How to Spot Tooth Whitening RIPOFFS and Online Dental Scams. Teeth Don't Lose Your Money
71UPDATE
The tooth whitening scammers are using a new name. Beware of Ultra White, Dazzle White, DentaSmile,and Superstar Smiles-these are the same people the following hub is written about. Don't be sucked into their ad campaigns-you can get legitimate teeth whitening systems at your local drugstore or on Amazon.
Purely White
Back in December or January I ran across an Internet ad offering a SECRET new tooth whitening program that some mom had DISCOVERED. The ad stated that if you used two tooth whitening products together you would get amazing results. The ad even had comments from hygienists and people who worked in dental offices swearing to the authenticity of the products. Best of all you could try the products for only $1.95!
Well needless to say this ad peeked my interest. My teeth needed whitening and being able to try it for only $1.95-sounded good to me so I ordered it online. BIG MISTAKE. I started researching the product and company after my order and found out that although the trial offer was awesome-when you ordered the trial you were automatically enrolled in their "monthly" shipping program where they automatically ship the product to your home and charge your credit card $139.95 unless you cancelled within 14 days. To check out some complaints against the company go to: www.consumeraffairs.com/cosmetics/purely_white.html.
UPDATE: I just checked this link and sure enough there are DOZENS of complaints identical to mine. I believe that these complaints are just the tip of the iceberg though-there are many people out there who are too embarrassed to file a complaint. I think that everyone who has been negatively effected by this company should get together and discuss a class action lawsuit against all of the companies involved to get them to stop their fraudulent practices.
My Website
READ THE SMALL PRINT
Here is the small print on the ads:
*Trial Policy: Our *Trial policy requires you to understand certain important dates. The policy, and the important dates for You to know, are as follows:
- Beginning on the day that you place an order for a product (“Product”) from the Website, Your ten (10) day *Trial period begins (“*Trial Period”).The *Trial Period is calculated in calendar days, not business days.
- You will be shipped a thirty (30) day supply of the Product You ordered. Generally, Your Product is shipped 3 to 5 days after placing your order. Delivery time is subtracted from your *Trial Period, and will reduce the number of days allocated to your *Trial Period. If you want to extend your *Trial Period due to slow postal delivery or delayed pickup, you must call Our Customer Service Department. Reasonable requests (as determined by us) to extend Your *Trial Period generally will be granted.
- If you are satisfied with the Product and wish to continue to receive the Product on a monthly basis, you need do nothing else. Upon the expiration of the *Trial Period, Your credit card will be billed for the full cost of the Product that you ordered (i.e., a thirty day supply).
- On the thirty second day following the date you first ordered Your Product, We will send you another thirty (30) day supply of the Product, and the credit card you provided to us will be automatically billed for the Product.
- Upon signing up for the 10 day trial membership you will be charged up to $3.97 depending on various shipping and initial offer promotions at that time but not more than $3.97 upon signing. If not cancelled, you will be charged up to $89.97 upon completion of the 10 day trial period. Monthly thereafter or 30 days from the original order date, the charge will reoccur monthly at a total of up to $89.97 until cancelled.
- This charge will reoccur monthly at a total of up to $89.97 until cancelled
- If You are not satisfied with the Product and wish to cancel future deliveries of the Product, You must call Our Customer Service Department prior to the expiration of the *Trial Period and cancel your order. You need not return the Product to us if you cancel within the *Trial Period.
- All transactions will be charged a Non Refundable $1.25 Convenience fee for use of website within 60 days of use
Natural Wellness Resources
I thought I had done what I needed to do to not have to deal with this company-boy was I surprised when I opened the mail today-April 9, 2010. I received a letter from Natural Wellness Resources from Wilmington Delaware stating that I owed their company $139.95 for Purely White STAT or they would turn me over to a collection agency! Seems as though they charged my Debit card and my bank declined the charge (Yeah Arvest!!).
I called the number that was on the collection letter 1-866-398-2183 and spoke with a gentleman named Quinton. I asked him if his company was a manufacturer or distributor of Purely White and he told me it was. I then explained the letter I received-he "researched" my account and sure enough-told me that I owed them $139.95. I asked him what the monthly charge for the product was and he told me $139.95. I asked him for my order date-which was 10/10/2009 (confirmed by my bank statement). I then asked him why I didn't owe him $139.95 for November, December, January, February, and March. He then told me that the $139.95 charge covered all those months. When I asked him what the monthly charge for the product was he could not tell me, instead he told me to get in touch with the manufacturer.
I reminded him that he told me earlier in the conversation his company NATURAL WELLNESS RESOURCES was the manufacturer of the product. We then argued over whether he had told me that they were the manufactuer or not so I offered to play the conversation back to him- because I was recording it. He said he would love to hear the recording so I asked him for a direct number to call him back-I explained that I did not want to stop recording our current conversation but would call him back and play it for him at a later time. He refused to give a me his direct number as well as the the company's website address. When I pressed him on the issue he hung up on me.
Legitimate Tooth Whitening Systems
 | Amazon Price: $31.82 List Price: $77.80 |
 | Amazon Price: $25.00 List Price: $89.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $22.12 List Price: $64.66 |
 | Amazon Price: $23.05 |
 | Amazon Price: $14.68 List Price: $39.99 |
Being Proactive
The first thing I did after hanging up the phone was to get in touch with my bank and cancel the debit card that I had used for the initial order to prevent Natural Wellness Resources from using the account again. I then filed an online complaint with a consumer protection company. After doing that I decided to write this hub so that I could let my hubpages family know what had happened to me. It is my hope that people will learn from my dumb mistake and not order anything from either Natural Wellness Resources or Purely White.
If you want further information about either company and their unscrupulous practices you can check out the links that I have provided. This isn't the end to my story, so be sure to check back for updates.
UPDATE: May 2, 2010 Check out your credit report at http://www.annualcreditreport.com. There is no charge for getting a yearly copy of your credit reports and it is important that you see if your credit has been negatively effected by these SCAM companies. If any information from these companies shows up on any of your 3 reports-dispute it immediately. Keep a copy of the actual report-it will come in handy when a class action lawsuit is filed against these bogus companies and will prove that you have been damaged by them and deserve to be compensated.
UPDATE: MAY 11, 2009-I checked my email yesterday and unbelievably found a letter from Purely White telling me that I owed them $139 and if I didn't pay it I would be turned over to a collection agency-forgive me if I am wrong but didn't they already do that in April? They are upset because they once again tried to charge my debit card but BINGO were denied because I CANCELLED THE CARD! It's funny because I never received anything from the company except for their trial offer-and I already paid for that.
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Links to Information about Purely White and Natural Wellness Resources
- \'Whiter Smile\' Ads Can Leave Consumers Frowning
'Whiter Smile' Ads Can Leave Consumers Frowning - Pure White - Winsomesmile Complaints - unauthorized charge from bank
Pure White - Winsomesmile Complaints: unauthorized charge from bank. Dental Services - Dazzle White, Purely White and any other company they like to call themselves
DO NOT - DO NOT - Do Not use these people for a Trial - they have caught a lot of people - dont you be one of them - Where are the Trading Standards people - they should check people/Companies like this out. They seems to catch the less well off of u
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Thanks for the comment-I will be sure to add Alpine White an UltraWhite smile to the name of my hub-the people who run these awful websites change their names almost weekly.
Thanks for this info. unfortunately, there seems to be many of these types of sites on the net. I always read the small print before I make a purchase as I've got burned before.
Wish I would have read this in late April (26th) of 2010. I just got hit by the EverBrite Smile Bastards for the $87.47 monthly fee. This is a TOTAL SCAM. If anyone ever finds out how to physically get hold of these people please let me know, I'll be first in line to make sure they never get a chance to scam anybody in the future.
I am so glad I was too busy to order the other day when I was on line looking at channel 4 news coverage of the flood in Nashville Tn. I was so excited to find this so called 4 dollar fix to get white teeth but was running late for work so I printed out the report to be able to find it later when I got time. Today I sat down intending on ordering this trial special. Thank you for your hub or my account would be overdrawn by the time I would have found out they had charged me. I have to watch my spending as my income is meager and all the overdraft fees would have set me WAY BACK. Thanks again!!!!
Ken-the only way that I got out of paying them was by cancelling the debit card that I used for my order. It took the bank about 10 days to get me a new one, but the piece of mind I have from not getting hammered financially is well worth it.
Brenda-I am so glad this hub helped you. The whole reason I wrote it was so that noone else would fall for the scam like I did. I am glad you did your homework before hitting that submit button!!!
Thanks for the heads up, though I don't really consider it a scam if they tell you in the small print that you will be charged if you don't cancel within a certain time. That's pretty standard practice with "free trial" offers. No company is just going to give something away for free and make nothing off of it. Fortunately for you, B of A doesn't agree! All the best.
i agree that if they tell you in the small print then it's not a scam. it is however when you cancel the product like they require and they refuse to acknowledge the cancellation and make it virtually impossible to contact them. i don't think this company is actually in the tooth whitening product business they are a phishing company just on the lookout for credit card information
Sadly, there always some more around the next corner. Good article.
I try to keep this hub updated when I stumble on a new name for the same old scam
My husband also got caught in this "white smile" SCAM. I now have about $1,500.00 on my credit card - I cancelled the original card and got a new one only to find out that they somehow got the number to the new one. I am fighting with Capital One now to get these charges off but it seems this "white smile" company has a way to get around the law and steel your credit card number! Wish I had found you sooner it would have saved me money and and an ulcer! I have been working on this since Feb.2010! Oh yea, they have about 30 different names and the phone #'s keep changing!
I know, it is so frustrating. I cancelled my debit card and that is the absolute only reason they haven't taken me for any more money. I just got an email bill from them yesterday telling me that my account was past due! Past Due? I never received anything from them except for the trial-and they want to charge me? For what? The original people that made enzyte the male enhancement drug are sitting in prison now for using the exact same billing procedures with people-some needs to lock these people up.
The tell you, the you have such ammount time to cancell everythnig, but you need get online and request a kind form/code number blaa...bla..bla, and guess what?
Funny part; for receive that, the need at least 10 days!!! Obviously you gone too get that..... to late!!!
I Hope this peoples the burn in the hell!!!
One lesson learned. Cost $100.00. This is one big fat rip off.
It's just a matter of time before these people get caught and are jailed for their unethical and illegal practices. They can't get away with this forever-eventually someone in power will do something about them.
Ordered TRIAL of SuperStar Smile and Pure White Smile. Was charged on 8/14/2010 $2.95 for FLHWHITE and $4.95 on 8/14/2010 for CORE BEAUITIFUL. I did not want product because my gums got very sore when I used product.
On 8/31/2010 I was charged $84.95 for CORE BEAUTIFUL and $131.40 for FLHWHITE. I did NOT see anywhere where I had to cancel order. Total cost is $224.25. Both places insist I have to pay and will not refund. Did request cancellation. I really was ripped off.
Unfortunately you had better cancel your credit card because they WILL charge you again in September. Watch your statements closely and get in touch with your credit card company or bank and let them know what is happening. You could also dispute the charges.
Can anybody help with a number to call for CORE BEAUTIFUL charges?? I never received an email confirmation when I first order the free trial.
I'm not even sure how to go about cancelling my account with these companies. Seems to me like the names and numbers of these companies keep changing. The charges on my account show up as RSM**TEETH WHITENING (which I believe is the Pure White Smile Trial) and CORE BEAUTIFUL. Any suggestions on how I can contact these companies so I can cancel?
The only way that I know for sure to get them to cancel your subscription is simply to cancel whatever credit or debit card you used when you signed up. That effectively blocks them from your account. I know it seems like a pain, but trust me it is the best thing to do if you don't want to have the ugly surprise of a huge charge that won't be taken off of your account.
Thanks, mikicagle. The only thing I'm afraid of is if I don't actually cancel my account with these teeth whitening companies they will eventually forward the charges to a collection agency. In your case, did they ever stop sending bills?
I haven't gotten any bills for several months now. Try to find the company to cancel your subscription but if they do turn your account over to collection don't worry. (I cancelled my account and they still sent it to a collection agency!) The Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act kicks in-all you have to do is send a letter to the collection agency within 30 days of you receiving their letter disputing the debt and asking for validation. A copy of a validation letter can be found here: http://hubpages.com/hub/Fair-Debt-Collection-Colle
They won't be able to validate the debt so the whole process should stop there. They legally aren't allowed to put any type of mark on your credit.
My daughter was caught in this swindle. I got no where trying to get a full refund. I did get a cancelation # for the final shipment due out the end of this month for $99.92. However I was not able to get full refunds for the first two shipments. They say they'll give me $40. What's funny is I called yesterday and talked to Grace and got no satisfaction. I called again today and guess what ---- Grace again! How often does that happen ---getting the same customer service rep twice. Something wierd there. Anyway she finally let me talk to Rosie, her supervisor, who would not let me talk to her manager and would not tell me who the CEO was. When I told her about looking up the business on the BBB and they had thousands of complaints about the 3 month sign up being hidden in terms and conditions, she downplayed the significance and purpose of the BBB saying it's just their opinion. (Incidently the BBB gave them an F rating. I also asked what "100% customer satisfaction guaranteed" meant. She said that had to be within 10 days. When I asked how we would know if we were satisfied in 10 days when her company recommends 90 days for best results, she did not have an answer. I told her that the company was not in the business to sell teeth whitener but was in the business to cheat people out of their hard earned money. If they truly cared about and believed in their product, they would prominently display this major point of a three month commitment and price on their website ---- not hide it in pages of legal jumble.
The first charge on my account was from "Teethealth products" phone # 1-800-688-0614. The next charge was from Core Beautiful --- phone 1-888-720-0845
ive just been caught by the scam, is there a solution that i can use to end it? im in the uk. can i also just cancel the credit card and order new one like you did?
I would just cancel the card-without it they won't be able to charge you.
I am so glad i read this although i wish i had about an hour sooner. i signed up for the trials of "extreme whitening" and "Bright White Smile". then i came across this site so i instantly called and cancelled both as well as my VISA just in case.
Very good advice! People are so insecure in their looks that they are willing to believe almost anything and fork over huge sums of money for improvements they may not even need. Scam artists just jump right on this as soon as some new cosmetic "need" surfaces. Good dental habits will probably get most people's teeth plenty white! As far as buying discount online (or on TV) dental services or anything else goes - always check with the BBB! Voted up and useful! ;D
Lawrence Connor 2 years ago
I almost fell for this fraud phising ripoff scam via bullshit fake site ConsumerNews4 consumernews4.com just today a little while before writing this now. I am glad I researched this deal / scam ( Alpine White and UltraWhite Smile ) before I put more info into my submissions forms (at their sites - mybrightteeth.com and myultrabritewhites.com ) or completed my order today (I actually had started), as I am not doing so now. I searched for the sites URL's (fake consumer news site consumernews4.com a bullshit fraud phishing ripoff scam fake site) and tried to search as well as I could and found this site ( http://hubpages.com/hub/Purely-White-is-a-SCAM-Do- ). (AND Alpine White at mybrightteeth.com and UltraWhite Smile at myultrabritewhites.com ) I am glad I did. siteadvisor.com and wholinkstome.com did not have really enough to tell me for sure that the fake consumer news site consumernews4.com is not to be trusted, otherwise they are sources to check out sites by way of. Because consumernews4.com is so new they don't have anything for it yet, (now) as consumernews4.com appears to have been registered on March 4th 2010. I did find out at the "Web of Trust" site ( it's WOT Reputation scorecard ) site www.mywot.com that consumernews4.com is NOT Trustworthy > SEE > http://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/www.consumernews < LOOK < -- The following is the language on the site I almost fell for, consumernews4.com linking to the two other sites ( Alpine White at mybrightteeth.com and UltraWhite Smile at myultrabritewhites.com ) > the following is/was at consumernews4.com: "Exploiting The Recession: A Mom's Trick to Whiter Teeth - Consumer News Weekly" - "Don't Break the Bank: A Mom's Trick to Whiter Teeth" - "(CNR) -- Amidst the second worst recession in United States history, thrifty consumers are turning to the internet to take advantage of special offers." - "Amy, an ordinary mom from Hampton, VA discovered a clever trick to get risk-free trials for under $4. Thanks to the trick she discovered, thousands of consumers have been able to whiten their teeth from home." - "Amy, a Hampton elementary school teacher and full-time mother, is one such consumer. It all started about three months ago when she bought an authentic Coach pocketbook on sale for only $55 (75% off the retail price) and found a great deal on a set of cookware (50% off the retail price). She was determined to seek out other great offers and recently made her best find. Amy uncovered a clever way of combining two different teeth whitening offers from two different companies – Alpine White and UltraWhite Smile - to get similar results to that of professional whitening done by a dentist. Rather than spending $587 at her local dentist to get a sexy white smile, she did it right from home and for less than $4 each by using only free* trial offers she found online." --- (end quoting from ConsumerNews4 site) ----- I did find out at the "Web of Trust" site ( it's WOT Reputation scorecard ) site www.mywot.com that consumernews4.com is NOT Trustworthy > SEE > http://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/www.consumernews < LOOK < also now, this site should get and have better search engine results and placement resultant from my post here too, as well. This fake deal ( Alpine White and UltraWhite Smile ) appears to be a scam for fraud and or phishing and amounts to a ripoff and a scam people out of money using the terms in the fine print to get more money out of people later. The Bogus ConsumerNews4 article at consumernews4.com LINKS TO Alpine White at mybrightteeth.com and UltraWhite Smile at myultrabritewhites.com .