Biggest Scam Fat Burner Products & Retailers: Apidexin, Fenphedra, Lean Green
The chart below is a "wall of shame" or rogues gallery; a listing of supplement companies (mostly selling weight loss products) that have a poor rating with their local Better Business Bureaus, and numerous complaints of deceptive billing tactics and other underhanded strategies.
Many promote their products with the "free trial scam", also known as "negative option billing" (customers are added to monthly rebilling plans without their consent and cannot cancel their "subscriptions").
If you're looking online for a weight loss supplement, you'll probably run into some of these companies and the products they sell. Many of them pay generous commissions for referred sales, so there are plenty of bogus "review" sites "talking up" the "incredible" benefits of these products—to earn a commission, of course.
Beware: The newest trend on the "review" sites is the posting "impartial" visitor "feedback." Almost all of the comments you'll read are incredibly positive, of course. Don't believe a word of it; this feedback is often cherry picked (i.e., negative feedback is screened out), or completely fabricated—again, it's about referring a sale and earning that commission (for more, read the article, "Who's Reviewing Your Weight Loss Supplements", or to see what "real" user reviews look like, visit our sister site, Real-Customer-Comments.com).
Our personal recommendation is that you do not reward bad behavior—instead, purchase from reputable merchants who have a history of treating their customers with respect.
And, should the following information not phase you, consider this; do you really think retailers who use deceptive and underhanded billing and customer service tactics are really that concerned about researching and developing a fantastic product with the best ingredients?
We highly doubt it.
| Garret Devore Labs / BlackStone Nutrition: Makers of Fenphedra |
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Products: Fenphedra, Lipovox, Leptovox, Noxycut, Liposeduction, Orovo, Orovo Detox, AmbiSlim, Curvatrim, 7-DFB, Xylestril, etc. Better Business Bureau Rating: F (click for details) Specifics: Billing/collections issues, customer service issues, refund /exchange issues, delivery issues, guarantee / warranty issues, advertising issues. Comments: These guys also run the "impartial" supplement review site, SyberVision.com, which heavily promotes products sold by BlackStone Nutrtion. Check out the details of the lawsuit filed against Utah businessmen Steve DeVore (of SyberVision) and Garret DeVore (of BlackStone Nutrition) that alleges… “…SyberVision and Blackstone Nutrition conspire to deceive consumers through Web sites that post bogus “product reviews” that defame competitors and violate trademarks…” The press release goes on to state… “The defendants’ Web site claim to contain unbiased and helpful consumer information. However, the ‘reviews’ are fake and the Web sites are nothing more than a marketing scheme for defendants’ competing products, which they promote on the sites.” In other words, these guys use their bogus supplement "review" site Sybervision to promote products they manufacture themselves. Customer "reviews" that appear on the site are particularly "rosy", and not in agreement with the user reviews we see on our own Real-Customer-Comments.com. Free Trial Scam: No. eBay handle: Fibersyn. Yes, these guys retail on eBay too, so you'd better watch yourselves. Consumer complaints?: Yes—Rip off Report and Complaints Board. |
| Timaru LLC: Makers of Apidexin, 48 Hour Diet Pill, DetoxuFREE |
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Products: Apidexin, 48 Hour Diet Pill, DetoxuFREE Better Business Bureau Rating: F (click for details). Specifics: Customer service issues, delivery issues, guarantee / warranty issues, refund / exchange issues. Comments: Apidexin "outperforms" prescription weight loss drugs? We don't think so. Free Trial Scam: No. eBay handle: Unknown, sold by numerous retailers. Consumer complaints?: Yes—Complaints Board. |
| Crush LLC: Makers of Extreme Acai Berry, Nubodi Products, Myeztrim |
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Products: Extreme Acai Berry, Nubodi Products, Myeztrim, Acai Berry Power 500, Power Flush 500, Fast Melt, Trivexil, TriSlim, Colon Cure and more. Better Business Bureau Rating: F (click for details). Specifics: Billing/collections issues, customer service issues, refund /exchange issues, delivery issues, guarantee / warranty issues, advertising issues, contract issues, service issues. Comments: Several hundred BBB complaints regarding billing issues, and almost as many in refund or exchange issues. Cancel your credit card. Free Trial Scam: Yes—click for details on the free trial scam. eBay handle: Unknown, sold by numerous retailers. Consumer complaints?: Yes—all kinds. See Ripoff Report & Complaints Board |
| Devmin Research & Development, LLC: Makers Of Nuphedragen |
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Better Business Bureau Rating: F (click for details). Specifics: Customer service issues, delivery issues, product issues, refund / exchange issues. Comments: Garret Devore is listed as a manager of this company.As already noted, Garret Devore labs has a poor customer service record. A "Y Min Kim" is listed in the Devore company personnnel... is he the Ian Kim who is listed as the manager of this company? It certainly appears that this company and Garret Devore labs are the same, simply operating under a different name. Free Trial Scam: No. eBay handle: Fibersyn. Consumer complaints?: Yes—all kinds. See Complaints Board |
| JAB Ventures LLC: Makers Of Hoodia 66 and Lean Life PM |
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Products: Hoodia 66, Lean Life PM Better Business Bureau Rating: F (click for details). Specifics: Billing/collections issues, customer service issues, refund /exchange issues, guarantee / warranty issues, advertising issues, contract issues, sales practice issues. Comments: JAB Ventures and Crush LLC. appear to be affiliated. Free Trial Scam: Yes—click for details on the free trial scam. eBay handle: Unknown. Consumer complaints?: Yes, see Ripoff Report |
| Lose Weight Systems: Makers Of Adipose RX |
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Products: Adipose Rx, Adiprine, Caralluma Extreme, Taoslim, CaralluProvo, SkinSP, Lean Life PM, Adiprine RX, etc. Better Business Bureau Rating: F (click for details). Specifics: Billing/collections issues, customer service issues, refund /exchange issues, delivery issues, sales practice issues. Comments: None. Free Trial Scam: Yes—click for details on the free trial scam. eBay handle: Unknown. Consumer complaints?: Yes, lots. See Ripoff Report and Complaints Board. |
| Marqi Fitness Fulfillment (Marqi Life): Makers Of NiteTrim & Ultimate Trim |
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Products: NiteTrim, Ultimate Trim, Beta Fuel (an ephedrine-based fat burner. I received promotional e-mails selling Beta Fuel long after ephedrine became illegal). Better Business Bureau Rating: F (click for details). Specifics: Billing/collections issues, refund /exchange issues, delivery issues. Comments: Brock Felt, the *cough* brains *cough* behind Marqi Life, has made the jump to Internet Marketing. He is now teaching others how to "make a living" in the supplement industry with his "SupplementMillions" program (the new companies, by the way, are called Goliath Ventures (it has an "F" rating from the BBB) and Emillionaire LLC - which also has an "F" rating). Free Trial Scam: Yes—click for details on the free trial scam. eBay handle: Unknown. Consumer complaints?: Yes—see Ripoff report here and here! And check out the complaints for eMillionaire! |
| Purity 12: Makers of Purity 12 |
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Products: Purity 12 (an "all inclusive fat burning colon cleanse"). Better Business Bureau Rating: F (click for details). Specifics: Billing/collections issues, customer service issues, refund /exchange issues, delivery issues, sales practice issues, advertising issues. Comments: Seriously, what do you expect from a company that claims their product can "flush parasites, worms, toxins and harmful chemicals" while at the same time "burn fat cells" and boost your metabolism. Riiiiight. Free Trial Scam: Yes—click for details on the free trial scam. eBay handle: Unknown. Consumer complaints?: Yes, all kinds—see Ripoff report! |
| ResVPro & ResVPure: Makers Of Revs Pure & Revs Pro |
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Products: ResV Pure & ResV Pro (resveratrol based supplements). Better Business Bureau Rating: F for both (click here for details on RevsPro, and here for details on RevsPure). Specifics: Billing/collections issues, service issues, refund /exchange issues, advertising issues, contract issues, guarantee / warranty issues. Comments: There's no doubt resveratrol is an interesting compound, even though most current research has been performed on cell cultures and animals. The beneficial effects on humans are to date, largely speculative. Free Trial Scam: Yes—click for details on the free trial scam. eBay handle: Unknown. Consumer complaints?: Yes—see Complaints board here and here! |
| Ultra Green Lean, LLC: Makers of Acai Aslim & Wu Yi Green Extreme |
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Products: Acai Aslim, Wu Yi Green Extreme, Acai Noni Burner, Ultra Lean Green Tea Better Business Bureau Rating: F (click here for details). Specifics: Billing/collections issues, customer service issues, refund /exchange issues, delivery issues, sales practice issues, guarantee / warranty issues, advertising issues, contract issues, service issues. Comments: 115 billing / collection issues, and 82 refund / exchange issues. A company to be avoided. This company also appears under the moniker "WuYi Pixie Pack, LLC." Free Trial Scam: Yes—click for details on the free trial scam. eBay handle: Unknown. Consumer complaints?: Yes—see Complaints board here and Ripoff Report here! |
| Ultra Relief LLC: Makers Of PureAcia, Green Tea Desire, UltimaHoodia |
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Products: Pure Colon 1000, PureAcia, Green Tea Desire, Ultimate Hoodia, Acai Chews Better Business Bureau Rating: F (click here for details). Specifics: advertising issues, billing issues, contract issues, customer service issues, delivery issues, product issues, refund / exchange issues, sales practice issues, service issues. Comments: Over 300 BBB complaints, over 100 each for billing / collection and research / exchange issues. Free Trial Scam: Yes, extensively.Click for details on the free trial scam eBay handle: Unknown. Consumer complaints?: Yes, see Complaints Board and Ripoff Report. |
| Just Think Media / Jesse Willms |
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Products: Wu-Yi Source, Pure Rezver, Easy Weight Loss Tea, Wu-Long Source, Pure Lift Cream, Muscle Force Max, Wu Yi Tea Source, AcaiBurn, Pure Cleanse Pro, Acai Slim, Clear Lift Ultra, Ultra Cleanse Plus, Wu-Yi Tea, Acai Force Max and dozens of others, many in the teeth-whitening field. Better Business Bureau Rating: F, with over 2,500 complaints (click here for details). Specifics: Advertising issues, billing issues, contract issues, customer service issues, delivery issues, product issues, refund / exchange issues, sales practice issues, service issues. Comments: Jesse Willms and Just Think Media are quite possibly the biggest scammers on the Internet. They would make Kevin Trudeau blush. They have been sued by Microsoft and Symantec as well as Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Oz (for illegally claiming they endorsed his products). Jesse was the subject of a CTV News W5 expose, outlining his various scams. Special note: Jesse Willms and his cronies at Just Think Media are based in Alberta, Canada. Canadians who have been bilked by Jesse and his scams should contact the RCMP at the Canadian Anti-Fraud Call Center. Free Trial Scam (also known as "negative option billing"): Yes, extensively. Customers find themselves receiving product on a recurring basis, and cannot cancel their "subscriptions." Click for details on the free trial scam eBay handle: Unknown. Consumer complaints?: Yes, see Complaints Board and Ripoff Report. |
| Green Bracket LLC / Jesse Stein |
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Products: Avesil, Pro acai Max Better Business Bureau Rating: C-, with over 150 complaints (click here for details). Specifics: Advertising issues, billing issues, contract issues, customer service issues, delivery issues, refund / exchange issues, sales practice issues. Comments: Green Bracket LLC operates the "impartial" supplement review site, DietSpotLight.com (this site is also duplicated on the domain GetRippedSite.info). Not surprisingly, Avesil (their own product) is the top choice as weight loss product. Big surprise. Free Trial Scam (also known as "negative option billing"): Yes. Customers find themselves receiving product on a recurring basis, and cannot cancel their "subscriptions." Click for details on the free trial scam eBay handle: Unknown. Consumer complaints?: Yes plenty, see Complaints Board and Ripoff Report. |
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