- Report: #1277924
Complaint Review: DermaEssence - Internet
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Author Confirmed
Why?
DermaEssence
Internet, USA
Phone:
844-404-9986
Web:
www.dermaessencetrial.com
Categories:
Business Rating:
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DermaEssence aka Eye Wrinkles Gone, [email protected] This is a total scam Internet
I recently saw an ad on Twitter for DermaEssenceTrial.com for a skincare cream and serum that you could order as a trial for only $4.95 each. When I was checking out, the website kept trying to get me to add on 2 different skincare products that were very expensive. I kept clicking on the "no thanks" option for those items. After several times, the checkout finally reflected my actual order of just the cream and serum at $4.95 each.
However, the next day I received three confirmation emails (one for each item they said I had ordered). In addition to the cream and serum, they said I had ordered a "dark spot corrector" for $29.95, which I had not ordered. I immediately emailed the company and indicated that I had not ordered that product and requested that it be immediately removed from my account, telling them that if they did not cancel that item, I would contact my bank and the authorities.
Today I received another email indicating that they could not handle my issue via email due to "security reasons," and requested that I call their toll-free number. I called and spoke with a woman who admitted that you oftentimes have to check the "no thanks" box "several times" before it will remove the unwanted items from your cart. I explained that I did that several times and that when I ultimately placed my order it was only for the cream and the serum at $4.95 each. She argued with me that I must have ordered them because it says on her end that i did. She also indicated that she didn't work for DermaEssence, but a "third party vendor."
She said it was too late to cancel my order, that the products had been shipped and that I would have to call back upon receipt and begin their return process which entailed me paying return shipping charges and a "restocking fee" that amounted to about the same as the unwanted products cost. She said it just wouldn't make "financial sense" to return the items. She then said "what she could do for me" was offer me "25%" for my trouble. I explained that that wasn't what was going to happen.
I told her that I would be refusing the package(s) and disputing my credit card charge and that the company would not be receiving payment. She then suddenly put me on hold without telling me she was going to. I hung up and came to my computer and found this RipOff website. As I typed this post, I received three additional emails from DermaEssence indicating that they had cancelled all my orders and were refunding the unwanted charges. I then just a moment ago received a phone call back from the woman I had been speaking to who told me that she had cancelled the order and refunded my money, but that the items would still be coming and that "I can just keep them." I told her that I was not comfortable with that as it could be construed as me acknowledging that I ordered the unwanted items.
I told her I would be refusing the packages. She said don't send them back because the "warehouse will not accept them and will probably just send them back to you again." She suggested that if I didn't want to use them to "give them to a friend."
In summary, this operation is a complete scam. They charge you for expensive items that you did not order and put you on an "auto-order" status so they will keep sending you and charging you for product monthly. I think they have enough people who just give up and agree to pay and just stop future orders that they are still making money, but when I refused to do that and threatened to report them to my bank and authorities, they agreed to refund my money.
So if you get in this situation, be firm with them and don't back down. Good luck.
