The Truth about so called “free trial” offers

The Truth about so called “free trial” offers
Some electronic cigarette companies are promising offers that are too good to be true on the TV and radio. "Free electronic cigarette" they say just pay a nominal shipping and handling fee, usually under $10 for which they need your credit card info. Many people would describe an offer nominal charge involved in a “free” trial would render the offer as not free.
Just for comparison, if you had spent a mere $15 total, at www.smokepower.com, you could buy our disposable e-cig if you wanted to try and see if electronic cigarettes were for you. No gimmicks, no rebilling, no bait and switch. Alternatively, our trial kit is $30 and again you have no rebilling, no hidden fees, no surprise charges when you open your credit card bill. Of course all orders come with free shipping.

At smokepower.com, we also have free shipping that is actually free, as in no charges today, tomorrow, or ever for shipping. Also, when you pay for a product, that is the final and only price you will pay for it. This “free trial kit” from our competitors usually consists of a charger, one or two batteries, and 2-4 refill cartridges. This wouldn't be a bad deal if all you had to pay was the token shipping/handling fee, but there's a catch...there is always a catch.

Misleading ads and deceptive billing

What is often not directly conveyed in these TV commercials and radio/internet ads is that you have a very short amount of time to try the electronic cigarettes and return them, usually 14 or 15 days, before they charge you varying amounts from $89.99 to $99.99 to $109 to the extreme of $149 just for the trial kit!! Some even go further to start the 14 day trial time from the day of shipping from the warehouse to the customer in the 14 day trial period and requiring reciept of the returned product within 30 days of the original order!
 
This means your actual trial period could be shortened to perhaps 10 or 11 days and starts before you ever receive the product. The trickeration doesn't end there, though, since by failing to cancel in this short window, they will also start automatically shipping you cartridge refills at sky high prices, for which they will automatically charge your credit/debit card for each month. For example one company sends 24 cartridges for $69, another charges $79 for 10 refills.

Many customers have complained of poor customer service when they try to cancel these orders as well. Emails go unanswered, phone calls ring but are never picked up, voicemails are left without return calls and yet the recurring billing doesn't stop. Additionally, many of these companies are no longer in business, so if you have any sort of warranty or return issues in the future, they may or may not be around to help. Why risk doing business with a fly by night operator?