The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Beware of ads with teeth-whitening claims

The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to be extremely wary of pervasive online ads offering the promise of a whiter, brighter smile. 

The BBB has received a recent onslaught of complaints from consumers who thought they were signing up for a free trial of teeth whitening products but were repeatedly billed for products and services they didn’t want.

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The ads for teeth whiteners can be found on popular sites such as FoxNews.com, CNN.com, and ABCNews.com. The ads typically link consumers to phony blogs and fake news sites that are designed to look like impartial third party endorsements of the products. The phony endorsements then direct the consumer to a main Web site that claims the product sold is “As seen on” ABC, Forbes.com, CBS News, CNN, and USA Today – and includes the logos of these news outlets.

“From the complaints we’ve received, it’s obvious that many consumers are unfortunately letting their trust in respected news outlets influence their level of trust in the products being advertised on their Web sites,” said Steve Cox, president and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus.

“While it may be true that advertisements for the teeth whiteners were placed on major news Web sites, reporters for USA Today or CNN did not write stories about the efficacy of the specific products being sold.”

The Web sites for various teeth whitening products claim to offer a no-risk, money back guarantee, free trial of the product. To sign up, customers must provide a credit or debit card number to cover shipping. 

Complainants to BBB state that they’re billed before their trial ends and continue to be billed after they have told the company they want to cancel. Complainants also may find mystery charges for other companies and services that they didn’t realize they were signing up for with their “free” trial.

BBB has identified several companies that are behind the teeth whitening ads and Web sites online including:

Dazzle White, White Smile, Teeth Smile, and Dazzle Smile – The BBB serving Edmonton has received 450 complaints in the last 12 months from consumers in 47 states, five Canadian provinces, and the United Kingdom, about Dazzle White, White Smile, Teeth Smile, and Dazzle Smile. Complainants report being billed as much as $79 for the free trial and are charged for several other services – such as a weight loss program.

Ivory White – The BBB serving Denver has received 611 complaints from consumers in 46 states. Complainants say they were charged as much as $78 a month for their free trial. Other related companies include Ortho White and Bella Brite, which are mounting complaints as well. All three companies have been asked to add more disclosure to their Web sites regarding the free trial offer. The BBB has not yet received a response to these requests.

Advanced Wellness Research – The BBB serving West Palm Beach has received thousands of complaints from consumers regarding Advanced Wellness Research’s acai berry supplements and has begun to receive complaints from consumers about their teeth whiteners sold under the names of Max White, My Whitening, Gleaming White Smile, and many others.

BBB offers the following advice to consumers on purchasing teeth whitening products online:

• Beware of supposed third-party endorsements. Be extremely cautious of any ad that links to a blog or Web site news articles. The blogs and supposed news articles were likely created by the company and aren’t the unbiased endorsement of real consumers or reporters.

• Always read the fine print. Many Web sites offering a free trial of a teeth-whitening product don’t disclose the billing terms and conditions or don’t have such details prominently displayed on their Web site. Before giving the company any credit or debit card information, review the Web site fully and be aware that free trials typically result in repeated billing.

• Check the company out with your BBB first.  Before signing up for any free trial, review the business’ Reliability Report™ online at www.bbb.org to see if the BBB has identified issues with the company.

• File a complaint with BBB if you feel you’ve been ripped off. Consumers who feel they are being deceived by a business selling teeth whitening products online can file a complaint with their BBB at www.bbb.org.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What were the best and worst consumer experiences you had this week?

Recently, I launched a best and worst consumer experience feature on The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide.

I think looking weekly at these experiences helps us learn from our successes and mistakes.

Here are my most and least successful consumer transactions for this week:

My best consumer experience: Finding masks to wear on the airplane

When I to Walgreens to look for masks to wear on upcoming airline flights, I found a package of the usual thin masks that I’d seen before.

The sales associate told me there were others at another location. I couldn’t find them, but she directed me to the right area.

I found two masks by US Germicide Technologies Inc. that said they would protect the wearer against swine flu, avian flu, seasonal flu strains, and other germs.

I’m glad I persisted and found the better masks. I’ll try them on my trip and see how they work.

My best consumer experience: A bothersome cell phone user

My trip to the post office was going well. The line was short, and I was about to have my turn.

Then a woman entered, got in line, and began talking loudly on her cell phone. She complained about how hot the post office was and gave a friend or relative advice about what she should do about people in her family moving.

Suddenly, the man behind me turned around and left the building. The woman moved right up next to me and continued talking loudly.

Finally I had my turn. Before I left, I spoke to the woman and told her that her cell phone conversation had been disruptive. She said she was sorry. I appreciated her apology.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

How to cut your own hair

For his first post on WalletPop, humor writer Marc Acito, pictured above, tackled the topic of saving money by cutting your own hair.

Acito's tips include:

• Shave your head with clippers, if you’re male.

• Avoid the Flowbee Vacuum Haircut System.

• Stick with a single color rather than trying highlights.

• Select a one-length haircut, because it’s the easiest one to manage.

• Buy a quality pair of hair-cutting scissors.

• Check the article “How to Cut Your Own Hair” on How to Do Things for suggestions.

• Cut a little at a time to avoid a big mistake that can’t be corrected.

I’ve never been brave enough to try cutting my own hair, although I trimmed my daughter’s bangs when they were young.

My mom cut and permed my hair and my sisters’ hair when we were in grade school. The results were usually O.K.

If you really want to try cutting your own hair to save money, here are resources to help you:

“How to Cut Your Own Hair” – eHow

“Be Your Own Hairstylist: How to Cut Your Own Hair” – Life123

“Cut Your Own Hair” – Planet Green

“How to Trim Bangs” – About.com

“How to Layer Cut Your Own Hair” – Howcast

“How to Layer Cut Your Own Hair” – eHow

“Guys: How to Cut Your Own Hair” – Associated Content

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist