Epiclear & American Leisure, Easy Saver, EMI Encore Marketing International gift card never arrived, hidden charges, false advertising Lanham Internet and Maryland

EPICLEAR: It seemed like many of the other posters described problems with an understanding that they were signing up for a Club--however, I went in with the understanding that there would be regular bills if I decided to continue using Epiclear after the trial period, and I still was burned.

Do not believe the company when it says that their initial offer is risk free. It's not true. If it were truly a risk-free offer, paying an initial shipping fee seems reasonable. However, it is not reasonable to afterward charge a $10 restocking fee if you decide not to continue with the program. In addition to the shipping, I had to pay return shipping for the "risk-free" two bottles (since they make you return the bottles if you decide not to continue the program) and a $10 restocking fee. Canceling wasn't difficult, but that comes to almost $20 for a "risk-free" offer.

AMERICAN LEISURE / EMI ENCORE MARKETING INTERNATIONAL / EASY SAVER: When I called to order Epiclear, the sales rep on the phone convinced me to sign up for a trial offer through American Leisure and Easy Saver--they would only charge me $1 each for the initial 30 days, and I would receive a $25 Target gift card and a $25 prepaid gas card. Cross-promotion with another company (it's worth noting that American Leisure and Easy Saver are the same company). I should have stopped my entire order right there since I was unhappy about the pressure he was using to get me to order American Leisure and Easy Saver, but stupidly I finally agreed to the trial membership.

More things they don't tell you: The gift cards do not come right away. In fact, it takes three weeks for the membership materials (two newsletters that total a couple of pages each) to arrive in the first place, and you have to fill out forms on each of the newsletters to get the gift cards. So far so good, right? Wrong. After filling that form out, you'll get another form in a few more weeks from each company for the same cards you thought you should already have received. When you fill that out, you'll get another in a few weeks. I'm not convinced the gift cards ever arrive. Here's the breakdown:

1. Call to order Epiclear, get talked into American Leisure and Easy Saver trials as well.
2. Three weeks later, membership "packets" arrive from American Leisure and Easy Saver and I fill out gift card order forms.
3. Weeks later, after I've already been charged $14.95 each (so $30 total) for the rewards programs since I'd forgotten to cancel in time, I get another form to fill out for the gift cards.
4. A couple of weeks after that, I get another form to fill out for the gift cards.
5. I call to cancel my membership and still haven't seen any of the promised gift cards. The customer service rep says that the gift cards require a three-step process. I'm not convinced they ever arrive.

Dawn
Chicago, Illinois
U.S.A.