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Tuesday, August 11, 2015Authorities

Samples of cosmetics on the web: beware of hidden subscriptions!

© L'Observatoire des Cosmétiques

The DGCCRF relays an alert from the ECC (European Consumer Centre) which has recently received numerous complaints from consumers who have subscribed, via various advertisements on various Internet sites, to beauty products"on trial" which turn out to be hidden subscriptions. Hence a call for vigilance and some advice if you have been a victim of this procedure.

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According to the CEC communiqué (a Franco-German consumer information and advice association), these are generally samples of skin creams or anti-wrinkle products.
The procedure is always the same: the consumer is offered a trial dose, paying only a small shipping fee of 4.25 to 5.95 €. But in reality, after having examined the general conditions of sale of these Internet sites, one realizes that the consumer subscribed to a"subscription by default" with monthly withdrawals up to 70, 80 or even 90 €.

Cancel subscription

In principle, it is sufficient to indicate your desire to terminate the subscription within the time indicated in the general conditions of sale and return, at your own expense, the product or what remains of it, to an address specified later by the company or mentioned on the website.

But in practice, these companies often present themselves under different names with Internet addresses that vary, as much by their name as by the coordinates presented on the various registration sites. In addition, they often present physical addresses in the United States with postal addresses in the United Kingdom, as well as British telephone numbers and e-mail addresses.

CEC France indicates that the amicable resolution of disputes …

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