Instant Elixir Proactive

Victim Location 84070

Total money lost $280

Type of a scam Online Purchase

I was planning on purchasing a product called proactiv when I was redirected to the site above. It claimed you could receive a free offer if their skin care product and all you pay is 4.95 S&H. I normally only purchase products online through Amazon, and I really wish I had not given them my debit card number.

They charged me 98.00 in March, then another box came on Monday. I wrote return to sender and took it to the post office, then on Tuesday they charged the card 88.90 and the same amount the following day, causing a 35.00 overdraft fee. I contacted my debit card company Skylight, and they cancelled the card and sent me a new one. I then contacted Instant Elixir Proactive and explained to them I only received the first box, then returned the second box as the product didn’t list any ingredients on the packaging or labels, she told me the package was probably thrown away because they don’t have an address to return the product to. She said they do not do refunds. I asked why I was charged twice two days in a row when I’d only received two boxes, she said "That was for the month of April, Ma’am." I understood right away she was trying to confuse me and became angry and cursed at her. I regret that. I then called back and was told by the next representative that she could do a 35% return if it hadn’t been for the fact that I’d told the previous rep that I’d started the process of filing a complaint with my bank. I haven’t yet, I have to write a letter to my bank in order to start a complaint, but she said because I had said that I did she couldn’t help me unless I called them back with the bank on the line to say I had not disputed the charges. Basically, if I want even a little bit of my money back, I have to prove I’m willing to let them keep most of it.

I bought this product as a rare treat for myself, as we live below the poverty line and rarely have money to spend. Now we are overdrawn by over 50.00 until next Friday.

I have reached out to "Get Gephardt", an investigative reporter here in my home state. He called me back almost immediately and said he’d like to meet with me to do an interview. I haven’t decided yet.