FTC Cracks Down on Marketers of Acai Berry Products: The Real Deal
Aug. 16The Federal Trade Commission has ordered the marketers of acai berry supplements and colon cleansers to stop an Internet sales scheme that allegedly scammed consumers out of $30 million through deceptive advertising and unfair billing practices.
The marketers promised buyers a ‘risk free’ trial but then billed their credit cards a monthly fee. It's called a "negative option" --meaning if a customer fails to cancel, normally within a few days, they're automatically signed up for monthly services. The FTC estimates that about a million people have fallen victim to the scam.
The FTC has obtained a court order which halts the allegedly illegal conduct of Central Coast Nutraceuticals, Inc., imposes an asset freeze, and appoints a temporary receiver over CCN and several related companies for the time being.
The FTC complaint alleges that to sell AcaiPure, the marketers made dramatic claims on their website, including:
“WARNING! AcaiPure Is Fast Weight Loss That Works. It Was Not Created For Those People Who Only Want To Lose A Few Measly Pounds. AcaiPure was created to help you achieve the incredible body you have always wanted …USE WITH CAUTION! Major weight loss in short periods of time may occur.”
In pitching Colopure, the marketers threw out frightening statistics about colon cancer, while promising that their product would get rid of consumers’ “excess weight and toxic buildup.”
