Complaint Review: The Greatest Vitamin In The World - Don Lapre

After watching the commercial about a dozen times, I finally gave in. I called and right away they began upselling me. I ended up getting the right to sell that natural cure book, getting my own copy, my own bottle of vitamins with no credit to me, getting video on my site, getting a phone number with my number code, and getting my website entered into that co-op thing, where people who go to the main site randomly go to mine or others in the co-op.

The day after I order, they call me while I'm driving. I told them I can't talk while driving, and he insisted it would only be a minute. Basically it was a recording (about 10 minutes) of Don Lapre trying to sell an advertising package. He tells you the prices and how it's such a great deal, then he changes all the prices on you for this one time special occasion. I swear the price changed at least three times for each package. Aftwards, the operator came back on and made yet another change to the price per advertising. I told him I could advertise with Google ads for a fraction of that, and he of course defended this as "targeted" and therefore better. I then told him that $3000 dollars, or whatever the price really is, is way too much. Him, having my records, informed me that I have already ordered over $270 worth of upgrades when I first called, and asked "If you can afford that why can't you afford this?". That made me angry because that was a personal attack by him, but I politely kept saying that I would think about it. Eventually he let the conversation end.

Over the next few weeks I get calls trying to sell the same advertising, with the prices that keep on changing. They would call me as late as 8pm and sometimes two days in a row. They also mention some sort of other program where I get paid the $1000 per 20 orders and the $250 a month, with an investment of course. Being so used to the upselling by now, I didn't really pay attention and just kept saying no.

The last time they called me, I told them that the only way I would be interested in any of these extra programs is if I could get it in writing. The operator told me that was not possible, I would have to buy the extra package, then I would get the details mailed to me. I told her that did not make sense, and she knows it. She laughed and said she understood. I also told her that website was hideous, and that I could design a better one with notepad and blindfolded in 20 minutes (I'm a webdesigner). She mentioned the templates, and I said most of them are horrible and the name and money making ad was not good. She offered me some other phone number to talk about the website being ugly, but I was afraid that it would just lead to another upselling, and I said just forget it. We talked again about how it would be an uneducated decision to invest thousands of dollars on an advertsing package that wasn't in writing or didn't describe how it worked. I also told her that I would like to see the program work before I make more investments. She mentioned the few orders in my account and said that is proof, and I told her that I never advertised yet, especially in other states, and that those orders are probably fake. She said that I had some hits to my site, so I must be advertising. Sorry try again! I guess they figured out that I was at least somewhat informed by now(not counting the initial purchase in the first place), and knew not to bother trying to upsell me anymore.

Why do I say the orders were fake? Because I got them without advertising, and they are from all different states. Also they only appeared during the few weeks of upselling, probably to get me excited about my success and willing to invest more. Can't give credit to the co-op visits either. Now that I am advertising, have lots of hits, have my ad placed on a few sites I run, I get no orders.

A few things I dislike about the program is the fact that they put my full name on the website, and the advertising limits you have. The name just isn't respect to my privacy, and is quite frankly embarrasing. I also wonder if they would take my name down if I ever canceled the service. On the website, it is also difficult to find the Order button, and right there on top is Don Lapre offering "My Customers" a way to make money. He's stealing customers on my own site that I paid for! Also in the terms of advertsing are very limited. It's been a few months since I looked at it, but it was something to the effect of only being allowed to use a prewritten sentence, then a link or phone number. That was the only option to using their flyers, all of which are exactly the same except for a few words. Of course in the package they try to upsell you more, such as a custom tv or radio spot. Since you're not allowed to make your own ad, you have to use theirs. It says you can get your own ad approved by them, but why would they do that when they want to get paid. I was planning on creating my own nicely designed site, but the package warns about it. So now I just have a domain pointing to an ugly site.

All I can say is my overall experience has been negative. It's not just the upselling. It's the other things, like him selling the course on my vitamin website, and severely limiting my advertising options. That reminds me, I submitted my URL to an advertising site, and they called me saying that Don Lapre had an agreement with them that disallowed vitamin sites! The operators were rude at times, like their life depended on the comission. And as other people who have posted on the internet pointed out with doing the math, Don Lapre counts on the majority of users not making 20 sales. They make it pretty easy to not make 20 sales. I'm not saying the program doesn't work. I havn't made 20 sales yet, and doubt I ever will due to the other things I've mentioned.

John
Bumsville, Idaho
U.S.A.

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