AuraVie Bunzai Media Group, Inc. AURA VIE: Intentional Deception in Advertising - Bait and Switch Concept Encino, California

Somehow I inadvertently clicked on something that resulted in receiving a free trial of AuraVie skin products. I never actually visited their website so I'm certain this came through via a third party website. I filled out the form including my Debit card number and changed my mind and rather than hitting Submit... I clicked out of the website.  I received an email from AuraVie acknowledging that I had not completed the the form and they made an offers for product IF I called them. I never even saw the email until after there was a problem as it went directly into my Spam folder.  

I first became aware that there was a problem when I checked my bank account and saw a charge for $97.88 that I had not authorized. My bank tracked down the company and provided me with the name and a telephone number to call them.  I called AuraVie and questioned why I had been charged $97.88. The clerk very smugly told me that when I accepted their free trial and whether I realized it or not, I had entered into a legal, binding contract with them the via fine print in the terms and conditions on their website.

Now I had received a free trial but thought nothing of it as I receive free trials of products all the time.  The trial arrived with an invoice that showed $0.00 free trial and the s/h charges. There was nothing at all included about only having 10 days to return the free sample.  The clerk just kept responding as if from a script so I asked to speak with the company owner and was told I would receive a call back.  The following day I received a call from an employee who identified himself as Andre. He was even more hostile than the first person and insisted that as proof that I had ordered this product that I had not sent it back.

He thought he had an "Ah Ha" moment when he badgered me... "Why didn't you send it back when you got it if you didn't order it, why did you keep it."  Well, I told him that I get free samples for lots of products and never once turned them away or called the sender to find out if there were strings attached.  I mean really, who returns free samples? Well, then he offered me $40 to drop the dispute I filed with my bank. He demanded that I give him a yes or no right then on the spot.  I told him that I would relay his offer to my attorney and get back to him.  No doubt in my mind that he recorded some kind of lie in his notes, but that IS what I said to him.  

The product has been returned by me (no thanks to them I found the address to return it) and I have told them I don't want them to send me anything else, ever!!!! I just want my money back. I told them that I don't like the product and that I was not satisfied with it and they had promised a 100% satisfaction guarantee. No where did they say 100% LIMITED satisfaction guaranteed.  In my opinion this is a standard "Bait and Switch" where they offer a free sample and are intentionally deceptive about the substantial cost of their "free" sample.  These people need to be stopped from Bait and Switch activities!!!