LifePharm Global Network Laminine This MLM company is a complete ripoff. Their wonder drug, "Laminine," DOES NOT WORK! Rancho Santa Margarita, California

I have severe and chronic insomnia. I am trying to rid myself of sleeping pills, since they've proven to be potentially dangerous. I sought help from a local hypnotherapist. She told me about the miraculous benefits of Laminine and how it was far better than any hypnotherapy session she could offer me.

I researched the "medication" online and could not find any adverse comments about it. The hypnotherapist told me she'd been using it for several months and had experienced fantastic  results.

Although hesitant to become involved with an MLM business, the hypnotherapist assured me that I would not have to be "active" in the business, but that I would receive the best pricing for the drug if I signed up as a distributor.

I reluctantly signed up after she told me that there was a 100% refund guarantee on the product should it not help me within 30 days.

I followed the protocol exactly, but found that not only did it not "cure" my insomnia, but it gave me stomach pains and created anxiety.

I told the hypnotherapist that it wasn't working, but she told me to give it another two weeks and increase the dosage. I followed her instructions, but found that it did not help in the least.

I used up the three bottles and told the hypnotherapist that I wanted "out" of the program and my money refunded. She said I would have to send back the three empty bottles to the company after calling them and getting an RMA number.

I called the company, using the long-distance number she gave me (there was a toll-free number not given me), and, after being placed on hold for an hour, a woman answered the phone and gave me the RMA number. She said I would have to pay the shipping costs of these three EMPTY bottles, which I found ludicrous.

I went ahead and paid the return postage, sent the bottles back and, after two weeks, received notification that a refund was being issued to me.

The problem? The amount I paid for the three bottles was $107.95. The refund was for $99.00. I called customer service and was told that I now had to pay for the shipping cost of the bottles when they were sent to me (actually, to my distributor). So, I paid $3.31 to ship the three empty bottles to them. But, they charged me $8.95 for shipping the bottles to me. Therefore, in addition to ingesting a potentially harmful chemical substance, I was now stuck with a total of $12.26 in shipping costs.

Needless to say, I was never told by the hypnotherapist that I would have to pay both ways for the "shipping costs." So, the 100% refund guarantee is not really 100% after all.

I do not blame the hypnotherapist for any of this. I think she is a true believer and that, for whatever reason (placebo effect?), the drug works for her. She's only been doing this for a few months and I am the first person to request a refund. I do not think she knows that the shipping fees are not refundable (she does now!).

I think this company is marketing a potentially hazardous drug. They are ensnaring people with health claims that cannot be proven and trapping people in yet another MLM (pyramid?) scheme.

There is NO customer service (the woman answering the phone told me she was very sorry but she couldn't help me; she was only following the instructions she'd been given). The company is making money off the shipping costs ($8.95-$3.31=$5.61 per refund, plus they can reuse the bottles).

More problematic than the financial ripoff is the potential health risks this drug poses.