Complaint Review: Ultimapatch Ultima Group Products

This company lures customers with free trial offers. Before a customer has a chance to try out a product, this company ships out new monthly supply and charges to customer's credit card with its AutoShip program. What the web site failed to tell its customers is that it takes 4 to 6 weeks for a trial offer item to arrive (according to its customer service on the phone) but a customer only has 10 days (reduced from 12 days in earlier reports) after the initial order is placed to cancel the new shipment. In other words, the company has no intention for its customer to try the product out before they get automaticly charged for new supply.

Most popular complains against this company includes not receiving the items or credit, having difficulty to cancel the membership, having difficulties to get a hold of the customer support and the delay of the refund. The company's web site even states on its own (though hidden in Full terns and Conditions) that the company's policy has Negative Option Clause. In my interpretation, that includes not having adequate time to cancel the membership, cancellation through phone only and no refund or return on shipped AutoShip item(s).

Different banks may have different policy; my bank happens to tell me that I can dispute a charge on my credit card after 30 days if I still have not receive the item ordered. That's exactly what I am going to do. Though UltimaPatch's web policy stated that no refund will be issued after an Autoship shipment is made, but according to Better Business Bureau's record, this company does settle some of its complains with partial refunds. (less than 100%) Another tip to help you get your refund is realizing the fact that most people do not receive the product when they file the complain, and this company DOES NOT have tracking numbers, nor dated receipts from its postal carrier, to provide a proof that a shipment is ever sent out on or before the day you cancel your membership. So there is still hope if you got ripped off by this company's scandalous marketing strategy.

More about this company:
Some other items selling on the same UltimaPatch web site includes UltimaPatch, "Living Lean", "Ultima Daily 1000", "Ultima Tabs" and "Ultima Smile". Its customer service uses a physical address in Wisconsin: (35 Wisconsin ST. Oshkosh, WI 54901 ) According to Better Business Bureau (BBB.org), the Owner/Manager of this company is Mr Byron Wycoff. This company is called Efinanceonline.com LLC in San Diego, CA. It also sells products through:
www.theultimagroup.com
www.lipoburn4u.com
www.UltimaPatch.com
www.viatrex.com
www.viatril.com

Additional DBA Names Used:
Viatrex
Viatril
Ultima Patch, LLC
Ultima Group Products LLC
The Ultima Group

BBB:
(http://www.sandiego.bbb.org/commonreport.html?compid=41000064)
More complains and discussion regarding this company and its even more complicated free shipping offers:
(http://www.anything4free.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=96339)

Jane
La Jolla, California
U.S.A.