| Buyer
Beware: Purchasing Fat Burners and Other Supplements
Online
by Paul Crane
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 "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 return 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.
Paul Crane is the
webmaster of Ultimatefatburner.com. Ultimatefatburner.com
is your "one-stop" destination for reviews
of fat burners, diet supplements and prescription diet
pills, bodybuilding supplements and programs, and weight
loss programs. http://www.ultimatefatburner.com/
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