So-Called Teeth Whitening ‘Free Trial’

Wiping Smiles Off Angry Consumers’ Faces

WALLINGFORD — Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to be extremely wary of 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 instead, were repeatedly billed for products and services they did not want.

Ads for teeth whiteners can be found on popular websites such as FoxNews.com, CNN.com and ABCNews.com, and typically link consumers to phony blogs and fake news sites that are designed to look like impartial third-party endorsements of the products, according to an October 20 release from the consumer organization.

The phony endorsements then direct the consumer to a main website 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. Connecticut Better Business Bureau President Paulette Scarpetti says the ads take advantage of consumers’ trust in major news outlets.

“A news organization logo or a photo of a celebrity is not an indication of the legitimacy of an advertised product,” Ms Scarpetti said. “Even when these ads do appear on news media websites, consumers should understand that reporters for these outlets do not write the stories endorsing the effectiveness of these products.”

Countless teeth whitening websites claim to offer a free, no-risk, money-back guarantee trial of the product. To sign up, however, customers must provide a credit or debit card number to cover shipping. 

Complainants say that they were billed before their trial ended and continued to be billed after they requested cancellation. Consumers also may find mystery charges for other companies and services that they did not realize they were signing up for with their “free” trial.

Better Business Bureau has identified a number of companies that are behind the teeth whitening ads and websites, as well as their products: Dazzle White, White Smile, Teeth Smile, Dazzle Smile, Ivory White, Ortho White, Bella Brite, Advanced Wellness Research, Max White, My Whitening, and Gleaming White Smile.

BBBs nationwide have received thousands of complaints about schemes involving teeth whitening products,  including being billed $80 for a “free” trial, repeat billing,  and being signed up for other services such as weight loss programs. BBB says consumers should be very careful responding to online ads for teeth whiteners:

Beware of supposed third-party endorsements;  be extremely cautious of any ad that links to a blog or website news articles. The blogs and supposed news articles were likely created by the company and are not the unbiased endorsement of real consumers or reporters.

Always read the fine print: many websites offering a free trial of a teeth whitening product do not disclose the billing terms and conditions or do not have such details prominently displayed on their website. Before giving the company any credit or debit card information, review the website fully and be aware that free trials typically result in repeated billing.

Check out the company with BBB before signing up. 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, and file a complaint with your BBB if you feel you have been deceived by a business selling teeth whitening products online.