DenTechWhitening.com DazzleWhite, Whitesmile, others. Company advertises whiten teeth without cost, except for the small charges = to about $5.00. Burbank , California

I responded to an ad on the St. Petersburg Times e-edition. (It can also be found on the web page for Tampabay local television ActionNews.com). Here's what happened:

I went through the prcess to bill the 3 small charges to my credit card and rviewed the "terms and conditions" the company refers to. Because the ad says no charge except said charges I paid, I wasn't expecting to see any and missed the place where the future monthly charges were explained along with the statement that they would continue until customer stops them.

So after a few days I got a big envelope in the mail containing the equipment and a boxed tube of the stuff to put on your teeth. I didn't start using them before I found a charge of $88 & change on it. That was before 14 day test period was up from my receipt of the package. So I contacted the company and was told the charge was the first of a monthly charge for this stuff and that the 14 day period started upon shipment, which meant one really only has 10 to 12 days to test the stuff.

At that point I said that I was unaware of any charges to be made after the 14 days and that the ad said no cost to do the home whitening procedure. The response was that it was in the terms. I said I read them but missed that part, which was not highlighted or printed bold and that a reputable company would put those conditions on the page for making the purchase. I further told them I want a paid postage slip to return their stuff, a credit on my card and no further charges to be made. In addition I would dispute the charge made with my credit card company if they did not agree to the refund. Furthermore, I intended to file complaints with the FTC and my state and county consumer prtection agencies and that it be better for them if I could report a full refund. That was by email.

Shortly thereafter I got an email from Dentech saying they would immediately process the refund and that I need not bother sending back the stuff.

A few days later I found the credit on my account.

The next day I found a new charge from Dazzlewhite for $58 and change. I called the number and was told I had to send the tube of cream back. I said that I have an email from Dentech that said I did not and that I received their full credit the day before. Furthermore, I did not have a tube with that name it. The woman argued that the name I did have was one of several they used for that product. She agreed to a full credit upon receipt at the addrress she gave me, which was a PO box in Des Moine Iowa. I told her I would send it the next day and that I would file a dispute because I did not trust them. I did that immediately after I had sent the tube back. I called my bank to file my dispute telliing them I was doing so because I did not trust them. They issued an immediate temporary credit for the amount billed.

A few days later I was able to determine via internet that the box had been placed in the mailbox designated. That was in time to tell the bank in the required hard copy report that delivery had been made.

A couple of days ago I received a letter from my credit card company that the temporary credit had been made permanent.

I wrote emails of complaint to the St Petersburg Times and to ABC Action news to let them know that they are helping to perpetrate a scam. Neither respnded and both continue to carry the ad.