Quick weight loss offers seem especially attractive after a series of weekends with meals in the company of loved ones, and at the beginning of the year, when we all promise ourselves to turn over a new leaf with less unhealthy habits and be a better version of ourselves. It’s this kind of attitude that makes many consumers highly vulnerable to offers of medications and devices that promise magical weight loss fast, effortless and guaranteed. Especially when they are accompanied by discounts and special offers, which now abound. They appear most often while browsing online. Once we click on them or follow the hyperlinks, we will see or even receive them in our inbox all the time, according to “We, the Consumers”.
The risks of these offers are that we get goods of dubious quality and efficacy for our money or nothing at all, including protection of our consumer rights.
What indicates that something is wrong in the messages of these offers?
First of all, they talk about quick and stunning results, such as reducing weight by 30-40 and more kilograms without diets and without physical efforts. And when it comes to food supplements or the like, emphasis is placed on the natural ingredients of the product, which suggests that it is safe for health and so one does not think that it is good to at least consult a specialist before starting to use it.
What are the characteristics of the sales pages?
Most often, these are single or dedicated websites that are linked from banners or social media posts. Their domains are a strange mix of meaningless letters and symbols, often ending with a third-world country extension and links to them are unprotected.
A clock to count down the remaining hours/minutes of the offer and messages like: „Hurry up! Quantities are limited!” are also characteristic elements, and to create additional interest and a sense of exclusivity to catalyze a purchase decision.
Typically, websites selling such drugs and devices include a „Blog“ section where fake opinions and product evaluations are published by consumers, interviews with nutritionists, health professionals, etc., or popular personalities („testimonials of authorities“), and articles or videos from non-actual media appearances in print and electronic media, often specialized. Fictitious names of prestigious-sounding organisations that do not, however, exist are also mentioned frequently.
What is different from most fraudulent offers for online purchases is that in these there is a very detailed description of the ingredients or how the products work, as well as the principle of action and achieving the promised results. In contrast, however, there is very little information about the merchant, a quick order button that leads to a phone or an app for communication.
What checks should you do to avoid unfair practices and fraud?
First of all – who is the seller: company name, UIC and contact details (physical address, working phone, email with a reliable address). Next – who registered the website domain and where.
Be sure to pay attention is it known who the manufacturer of the product is? If the names of specialists or celebrities are mentioned, check with reliable sources that they actually have anything to do with their products and advertising, including by asking them on their official social media profiles.
When quoting reputable organisations, check if they exist at all, ask them through their official contact details if they will confirm their participation in the campaign. And if there are user evaluations, take a good look at their names and photos – whether they correspond to the same nationality. Very often fake reviews are accompanied by photos from photo banks and the persons used can be seen with different names in different language versions of the product advertising websites.
For your safety, the experts at “We, the Consumers” advise against taking any medications without consulting a specialist, let alone one bought from e-shops and social networks.
