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The Anatomy of a False Advertisement: A Case Study

Let's delve into the deceptive world of 'free trials'. We've all seen those 'free trial' offers online, right? They promise you can try the product for free and only pay if you're satisfied. Well, here's a case worth examining.

I came across a skincare product offering a 14-day free trial. All I had to pay was a small shipping charge. Sounds good? Not really. The catch was hidden deep within their terms and conditions.

They had auto-checked an innocuous-looking checkbox during checkout that authorized them to charge my card for a monthly subscription after the trial period. The price was a whopping $80! Also, this subscription was hard to cancel, and the customer service was abysmal.

The lesson: 'free trials' can often be traps layered in deception, designed to hook you into an overpriced subscription. Always scrutinize the terms and conditions and uncheck those pre-checked boxes!

Submitted 9 months, 1 week ago by dont_fall_for_it

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So the skincare wasn't even good? I mean, if it was magical unicorn teardrop cream, I'd get it. But $80 and bad customer service? No thanks. 😂

9 months, 1 week ago by RoadsideGuru
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I've been hammering this message for years now. READ the terms and conditions. It's boring and time-consuming, sure, but it's better than being stuck with an $80 monthly bill you never wanted. 'Free' is rarely ever truly free.

9 months, 1 week ago by Lemmespellit
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So, you're saying that companies actually stretch the truth to make more money? Who would've thought? 😉

9 months, 1 week ago by SarcasmSpree
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Marketer here. Sad reality is that many companies use 'free trials' as a marketing strategy. Unfortunately, the lack of transparency can really harm the brand-customer relationship. Always gotta read the fine print!

9 months, 1 week ago by AdvertisingApathy
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This reminds me of the time I signed up for a gym membership. 'Just $1 for the first month!' They said. It ended up taking two months of calls to their head office to get them to stop charging me after I quit. Free trial means free trap!

9 months, 1 week ago by Bearded_Bumblebee
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New here, but this happened to me once! I had to cancel my card to stop it. Lesson learned… never trusting ‘free trials’ again.

9 months, 1 week ago by EscapeButton
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Man, nothin' is really free these days, is it? Always got ya payin' somehow.

9 months, 1 week ago by $$$MoneyWiser$$$
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Litigation lawyer here. The practice you described, also known as ‘negative option billing’, is largely frowned upon, and in some cases, illegal. Businesses must clearly disclose the charges before completion of the transaction. You should consider filing a complaint with your local consumer protection agency.

9 months, 1 week ago by Sleuth87
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