Buyer Beware! Purchasing Fat Burners and Other Supplements
Online
Each month I receive hundreds of e-mails from consumers who have
been bilked out of their hard earned dollars by unscrupulous
supplement / fat burner manufacturers. Manufacturers who have
added them to monthly recurring billing cycles without their
permission. Manufacturers who don't honor their money-back
guarantees, and, while providing a 1-800 number for refunds, but
don't hire a real, breathing person to monitor this number.
These manufacturers treat their customers with disdain, and in
general, regard them as little more than sheep who need to be
parted from their money.
The vast number of complaints I receive involve products
marketed almost extensively via...
i) radio advertisements
ii) internet e-mail and advertising campaigns
iii) television infomercials
These products tend to be marketed by companies who do not have
a regular presence in the marketplace. These companies like to
make this sound like a good thing (i.e., "exclusive T.V.
offer!", and "this product is not available in any stores, so
order now!"). However, the opposite is generally the case. Why?
Selling via the 'Net, T.V. or radio makes it very easy for the
manufacturer to...
a) avoid accountability to the customer
b) continue to sell an inferior product to a receptive audience
To further outline the issues, let's create an example scenario
with fictitious companies "X" (which will sell its products in
stores), and company "Y" (which sells online).
Suppose company "X" creates a new fat burner product with a full
money back guarantee. They sell it in local marketplaces through
well-known retailers. Suppose you come in to the retailer and
purchase that new fat burner. Four weeks later, in accordance
with the label guarantee, you bring the empty bottle for a
refund, feeling the product didn't live up to your expectations.
A quality, customer focused retailer will refund your money
right away, no questions asked (if they don't, make it clear
you'll be taking your business elsewhere). That retailer will
then demand their own refund from manufacturer.
What's my point here?...
1) Inferior quality products threaten the local merchant's
credibility, and their ability to do business with the local
audience. After all, no merchant who claims to have your best
interests at heart while flogging an inferior product can stay
in business for long.
2) It is impossible for any manufacturer to avoid accountability
in the local retail market. If a product yields too many
refunds, the local merchant will have to stop selling it. That's
because that merchant needs your repeat business for his/her
other products. If the merchant does not treat you well, s/he
loses the risk of losing ALL your business. Regardless, the
bottom line is that the local retailer has to stop ordering from
the manufacturer.
3) Products that generate lots of refund requests are much more
work for the retailer than ones that do not. Merchants will not
carry such a product for long.
OK, now for the other side of the coin.
Suppose company "Y" creates a new fat burner (covered by a 100%
money-back guarantee) and markets it via infomercials, radio
ads, and the Internet. Suppose "you" purchase the product, and
later try to get a refund when you find the quality of the
product unsatisfactory. Here's where things get interesting...
Unlike your local merchant, who needs to keep you happy to earn
your repeat business, company "Y" knows it is unlikely to ever
hear from you again. So it makes it as difficult as possible to
obtain a refund. Its 1-800# plays an endless loop message for 45
minutes. It's nearly impossible to get a real human being to
talk to.
Good luck getting your refund.
And when you buy products in this manner, often you'll get added
to a recurring billing option without your consent. In other
words, you'll receive another bottle of the product every 30
days and your credit card will be charged accordingly.
Again, good luck getting your refund.
Bottom line?
Advertising and selling in this manner makes it very easy for
the manufacturer to avoid the issue of accountability to the
customer. And most manufacturers use call centers, professional
warehousing and drop shipping facilities to further isolate
themselves from contact with their clients. Chances are that
should you order such a product, you won't get a company
representative on the phone, but a call-center employee with
performance-based incentives. Is that the sort of company you'd
like to do business with?
By declining to sell their products in a local retail
environment, manufacturers are able to isolate themselves from
the local merchants who could demand large volumes of refunds,
and threaten their business by refusing to stock a low-quality
product. Additionally, it also makes it more difficult for bad
product word-of-mouth to circulate amongst consumers.
So...
There are several recommendations I have for purchasing fat
burners or any other supplements...
1) Do not buy products advertised on TV, the radio, or the
Internet unless...
a) those products CAN by purchased from a local retailer. That
way, you'll have some recourse should you be unhappy with the
product. While not all companies who advertise in this manner
are deceptive or unethical, there is greater likelihood you will
experience an issue with a merchant who advertises in this
manner and does not maintain a local presence.
b) the product is sold by a well-recognized, respectable brand
company.
2) Buy only well-recognized brand names with a established
history in the supplement industry (e.g.., MuscleTech, Isatori,
Champion Nutrition, BioTest, EAS, and so on). I'm not saying the
major brands always create better products. I am saying,
however, that their "brand" and reputation does mean something
to them, and they do recognize the value of a long term repeat
customer. 9 times out of 10, if you have a problem with a
product, you can phone such a manufacturer for a refund directly.
On the other hand, products marketed online or on TV do not have
a "brand". So it does not matter what the reputation of that
brand is, or how it resonates with consumers, since the
manufacturer will simply create a new one for the next product.
3) Establish a relationship with a local or online merchant, and
make all your purchases from that merchant. Trusted, valued
customers can always take their complaints to a good merchant,
who knows it is in his/her best interest to look after them.
In the end, losing weight is hard enough without having to worry
about losing your money, too. Your best bet is always to
purchase brand name products from a trusted local retailer.