Resveratrol Scam - Take the Money and Run...

"This heres a story about billy joe and bobbie sue... go on take the money and run..." Steve Miller Band

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines the word scam to mean, "a fraudulent or deceptive act or operation."  I would further this definition by adding that the perpetrators of a scam are scum.  A play on words perhaps but the severity of such an act is serious.

In this great age of advanced technology I have the benefit of seeing what search "keywords" people use to get to My Resveratrol Experience.  Over the past few months I noticed an upward trend of people searching the term "resveratrol scam" or "abc resveratrol company scam," insert any resveratrol company name in place of the abc.

I use the keyword data to see what topics people are interested in and it also provides me with a great source for writing topics.  The scam topic truly got me thinking and I felt it was an important topic to discuss. 

My first thought was to instantly go into defensive mode.  I said to myself, "people just don't get it, if they would do some research perhaps they would see resveratrol is promising."  But after this initial reaction I took a step back and I took a different approach to looking at why more people search the terms resveratrol scam.

The fact is people who search resveratrol scam deserve some praise.  They are most likely skeptical and are looking to research deeper into whether or not resveratrol is the real deal.  More people should take this approach!

All to often we want to believe the "good stuff" and discount any of the "bad stuff."  I know personally I have been guilty of doing the same thing.  Maybe not with resveratrol but definitely with other aspects of life.  It's important to take a step back from your thoughts, regroup, and look at things from all angles. 

I've created a custom Google search that incorporates sites with information about resveratrol as well as all the information available through standard search.  Prior to taking resveratrol why not search a few of these keyword phrases:

Resveratrol Negative Side Effects
Resveratrol Scam
Is resveratrol harmful?
Resveratrol FDA
Resveratrol Drug Interactions

Are there "scam" companies out there selling resveratrol?  I think we would be naive to think this does not exist.  However, I do think for the most part that many companies are legitamtely trying to help people and provide good products.  Do your research before putting anything into your body and make the most informed decision you possibly can.  Eventually we may have to take "leaps of faith" but that doesn't mean we can't educate ourselves first.

With the lack of in-vivo research using resveratrol it's difficult to say if taking resveratrol will have the same effects it did on all those mice.  Does the unknown make resveratrol a scam?  What do you think?  Post your thoughts below.

UPDATE: May 1st, 2009 - "Free Trial" Resveratrol Scams!

If a company is offering something for free but asks for your credit card then there is a high probability it's not free!  Free Offers are popping up every where and you need to be very careful about purchasing from these companies.

The scam goes like this:

You enter your credit card info for "shipping and handling" charges.  Mean while the fine print says if you do not cancel within 14 days your credit card will be charged $79.95 or some other high dollar amount.  The problem is it can be next to impossible to cancel your order.  No one picks up the phone or answers your email. The charges keep on coming and there is little you can do to stop it.

Many people have reported this to me and consumer advocate agencies across the country.

If you are looking for resveratrol make sure you research the company you are buying from.  Search them online, search the Better Business Bureau, etc.  There are good companies out there but you will have to actually pay for the product.  It costs money to make resveratrol and companies need to make money to survive.  Up-front suppliers will charge you and tell you exactly what it will cost.

Resveratrol Related Web Search

Comments

[Ken]

Good article, Markus. I started taking RSV several months ago, and I will always search for negative articles about it. It is important when doing research to see both sides, and there may be something that emerges that is a concern which might not be known for a while.

It is also important that as enthusiasts that we dont let our exuberance cloud our judgment (as much as we can manage!). As the great Richard Feynman said, The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool.

[Admin]

Hi Ken,

Thanks for the kind words and contributing to the discussion. I think the quote you posted sums it all up rather well. We have to remember to keep our thoughts in perspective.

[Anonymous]

The main reason I searched for Resveratrol Scam first was AFTER I did the research and was ready to buy. How do I know brand XYZ isnt just a fly-by-night shop sending out chinese rice pills or WORSE? Independantly verified by a lab thats only been around a week?

My main cue is if they have illegal claims about their product. I know the limits that food supplements are allowed to advertise by the FDA.

Second is looking for negative reviews. There are so very few out there for RSV so its hard to tell who is selling rice-pils.

[ForYourHealth]

If it comes to resveratrol i'm very sceptical.There is one big marketing machine behind this substance because ani-aging is a hot topic and alot of money can be made by selling resveratrol.I think it's dangerous that everybody repeats information coming from vendors like parrots.There is no hard human data supporting the claims made by most vendors, most studies are done in mice or in vitro.I think the mainstream media did not handle the information in the right way as well,probably because they do not understand their responsebility towards their vierwers/readers.Alot of people are taking resveratrol for the purpose of extending life or getting healthier without having any clue what exactly will happen with their bodies in the long run.I really do not understand the rationale behind it......
It's a hype, nothing more nothing less.A money machine

[shebly]

When u order the free trial, please DO NOT skip over the terms and conditions. after 14 days from which you receive the trial you will be billed 90 dollars and shipped out a new months supply. it is all clearly stated in the terms and conditions, but a lot of people dont read those and they get very angry and post bad things about this product. but in all reality, if u are ordering on the internet you REALLY need to be reading terms and conditions.

[Admin]

Hi Shelby,

That is a great point you make. I can't tell you how many people have told me about signing up for a "Free trial" only to be billed monthly for the product.

As Shelby said you have to read the fine print! This goes for purchasing anything online. It doesn't mean a product is bad but you should know what you're getting into prior to placing your order.

[Ally F]

I just purchased Reservatrol ULTRA - is this a good brand?
Thanks,
Ally

[Mark]

It sounds & has the feeling of a Kevin Trudeau scam... It hasn't been tested properly for human consumption yet so many are willing to take it as face value just because there's a BIG marketing machine behind them... Proceed with caution..

[Harry]

Nothing is "Free" if you have to provide a credit card number.
"Free" is when a product is provided and the company is sure that you will be so pleased with the result, you will re-order.

[RealtorGordonB]

I didn't notice in your artiule the reason I google search Resveratol Scam and found this article. I got scammed by the companies offering free Resveratol- just pay less than $6. for shipping. Low risk to try for Free. Then the product never arrives, only $6 you think- small loss. Then the email comes, because you didn't cancel your order, we charged you $79.95 yesterday for the Free sample.

[Admin]

At the time I wrote this article the "Free Resveratrol" scam hadn't hit the market yet.

To piggy back on what Harry said above, "If you have to provide credit card information it isn't FREE."

Please make sure when you buy ANYTHING online that you read the fine print. Unfortunately companies like this are out there and they giver a bad name to the companies who are doing things correctly.

Research your purchases carefully and find others who have purchased the same product. Ask them what their experience was like. People tend to not share info when they are scammed because they are embarrassed.

Thank you for sharing!

[James]

If it sounds too good to be true...then it is!!!

Exercise, eat right....there is no "cure" for old age....just live well! THERE IS NO MAGIC PILL...NO FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH!!! Everyone wants a quick fix ....do the work....exercise.....eat right....nothing magical about that....no rocket science here, just the facts!

[Francis]

For fun I always look for the scams. Starving mice extends their lives but as one researcher put it, "who wants to live life starving?" Who knows if Resteratrol does anything positive or negative. What I do believe is that the masses will believe about anything if you give a spokesperson a bunch of money to "endorse" your product. Better to eat well, exercise, and wait to see how the mice, oh I mean the masses fare over the long term.

When the FDA approves it and research can show definitive proof regarding benefit to human subjects I will believe it. Until then,

snake oil salesmen are doing better than ever...

I could make millions but this darn conscience is holding me back.

Francis

[karen]

I too got scammed by the 'trial' offer. When I got the notice from my bank that a charge had been made, I called the toll free number provided on the charge description. Oh yeah - can't get through. And, the terms say that you can cancel at any time even if you missed the 1st 14 day trial period and have been charged for the next month. I read on several sites that folks have even talked with the company and they get the 'run around' about any refunds or cancellations. I'm afraid it is not only a scam for the product, but I was a fool to give my credit card. I'm calling my bank today and having them issue a new card. What a fool I was!

[Anne]

Me too, I am ashamed to say this is definately a scam! I was charge twice, plus foreign transaction fees and never sent any product! I know I was naive to give my credit card but how these companies get away with billing and not even sending product is beyond me - looks sounds smells and tastes like stealing to me and isn't that against the law??????

[Admin]

I am sorry to hear about the problems some of you have had with the "Free Trials." All I can say at this point is that there ARE good companies out there with good products.

If you want goo resveratrol you will have to pay for it. It is not cheap to manufacture and the companies producing quality products are a business that need to make money.

Hopefully, something will be done to shut down the deceptive companies and not ruin the entire industry while doing so.

[Jutta Peters]

Hello again! Yes, Resveratrol might be backed up by a huge marketing machine but the FDA and the pharmaceutical industry is the biggest marketing machine there is. We buy cold meds and god knows what over the counter and have no problem with it and believe what it says on the label. I will bet you that when you go to your doctor's office there is a pad of sticky notes and a few pens with a print saying "Whatever Reflux Pill" and if you happen to have reflux and go to the doctor you will exactly get that pill, because a pharm. rep. had just been there pushing his meds. It happens all the time. However, how many people know that patients who have too LITTLE stomach acid do not react to the "whatever reflux pill" despite having the same symptoms as having too MUCH acid and the symptoms do not go away and therefore they take this drug long-term to mask the symptoms. And better yet, people with depression take certain new on the market meds (with only a few years of research and already approved by the FDA) that have a 10-mile list of substantially deadly side-effect and they swallow it everyday. They trust their doctors.
Also, people take tons of vitamins, herbs etc. which affect the liver and yet they keep taking it everyday, not even sure about any correct dose but believing the suggested use. I don't even know where to stop when you think about it. If the Resveratrol effects are truly totally beneficial then the FDA will throw a few rocks in the scientist's way...but I just read that they are ready to produce a chemical FDA approved version of the grape skin sometime in the future. Yeah for us. (grin) If I sound a bit ticked it is because I am tired to be told what I have to take. I grew up in Europe and we were always prescribed herbs etc.... and that is still the case over there. I have read Spanish and German and French reports about Res in their language and it sounds promising. I will try and support it!
Jutta

[Jim Hoy]

Regarding "UPDATE: May 1st, 2009 - "Free Trial" Resveratrol Scams!"

My wife recently went to www.resveratrolultra.com and thought "hey only 3.95 shipping, no big deal. Not paying attention to the fine print she went ahead and ordered. Well one day a second package shows up at the door. Price $87.13! Yikes. She immediately gets on the phone to cancel her auto ship (which she didn't realize she signed up for). She gets a confirmation number and says she wants to return the product she just received. The person on the phone says the refund period is over. After some arguing she tells my wife you have to get a RMA number from another division who will email her an RMA number.

Email never comes. She calls back and the people now just hang up on her.

I had to cancel my credit card, put the items in dispute. Oh and by the way. There were
charges from 3 different companies.

ULTRA CLEANSE Groceries $2.00
ULTRA CLEANSE Groceries $1.95
AC BERRY CYCLE Health Care $1.95
AC BERRY CYCLE Health Care $2.00
AC BERRY CYCLE Health Care $83.18
DIRECT RESV Health Care $87.13

Buyer beware!

Free trials are a scam! Don’t do it!

Jim

[Mike]

anybody take rezmelts? I started taking it and everything seems to be alright. I did have minor side effects but nothing really noticable. One thing I do recommend is -do not drink Cuban coffee with this stuff, it made my heart race.

[Admin]

I haven't had any experience with them. I just wish their website would provide a bit more information on the type of resveratrol used, the exact amounts, and an independent certificate verifying its purity.

[Tamara]

Reservatrol Scam Free Trial Pay Shipping $3.95
Do not buy. You will be charged $87.13 every month on your charge card, It is a scam. You can buy grape seed extract(resveratrol) at wal-mart for 7.00 a bottle with no hassle. I kept my receipt and called the number on the receipt. I did get a confirmation number and canceled future shipments. I called my bank and put them on alert. They are going to resend the charge if another charge attempt is made. They are known to charge other products that are not reseveratrol on your charge account and they change their company names. Legitimate companies would not charge you a rediculous amount of money to buy refills of the product and be vague about the process.

[Admin]

Tamara,
Thanks for the information you provided. I would also like to add that while you can purchase grape seed extract, it does not contain the same potency or quality trans-resveratrol that supplements made from Japanese Knotweed do. They are not bad products, it's just not comparing apples to apples.

Choose resveratrol products made by reputable companies that are upfront about quality and provide good customer service.

[Candy]

I bought Resveratarol online along with another expensive product. I didn't read the small print. The next time I looked at my bank acct. online, there was Dermapril for a withdrawal of $79.95. A few days later, there was Resveratrol for $87.13. I did get lucky and get a deposit back from Dermapril for $50 but not the Resveratrol. I had to wait forever for a representative to come on the phone line. I couldn't even log in to the member website or create a new membership in order to cancel my membership. And the clerk said that they are not a scam. Of course, she had a terrific accent too. Wonder where in the world she lives. I'm so angry. My car payment will probably bounce this month. She didn't care. Candy

[Mark]

Markus - are you familiar with Longevinex. I bought some and it purports to contain 215 mg or resveratrol per capsule? Mark

[Admin]

Yes, I have heard of them and they are a legitimate company from what I know.