Here’s the pitch:
“We all want to become wealthier. We all want to save the planet. But what to do? In simple, easy-to-follow instructions, The Green Millionaire … helps you make money while saving the planet.”
You can get The Green Millionaire book for free, paying only shipping and handling, according to a TV commercial.
Donald Hufstedler of Arlington, Texas saw the ad on CNBC. He ordered the book online, paying $1.95 for shipping, he says.
Two weeks later, he was surprised to see his credit card charged $89.95 for the cost of The Green Millionaire newsletters. “They don’t reveal this information,” he said.
But the company does reveal it, as Hufstedler learned himself when he went back to the website and checked more carefully.
“You must go to the ‘Terms and Conditions’ page to learn about this extra charge.”
He’s lucky. He got a $50 refund. Other buyers on consumer complaint websites say they didn’t fare as well.
The company, based in Los Angeles, according to the Better Business Bureau, declined repeated attempts by The Watchdog to discuss its sales tactics. The BBB gives the company an F rating, with 143 complaints in the past three years. Almost all are about seeking full refunds.
Hufstedler got to keep the book, which he describes as “OK, but I felt rather foolish after learning what I was paying for.”
The cover of the book, written by Nigel J. Williams, promises that it’s “a practical guide to achieving real wealth while helping to save the planet.”
The book contains tips such as turning used vegetable oil into gasoline by collecting it from restaurants. It steers readers toward websites where they can learn other environmentally friendly tactics.
“Get your free book today” the book’s website says. “Along with the book you’ll get a free* trial of The Green Millionaire eMagazine.”
Notice the asterisk next to free? A clue worth following up on.
The explanation below: “*Just pay $1 shipping and handling. 14-day free trial subscription to The Green Millionaire eMagazine.” On the website, that sentence is in the smallest font on the page.
Deeper in the website, the “Terms and Conditions” say that when you order a free copy of The Green Millionaire, you also subscribe to the e-magazine. “After a 14-day trial period you will be billed the low price of $89.95 and every 365 days thereafter. …
“All sales after the free-trial period are final. The Green Millionaire eMagazine fees are non-refundable. All Green Millionaire subscription fees after the free-trial period and any renewal date are final.”
Apparently not everyone digs that far.
I am the first to admit that I don’t always — OK, hardly ever — read the T&C. Legally, it can be considered part of a contractual agreement between you and the seller.
At Mapawatt Blog, which helps people conserve energy and water, “Concerned Consumer” writes: “Just to let you know, I ordered the book and the only way to stop the charges for the magazine was to cancel my debit card and get a new one.”
On the same blog, a person signed in as “GM Agent” gives the company’s side: “Taken by the company? HA! You only feel taken because you’ve ignored reading our program explanation which is in BIG BOLD PRINT right next to where you place your credit card information.”
In other posts, GM Agent goes further: “I am sorry to see so many negative comments, but would like to say that it is not a scam. If u call in 14 days, u will not be charged. If u don’t, as stated, u will be.”
Another comment by GM Agent: “We have thousands of customers who actually do follow the program, know what they’ve gotten into and are satisfied in the end. So choose what you will people.”
And a final one: “There isn’t any point in trying to report us to the BBB, Attorney General, your bank or credit card company. The reason that is, is because these companies all have their investigative teams who will investigate our terms and conditions, call us to confirm the terms and conditions that you didn’t bother to read and will side with us. Therefore, you will feel like an idiot for ordering something you didn’t bother reading in the first place.”
I don’t know who GM Agent is and, because of the anonymous posting, I can’t say whether he or she works for the company. But the advice is sound. Skip the terms and conditions at your peril.
Always do a lot more detective work to find out what the asterisk next to free means.
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Dave Lieber, The Watchdog columnist for The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, is the founder of Watchdog Nation. The new 2010 edition of his book, Dave Lieber’s Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong, is out. Revised and expanded, the book won two national book awards in 2009 for social change. Twitter @DaveLieber
