Never Assume!

(Microsoft ClipsOnline)

Have you seen those ads for free samples on the web?  They pop up everywhere, and now they seem to appear frequently on Facebook.

Just a word of caution if you decide the product sounds interesting.  When you request a free 30-day sample, you pay only a shipping cost.  But once you make your request, make sure you take the time to read the 'terms and conditions'.  Sometimes they pop up quickly, and sometimes they don't until you submit your payment for shipping info, and sometimes they are tiny and at the bottom of the page.

Not checking the 'terms and conditions' can cause misunderstanding.  For example,  one product advertises a free 30-day supply with no obligation to continue ordering.  But don't assume that you have 30 days to see if you like it and to decide whether or not you want to continue with the product.

In this case, the 'terms and conditions' indicate that you have to notify the product's website within 14 (not 30 ) days to cancel your intent to order again.  One of our readers noticed a charge of $89 on her credit card two weeks after receiving the free sample in the mail! The next month's order had already been made automatically.

And a call to the website's help center on the 15th day was surprising.  The very nice representative informed her that the charge could not be deleted unless the following were to happen:

1) She could have  $49 of the total remitted immediately with the cancellation while on the phone
                                                     OR
2)She could have the entire amount deleted from her account if she first returned all unused product to the company's warehouse(another mailing charge).  The warehouse personnel would use that return to begin processing the deletion of credit card charge.  But that would take at least a month.

So, her advice to us?  Don't assume that a 30-day free trial gives you 30 days to cancel if you are dissatisfied.  Does that mean we should never try free samples?  No, sometimes that free sample can lead to satisfying future purchases.  But, no matter what, read the 'terms and conditions' before you hit 'submit'.