MY OLDER MOM SCAMMED WITH FACE CREAM

Shanus · ‎05-17-2010

Here visiting Mom again. At 89, she still handles her own checkbook and pays bills, etc. I noticed she's using a new face cream, not her Lancôme "firming and lifting" cream (sold to someone her age?)...that's another story.

It seems she saw this this "cream" on TV which promised to remove wrinkles and make you look 20 yrs. younger. She called & ordered giving them ALL her personal info...email, VISA #, phone number, etc. This was her second shipment & she claimed she canceled it 3 wks. ago and they still sent another jar.

There was no company name or info on the packing slip. I only had the name on the jar to go on. Googled it, found a website and a "contact us" number. After they offered me a discount to stay w/ the program, I told them they were scamming an 89 yr. old woman who tried to cancel and the cream is still coming in the mail. I demanded the account be closed and be given a cancellation number for the acct. letting them know VISA will be contacted to no longer pay their charges. I also told them if she did receive another order, I'd report them.

Question: Mom's fault for being roped in thinking she'd see a huge change in old wrinkled skin and/or scam since they did ask her age and for all her personal contact info and refused to end her account after she called?

Peaches McPhee · ‎04-19-2010

Exact same thing happened to my FIL. He thought he was doing something nice for my MIL, but ended up in a nightmare. He worked it out through his bank.

Seems like anyone can fall for anything. He is definitely "with it" and normally is very good with his money,

-- pro-aging --

Rochester, New York

mima · ‎03-14-2010

A lot of that TV stuff is really hard to cancel. I got roped into a shampoo deal years ago. Even though I cancelled, they kept sending it and billing me. After months I got it straightened out. I will NEVER buy anything off of infomercials because of that one bad experience. Glad you got that straightened out.

As far as them selling them an 89 year old face cream, there was nothing wrong with that part. What were they suppose to say? "There's no hope for a woman your age?"

There is also nothing wrong with a woman using face cream (Lancome or whatever) at age 89. She wants to improve herself. That is a good sign that she still cares about her appearance. I sure hope you don't give her the message about her age and appearance to her that you are giving here.

I will probably be using potions and perfume til the day that I die. It would crush me for my daughter to think my looks was hopeless and "why bother" with creams.

I'm glad you straightened out the infomercial deal, but let her have her Lancome. Sounds like you thought the Lancome sales clerk was in the wrong. She was not wrong in selling face cream to an 89 year old. I hope you didn't make a fuss in front of your mom.

NicksmomESQ · ‎08-19-2014

@Shanus I wouldn't fault an old woman .These businesses prey on the old,the lonely, & the sick.You absolutely did the right thing.Try asking your mom to run this stuff by you before she signs on in the future.

I would also report the business to the BBB.I'm sure your mom wasn't their first victim. These places in general tend to not allow people to cancel.They have more success doing this to the elderly because they usually don't have the patience or the energy to fight them to conclusion.Luckily,your mom has you looking out for her!

Janey2 · ‎06-07-2010

I think companies try to continue sending their products even though you cancel hoping you will find it too much trouble to conceal again. I cancelled a very well known newspaper 2 weeks ago that I do not want delivered anymore. It is still being delivered. Now I have to call again, waste my time and tell them to stop. Of course I am not paying them anymore. Very annoying.

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

Maybe you can get your mom to contact you before she orders anything from a TV commercial, so you can check it out first. I have even had my mom call me before ordering something new from Q. She tends to believe whatever the host is saying, and she has no access to reviews, so now she will call me to check out a product before she orders anything.

This has cut way down on the number of things needing to be returned, or simply thrown away because she destroys the packing materials or waits too long to send it back.

CrazyDaisy · ‎03-20-2010

@Shanus wrote:
Here visiting Mom again. At 89, she still handles her own checkbook and pays bills, etc. I noticed she's using a new face cream, not her Lancôme "firming and lifting" cream (sold to someone her age?)...that's another story.

It seems she saw this this "cream" on TV which promised to remove wrinkles and make you look 20 yrs. younger. She called & ordered giving them ALL her personal info...email, VISA #, phone number, etc. This was her second shipment & she claimed she canceled it 3 wks. ago and they still sent another jar.

There was no company name or info on the packing slip. I only had the name on the jar to go on. Googled it, found a website and a "contact us" number. After they offered me a discount to stay w/ the program, I told them they were scamming an 89 yr. old woman who tried to cancel and the cream is still coming in the mail. I demanded the account be closed and be given a cancellation number for the acct. letting them know VISA will be contacted to no longer pay their charges. I also told them if she did receive another order, I'd report them.

Question: Mom's fault for being roped in thinking she'd see a huge change in old wrinkled skin and/or scam since they did ask her age and for all her personal contact info and refused to end her account after she called?

Sorry your mom went through this but we ALL need to be careful when dealing with people on the phone or Internet. Age has nothing to do with it, she approached the company to make the purchase. There are many companies that will make you jump through hoops to cancel, doesn't make it a scam. I am constantly cautioning my parents about phone calls they receive, those are the true scams.

Someday, when scientists discover the center of the Universe....some people will be disappointed it is not them.

goldensrbest · ‎03-10-2010

No matter how old we women get,we still want those wrinkles to go away.

When you lose some one you L~O~V~E, that Memory of them, becomes a TREASURE.

dex · ‎03-09-2010

I always hear bad reviews when people try to end an item from an infomercial.I wonder why they are allowed to continue.I would call the credit card company and tell them to block charges and explain that I have cancelled item but they continue to ship.

CelticCrafter · ‎03-09-2010

@CrazyDaisy wrote:
@Shanus wrote:
Here visiting Mom again. At 89, she still handles her own checkbook and pays bills, etc. I noticed she's using a new face cream, not her Lancôme "firming and lifting" cream (sold to someone her age?)...that's another story.

It seems she saw this this "cream" on TV which promised to remove wrinkles and make you look 20 yrs. younger. She called & ordered giving them ALL her personal info...email, VISA #, phone number, etc. This was her second shipment & she claimed she canceled it 3 wks. ago and they still sent another jar.

There was no company name or info on the packing slip. I only had the name on the jar to go on. Googled it, found a website and a "contact us" number. After they offered me a discount to stay w/ the program, I told them they were scamming an 89 yr. old woman who tried to cancel and the cream is still coming in the mail. I demanded the account be closed and be given a cancellation number for the acct. letting them know VISA will be contacted to no longer pay their charges. I also told them if she did receive another order, I'd report them.

Question: Mom's fault for being roped in thinking she'd see a huge change in old wrinkled skin and/or scam since they did ask her age and for all her personal contact info and refused to end her account after she called?

Sorry your mom went through this but we ALL need to be careful when dealing with people on the phone or Internet. Age has nothing to do with it, she approached the company to make the purchase. There are many companies that will make you jump through hoops to cancel, doesn't make it a scam. I am constantly cautioning my parents about phone calls they receive, those are the true scams.