThinkMoreTalkLess - Sorry, I'm not here justifying one thing or the other, and not going to drop to trying childish tactics.

This isn't about credit cards expiring, it's about your real intent when trying to "trick" an offer by circumventing a system. If you are going into something intending to not follow through on your agreement, you are conducting your own version of defrauding a company.

I am not talking about negative options specifically, I am talking about the practice of using gift/prepaid cards to try and get around your responsibilities as a consumer. This is something anyone associated with billing, especially electronic merchant account management, is aware of. The credit card companies don't allow you to distinguish between a gift card and a regular credit card either, so the business has no way of qualifying the customer purchase.

In my final opinion, the customer needs to be protected against shady practices for sure. I am all for that. Unfortunately there are little to no safeguards available for businesses to be protected against dishonest consumers.

Wow - you must be bitter about something! @Greatprojects - At no point and no where have I suggested getting out of responsibility or not paying for something. Your statements tell me you have little idea how the credit card system works. Have you ever tried to buy something at a store or online with a credit card on a closed account? Don't you think merchants have people trying to purchase things with stolen numbers? That is why merchants verify the card and receive a pre approval. They even get confirmation numbers as evidence to ensure they get paid. A gift card is not a credit card. It is a pre-paid card where the money is debited at the point of sale. If you are taking credit card numbers and shipping items without verification then you are asking to be stolen from. That is why merchants work with banks to enable verification before the sale is finalized. Enough said.

Actually you did @ThinkMoreTalkLess - Look back at your first post. "When they try to use the number again - to bad for them it doesn't work." You inferred you had the upper hand on the business.

Having worked in an industry dealing with online merchant account billing for over 12 years, I think I have more than the average understanding of how the credit card system works. In fact, it is the issues with the merchant banking system that I have the biggest beef. They side with the consumer almost without any verification, leaving fraudsters with a wide open opportunity to manipulate the retail system.

I really shouldn't keep replying in this little side argument because you are digging your hole sufficiently deep on your own.

I agree GP @Greatprojects - Consumers are not the only ones that need to be protected from shady business practices. Businesses need protection from consumers scamming them as well.

I don't @Mistersadman55 - What ThinkMore is suggesting is not deceptive. Could these temporary card numbers be used deceptively? Probably. But that's not what ThinkMore is proposing. I see no problem with the woman in this story using a temporary card in this instance. She has no ill intentions, she wants the free trial that the web page promises, nothing more. If she wants more of the product, she can go back to the site and use a different card. Nobody was taken for anything, consumer or merchant.

I really like the temporary card number idea, and use it, as I say below. It protects me. The first time someone's database gets hacked and somebody gets my info, including this card number, any hassle I've incurred using this method has payed for itself.

I actually agree for the most part @Red Adair - From the point of protection in overall online purchasing, I actually think it is a great idea. Particularly from the perspective of not having your number floating around in a potentially hackable database. My only point of contention is going into an offer with related terms with no intention of abiding by them.

By all means, make a purchase of this kind AND opt out of the the reoccurring offer within the stated terms, then I agree with the wisdom of the practice. Whether @ThinkMoreTalkLess meant this and I misunderstood at the outset or changed his tone midway in the debate, I really don't know. I do speak to the questionable honesty of the specific practice of tricking retailers and not to the common sense of protecting yourself.

You got it right the first time! @Greatprojects - If I were desperate enough to purchase a $67 tube of pain relief creme that didn't do anything for my pain, I wouldn't feel one bit bad about the fact that I gave them a credit card number that only paid for one tube of the junk. They were trying to scam me and I prevented it from happening a second time without resorting to opting out which they may or may not abide by anyway without a battle. If the company was really legit, would they need to resort to negative opt outs? Yes - there are legitimate reasons for having reoccurring charges using credit cards. For every legitimate one there are thousands that are not. I practice defensive driving and I will practice defensive purchasing. Bottom line if by accident a merchant ships a legitimate product without verifying the credit card, that is the risk of doing business. That is not to say they won't get paid, most times they will, but if not maybe the credit card was stolen and canceled or dozens of other reasons. What does the merchant do in those cases? A one time credit card number is no more the problem than credit cards in general. If a merchant can't cope with commerce using credit cards, maybe they should wait for a check to be sent in the mail.

@ThinkMoreTalkLess @ThinkMoreTalkLess - I use this often as well. I think it provides great protection for the consumer. I see from other replies to this that not everyone agrees. I also work closely with merchant accounts and online buying. Seems like to me you have a good idea.

Thanks for the validation! lol @Red Adair - At least one person gets the point. However I still don't understand how it can be used deceptively any more than the actual number off my credit card in my wallet unless the merchant doesn't bother to verify / pre-authorize. If they don't do that they are setting themselves up to be ripped off in many ways. Am I incorrect? Perhaps people mis-understand the concept of one time numbers.

My credit card statement shows the charge just the same as any other. It just prevents the number from being used in excess of a set limit, time limit or one time use depending on what options I choose when I make the request from the credit card company, which I can do in less than a minute. When I make a purchase over the telephone or the Internet, I assume they run it through the credit card company approval process to ensure they will get paid. At that point unless I protest the charges, why wouldn't they be paid? People get skinned for additional products they did not intend to buy with these companies mentioned in the article all the time regardless of the fine print or hidden disclosures. My suggestion prevents this.

Besides if the product they keep shipping more of were to be so worthless that they don't bother to confirm the credit card number each time before shipping, doesn't that say something too?

Last, but not least Citbank, Discover and other banks offer these features to protect consumers and reduce fraud not promote it. Bottom line - if merchants are using best practices one time numbers won't harm them. If a merchant sends me a second shipment of a risk free trial without re-verifying my credit card, I have no sympathy for them. Besides they are probably scamming anyway. Thanks for your comments.

LOL This is the same scam AOL has used for years, now Dish and Direct TV are doing it as well. Be careful, very careful and read, read, read.

Well Direct TV Does not send you those Terms and conditions until AFTER you agree to the contract. At least that is what they did to me.
Direct TV Sucks!

@Nemisis - http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/index.jsp

All of the information you need is right here on the internet. If you signed up on the internet all the information would have been provided to you. If you signed up on the phone the representative would have reviewed the major points for you.

And I can't find a source, but I am fairly certain that in Utah you have a certain amount of time (I think it is 30 days) to void a contract. Maybe someone can verify this.

This lady makes me wish That Darwin was right--stupid people should be weeded out of the gene pool. How could somebody this old not know that nothing in life is free?!? Give me a break! She deserves what she gets. When it goes against her, she goes whining to the press. As far as the BBB, they're completely useless. All they do is pretend to serve as moderator and do absolutely nothing so that somebody with a valid complaint against a business gets absolutely nowhere, because of stupid people like this lady who overload the system with problems they brought upon themselves.

Can you say civilization? @mich1 - Your suggestion brings to mind a herd of animals where the lions catch and eat the young, sick and old members. Are we not part of a society where we try to protect the weak among us. So are you suggesting everyone for themselves. How callus and cold. Shall we just allow pedophiles to prey on our young as well? If you become ill, shall we simply toss you in the street? When you get old and maybe your reasoning powers are not as strong, should we say [removed]? I only hold contempt for such an attitude.

People need to start reading contracts/terms before agreeing.
Nothing new here.

Free Credit Report.Com Also uses this tactic.

Risk Free Vote for a Republican
Poor wages

A lot of companies use this tactic Remember the AOL "free" CD's? How about the dating sites that offer a 30-day free trial? Car manufacturers offering "0% financing"? It doesn't have to be a free offer either. How about the low introductory rates offered by some credit card companies? or for $19.95 you can receive a book from Time Life Books but most people don't realize that they will be receiving more books for a price like $39.95 each. Remember the old advertisements for 100 CD's for a penny? You need to read the small print folks!

Watch out for finicity.com/mvelopes! Just a warning to those who try the free 30 trial for finicity.com (aka mvelopes), a local money management website based in Draper. To be fair; they offer a good product for managing personal finance. (however after the free 30 day trial eval, I personally felt that it was no better than quicken). Interested in learning more, I signed up for the free 30 day trial. On the website it does say that they will charge you a monthly fee if you don't opt out before 30 days.
So I thought, well at 30 days they will send me a reminder email stating that my free trial was up and either I should sign up or not. (common practice for internet free trial evals). How naive of me! At 30 days I noticed a debit from my account of $191.76! I spoke with their online chat person, and after speaking to three people (online only) and sending an email to dispute resolution, I finally got a "courtesy refund". (they still argued that the charges were valid). So you can call me stupid for checking out the free trial, but for those of you who would do the same thing, be forwarned!