I’m so embarrassed. I should know better. But even beauty bloggers can be taken in by the siren song of a deal and the words, “Shark Tank”!
On New Year’s Day, I was coming down with a bad cold and bronchitis and instead of going to my friend’s New Year’s Day open house, I was on Facebook wasting time. An ad popped up in my feed that caught my attention. I wish I had the actual ad because I wish I could show it to you. The ad was for Revived Youth Renewal Cream, and the ad on Facebook made it look like Renewal Cream was a successful new product that was featured on Shark Tank. I’ve watched Shark Tank a few times, and they definitely have some intriguing products on there. The ad offered a “free product trial”. I thought at $0, it might be worth trying.
Now, I never fall for this stuff, but that day I did. Why didn’t I at least try googling it? The words “Shark Tank” and “free trial” clouded my judgement. Or maybe it was my fever, lol.
This is what the Revived Youth website looks like (although there appear to be several that incorporate this material into larger websites, and some of them were clearly not written by English speakers).
I clicked on the Facebook ad, and then I clicked on “free trial”, thinking I could bail at any time. The offer was supposed to be for a free jar (I assumed it would be a deluxe sample) of Renewal Cream, and I added it to my cart. The shipping cost was supposed to be $1.99, so I thought that’s not bad especially for a product that I definitely don’t need. As you know, I am drowning in skincare products.
After I added the Revived Youth Renewal Cream to my cart, other Revived Youth products started popping up one by one asking me to add them to my cart. I kept clicking “no”. I clicked “checkout”. I put in my credit card information (like an idiot), and hit submit.
A new screen popped up telling me that I had purchased Renewal Cream and Eye Serum. I definitely didn’t want the Eye Serum and I had not added it. But they had my credit card information. Also, there was no way to undo the purchase.
Unlike other reputable companies that send you a confirmation of your purchase, Revived Youth did not. I had nothing that stated what I had purchased or that gave me any record at all of the purchase.
I tried calling Revived Youth customer service, but they were closed for the holiday. So I called my bank. The bank told me that the purchase hadn’t come through and to call back in a day or so.
Laziness set in. I never received a purchase confirmation from Revived Youth, so I thought maybe the purchase didn’t go through after all, and I forgot about it.
Today, I received a package in the mail. It had no branding on the box. I opened it, and there were the two products that were packed and secured rather well.
The products look attractive in their modern packaging. Renewal Cream does not have a size on it. So I don’t know how much product is in the jar, but it is a small amount. I turned over the jar, and you can see that the jar inside containing the cream is much smaller than the outside jar.
The Eye Serum says it contains 0.5 oz./15 ml. The Renewal Cream lists the ingredients though they are too small for me to read, but the Eye Serum doesn’t list any ingredients at all. Neither jar lists where the product was made. It lists the city and state of the distributor.
The creams inside the products seem OK. They have no scent. They both are a nice white gel cream. The Renewal Cream is supposed to contain hyaluronic acid and elastin among other ingredients. I have no idea about the Eye Serum. They look safe, but frankly, I have no assurance that they are safe to use.
So how much was I charged for the products? The Facebook ad said that it was a “free product trial”, and the shipping was $1.99. The packing slip that came with the products had no prices on it at all. I looked at my bank statement, and there were three charges for 3 different products none of which I received: $1.99 Perfect Skin Wash, $4.99 Skin Wrinkle Plus, and $4.99 Dermabreeze. What’s up with that? I didn’t receive the Renewal Cream for free as promised, and they scammed me into paying for the Eye Serum that I didn’t want or order. Fortunately, the total is about $12 so I’m not out a lot of money.
I tried calling Revived Youth customer service at a phone number I found online. I was connected to a noisy call room overseas. I spoke to “Gloria”. I told her that I was sent a product I didn’t order, and that I was charged more than the ad said I was going to be charged. She hung up on me.
Next, I tried to let Facebook know that I was scammed by an ad on their site, but I couldn’t figure out how to do that. I did find one of several Revived Youth pages on Facebook and I reported that page.
Finally I tried to report the company to the Better Business Bureau but because I was not able to find a real location for Revived Youth so I wasn’t able to review the company. It seems that Revived Youth is not a company name. In fact, it seems that these scammers operate under a number of brand names.
I know none of you would be taken in my this, but better safe than sorry! Have you seen any of these ads from Revived Youth? Have you ever been taken in by a phony ad?
Oh no, Allison! That is horrible and I’m sorry that it happened to you but as you said, at least the amount was not huge. I never trust any ads on FB, too many scammers out there. Good for you for posting this and warning others!
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I’m on the phone with my bank right now trying to dispute the charges. I also tried to get in touch with Facebook to get them to take down the ad but that’s not going as well
I just sucked into the same thing Allison. I just received the products today, luckily it’s only two. I clicked what I thought was complete or check out only to realize another product was ordered, just glad I caught myself and didn’t keep on clicking. I never received a confirmation email, which got me suspicious right away. Let’s only hope they don’t continue to charge our credit cards. I will contact my bank today, but I think I’m going to cancel my card, which I really don’t want to do because I’ve got some auto pay charges on there, so I’ll have to change my card numbers on those accounts. Argh! What these type of companies do should be illegal. Good luck!!!
Exactly what happened to me, Jackie. Thanks for letting me know that I’m not the only one. I called my bank and someone from the fraud division called the company’s customer service so they could listen in during the conversation. Tho customer service disconnected the call, they did send me two cancellation confirmation emails on the subscription. I didn’t even realize I signed up for a subscription, but that explains the small size products. I haven’t cancelled my card yet. The bank told me to monitor my account and see what happens next month first. Scary.
I don’t have the email or website or phone number. The one I got is just to reorder and I need to cancel. Can anyone help me?
Nancy, sorry you were affected too. I’m not at my computer. Would you mind reading through the comments: there are several phone numbers listed including my comment to Liz directly under this one. Call your credit card company/bank’s fraud division too
Allison, just curious, are you keeping the products? I opened one, but put everything back in the box. I just sent an email to the company notifying them of my concern and that if this was some type of subscription or membership I wanted to cancel it.
Jackie, I just saw your comment now. I called my bank back last week and they connected me to their fraud division who called Revived Youth customer service with both of us on the call. I told RY customer service that I was scammed into buying a product that I didn’t want, that I didn’t realize from the ad that it was a subscription and I didn’t want to subscribe. The call got disconnected (again) but I was sent 2 cancellation confirmation emails from RY, and my bank returned my money for the two products but not the shipping. Please call your credit card company or bank and report this to their fraud division. RY may try to send you more products or charge your card in the future. Call them back, not just email, and let them know you want to cancel. RY did not ask for the products to be returned, but they have asked others to do so. I don’t feel confident using the products though they look and smell OK. It’s weird that there isn’t even an ingredient list on one of them and it doesn’t say where the products were manufactured. LMK what happens! Good luck, Jackie!
Does anyone have an email for this company? I am getting the same thing.
I called the credit card company.
I can’t find any phone number to call this place.
Laura, I didn’t save the phone numbers since this happened to me almost 3 months ago, but please look through the comments because I remember a few women posting contact info for the company. Good luck! I hope you get this resolved soon!
Allison – my credit card company notified me that two charges were made and I denied the charges. Revived clearly states on their website under terms that this is a 14-day free trial. 14 days from the day you place the order. I clicked that awful link on Jan 4th, my credit card was charged for the minimal shipping charges on Jan 4th. The products arrived Jan 13th, I sent an email on Jan 13th to support and cancelled. I resent the email again the the 14th and again yesterday from another email address. 14 days from the date I purchased would be Jan 18th, correct? They didn’t even give me 14 days. I’m wondering if it’s because I had sent those emails? I’ve learned my lesson. At least the charges are not on my credit card.
It was great, Jackie, that your credit company picked up the charges and contacted you about them. Everything about Revived Youth is scammy, and boy, 14 days from purchase is horrible because who knows how long it would take to be delivered. Plus it takes a few uses to determine if the product is suitable. In my case, they sent and charged me for a product that I didn’t order and didn’t want. Plus they didn’t list the ingredients on the Eye Serum or give the place of manufacture of either product. The charges on my card were for different products than the ones I received. There are a litany of legitimate grievances against them. I went back to the Better Business Bureau website yesterday, and posted a warning about Revived Youth. There were already several others posted from women across the U.S. They must have had a big end of year advertising push that was effective, but most of the posts were from 12/26-1/2. I know I won’t be purchasing from unknown companies again.
Hi Jackie
phone no 844-200-0381, but no need to call it, no one will anwer. Facebook should always test the promoter / ad agency before approving any ad.
I’m sorry to hear that you were taken in, too, Rachel. My bank got involved, and I got my money back. I hope you’ll be lucky and get yours back. And I agree with you that FB shouldn’t be doing business with scammers
The phone number for the product Re:Youth is 866.483.7758
I did the same thing since initial trial 1/31. Since then i have been charged over 95.00 2 times!!!!! I just sent am email to cancel and now i will have to call my bank and get the charges reversed. Serious scam. Sadly it is a decent product.
Oh, I’m sorry that you fell for it too, Lisa! The scam company seems to have taken down their customer service number since I called them around New Year’s day. I hope your bank will be helpful. They responded immediately when my bank got involved. I will be much more careful in the future.
I have two charges also for close to $95. I called to get a refund and they told me that was the charge for the product I received. $95 for a .5 oz bottle. I told him that I did not know that this was a subscription. I thought it was a free sample. They would not refund my month but would cancel my subscription. I should know better!
Cherrie, sorry to hear that you got taken in too. Did you call the fraud division of your bank or credit card company about this? My bank actually got on the phone with me to call the company, and they returned the much smaller amount of money I was charged. I think it’s worth it to try to get your $95 back. Also, I filed a report with the Better Business Bureau to try to spread the word about these scammers. I hope you’ll be able to get your money back.
Jackie, same thing happened to me when I ordered Garcenia Cambodia….received additional product I did not order.Also charged on my CC the day I received it…14days. I made 4 calls re the problem…3 hung up on me.I made several threats & said they would reduce price 50%…next day refund on my account & in total, all refunded except shipping. Never sent products back & they didn’t ask. I do believe it is a company named Order Fullfilment and handle all this junk….scam! Ph. 888-989-7561 or 888-990-0938 So today I received 2 products from Revived Youth wondering where this came from….only a pkg slip with No other inf….sure it’s the same scam….so now have to fight with this one. Got to run now but will proceed with this later. Boy, what a lesson to learn! Good luck.
Wow, Ginny. I can’t believe the GC scammers are related to the RY scammers, but I guess it’s not a total surprise. I hope you called your credit card company’s fraud division, and get them to help you!! Good luck!
I had the exact same experience, sadly. I have been charged 3 times and they will not reverse the charges, let me talk to a supervisor, or give me a cancellation confirmation. so frustrating!
Erin, have you contacted your credit card company or your bank? Also, if you used a credit card, ask your credit card company to cancel it and get a new one. So sorry this happened to you too
Allison, I also am stuck with receiving Revived and every month it’s being sent. I can’t find a phone number or email site to try and stop this! I would appreciate if you had the Customer Service number and/or an email address.
Liz, so sorry to hear that you got scammed too. Here’s a phone number to try: 800-836-0752. Read thru all the comments & you’ll find a couple more. But call your credit card company or bank’s fraud department & try to get them involved. LMK what happens. Good luck!
Wow, this sounds like a pretty sophisticated scam. Not your fault! It could’ve happened to anybody, and I’m sure it does everyday. I’ve had good luck in the past with credit card companies going to bat for me. Hope yours does, too. Facebook should be a lot more responsive…. disappointed to hear about them 🙁 Thanks for letting us know about it!
I’m on the phone with my bank right now. So far the company’s customer service has hung up on me twice, once with the bank on the phone. Definite scammers
This is absolutely HORRIBLE, Allison! This makes me so mad! Won’t your credit card reverse the charge because this is clearly a fraudulent bait and switch scam??? You might gently tell your bank that the outcome of the way that they handle this case will absolutely impact whether or not you remain their customer!
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The bank has been great. They were on the phone with me when we called the company for the second time, and the company hung up on me. They’ll credit back most of the money, but it’s a small amount. What I was concerned about is that the company has my credit card info and could easily send out stuff every month and bill me for me so that’s one of the reasons why I needed to get the bank involved. I also objected to the company’s fraudulent advertising and their bait & switch methods during the order process. I don’t know how I let myself fall for this, but I want to warn others about them.
That is good! That is a legitimate concern– in fact that happened to my husband who purchased something from an unscrupulous company who decided to send him things each month, and sometimes to bill without sending anything. He cancelled that credit card and had the bank issue a new card.new number. He also sent the company a pretty scary letter on his legal stationary– which probably concerned them because they probably realized that fighting with an attorney might be a losing battle for them. I would definitely cancel that credit card, and you might even have the big three credit agencies put a freeze on your account so that if they try to open any other accounts in your name, or do anything else unscrupulous that you will be covered and alerted!
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That is a cautionary tale, Helen. My bank is going to keep a lookout for additional charges and decline them. Also, after the bank and I called the company customer service together, they did issue me two cancellation confirmation emails so hopefully they won’t try to scam me further going forward – but I will keep an eye out and cancel my card if necessary. What a mess!
This makes me so furious and I’m sorry this happened to you!! I can’t stand scams like this, but it’s great that you posted about it and I’ll definitely share this to get the word out. I would be nervous about them having my credit card info too, and I would request a new card! Hope this doesn’t plague you for too long. 🙁
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Yes, I probably should have asked the bank to give me a new card but the company finally sent through two cancellation confirmation emails so I hope they won’t try to scam me again next month. I’ll keep my eyes open. Can’t believe I fell for this!
Oh Allison I’m so sorry this happened to you.Thank you for blogging about it,I have seen those ads many times and considered ordering so I’m so grateful to have read this.PLEASE make sure your bank knows they WILL try and charge your card again.I am positive that monthly renewal is part of the deal so if you can block them from being able to charge you that would be great but if you can’t be sure change your card hon.I know it’s a huge pain in the butt but I’m sure they will try.I’m glad your bank was so great and ,again, thank you for making us aware. (())
Thank you, Laura! I discussed my concern with the bank about this company trying to charge me again next month and going forward. She said they’d be on the lookout for it and will decline the charges but that I need to keep an eye out too. I’ll see what happens, and if anything suspicious happens, they’ll change my card/account (unfortunately it was a debit card). When we called customer service while the bank was on the phone with me, the customer service guy was supposedly very helpful but then he cut off the call. I was surprised when I received two emails from them that were ‘cancellation confirmations”, cancelling the sales going forward. Hope it will stick. This was so stupid on my part. I hope this will take care of it, but who knows. I definitely didn’t want anyone else to be ensnared by them!
This is terrible! You should definitely talk to your CC company about making sure the charges are reversed and you don’t continue to get charged!
I haven’t seen these ads, but thank you for the warning! It could be worse–a similar thing happened to me a few years ago and I was charged $600!!!!
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$600 is horrendous. I certainly hope your credit card company stood behind you on that atrocity! Fortunately the fraud division of my bank called customer service at the company while I was on the line, and I spoke to a customer service rep in a call center overseas who took my information and then terminated the call just like the woman did yesterday when I called. They did send me two cancellation emails so I hope that’s it. The bank said they’d deny any further charges from them as well as refund most of my money. I can’t believe I was naive enough to fall for that Shark Tank baloney. Plus I have all the skincare products in the world. Silly me
My husband recently saw an ad similar to this on FB and ordered the products for me, unbeknownst to me. When they arrived, I asked him if he knew anything about it and he admitted he ordered it. He didn’t remember how much it was, he just thought I would like it. I told him that these scams are all over Facebook, and they almost always reference shark tank. I called the phone number to cancel it, because I knew it would be a SUBSCRIPTION, and they said if I cancelled right then that I would have to send the product back at my own expense but if I keep it and try it for a full month, then I can cancel and not have to send it back, so I marked on my calendar the date to call again to cancel. Of course they wanted me to keep trying it, but I insisted that they cancel the subscription at the end of the month. So it ended up ok, but I had to remember to cancel it by the certain date or they would send another months supply at a MUCH higher price. I did try the product, and had no problem with it, but it was certainly no better than any drugstore creams that I use. Now, on my FB page, about every 10th post is yet another moisturizer product referencing shark tank. I keep trying to get them off my page, but there are so many different names for all of them that it will be impossible to get them all off my page. What a mess!
Thank you, Gail, for sharing your story. I’m sorry that your husband fell for it just like I did! The reason I called my bank back today was that I was afraid it was a subscription and they had my credit card information. I panicked. What was so irritating was that they said “free trial” but then they charged me for the product and threw in a second product that they charged me for and then charged the handling fee, but on my bank statement they listed 3 completely different products. The whole thing was a scam. Both times I called the customer service person hung up on me, but thankfully the second time the person from the bank’s fraud division was on the line. The company did send two emails confirmation the cancellation, so I hope this is the last I hear from them. If not, I will have to cancel my credit card 🙁 I tried to alert Facebook about it, but who knows if anything came of that. I hope no one else falls for it! I didn’t know about this phony Shark Tank ad!
Oh man! I blame the fever. 🙁
I’d not trust something that didn’t list ingredients!
And omg that call to “Gloria”… I sincerely hope they do not misuse your cc information. Glad to hear your bank has been good about this whole situation, even if it’s not for that much money.
Thank you for writing about this to warn others. I’ve never heard of this company but I will steer clear!
PS. I hope you’re feeling better now – health-wise.
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It’s amazing how many other women are commenting saying they were just scammed by this company too. And my bank has been great so far. Thank you – I am finally felling better except for a cough that doesn’t want to leave me. Stay healthy!
Scam city. I’m sure they’d keep sending. You are lucky that your bank has been so responsive. Now just keep an eye on those bills. I’ve actually had this happen with reputable companies that added a subscription even though I bought it once. Thanks for the warning.
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Gosh, I’m amazed that reputable companies would do a scam subscription. Hope you were able to stop it. I hesitated about publishing this, but now I’m glad I did. I’m amazed at how many women were taken in by the same FB ad that I was 🙁
Good grief! That’s terrible! These people pay Facebook for the ads because they know they’ll get even better returns when people see them and click and buy! I was conned out of $230 last year after clicking on one (airbrushed foundation device); I tried everything including getting half a dozen press associations involved, but nothing worked and I was poorer but wiser, and more stressed. I hope you don’t get charged next month by these people. If they have a return shipping address, I would write a strong letter, with carbon copies sent to the mayor, local government, and Senator.
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No company name, no return address. I tried to report them to the Better Business Bureau by other than a customer service number to a boiler room overseas, there’s no info on them. I tried to alert FB that they’re running ads from a scammer company. Hope it works to get the ads taken down.
How terrible! I’m so sorry 🙁
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Reposting this …..I was also scammed for GC diet ….did have Order Fullfillment on pkg. and phone numbers on pkg slip….888-990-0938 . When you call they ask what product your calling about then turn you over to someone. I’m sure these scams are all coming from this OF place because you get the same song & dance from all of them.. Google OrderFullfillment & will explain the company. Any questions you can get in touch with me….good luck.
What a terrible experience. There are some pretty shady ‘business’ around, but at least they didn’t charge a tone of money for their product. I would call your credit card company again and report the business to them as well.
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The fraud division of my bank (it was a debit card) was on the phone with me when we called customer service to complain. Though CS disconnected my call like they did first time I called, they sent me two cancellation confirmation emails, and the bank refunded my small amount of money. I hope that’ll take care of it, but I will monitor my account and cancel the card if there are any shenanigans. Annoying but I wanted to warn others
First, I know better than to order off an unknown website, but I did it anyway on December 26, 2016. It was for a trial-sized jar of Revived Youth Wrinkle Cream for around $5 plus the $1.99 shipping. I completed the form and placed the order, and within two minutes a young man called me to sell me more items. I could not get him to stop talking so I finally said, “NO, I don’t want anything else!” and hung up. The cream arrived within one week. Today I noticed a charge on 1-11-17 on my account for $97.21 from Purity WRI. There was a phone number beside the charge so I called it. A man answered and identified himself as Customer Service for Revived Youth. He had a well-prepared speech explaining why I owed that amount. I was told there was a sentence I “…must have missed reading when I placed my order…” because it said that I had 14 days in which to return the jar and cancel my order or I would be billed the $97.21! I have gone back to the site, but there is nothing stating that. It is probably listed in fine print AFTER you have placed the order, but I’m not going to chance being billed again. Today is Sunday and tomorrow is a holiday, so my earliest hope of reaching the bank will be Tuesday morning. I can only hope the bank will be of assistance on Tuesday. Check out anything on your charge card that does not ring true to you. This is definitely a scam, but they use different names during the purchase, billing and delivery of the product. It makes them harder to track. They are Revived Youth Cream, Purity WRI and when you delve deeper into the web information, they operate under the server name of ultimaserver tech, which may or may not be part of their ‘company.’
Pat, try calling your bank today anyway. I placed my order on New Year’s Day, and when I called the customer service on my bank card, someone answered the phone and was helpful. I called the bank back early last week, and they connected me to someone in the bank’s fraud division who called Revived Youth customer service for me and listened in on the conversation. The RY customer service took my info and then disconnected the call (it was the second time that happened), but a while later I got two separate cancellation confirmation emails for each of the products they sent me. Yesterday, I got a call from RY and when I called them back, I was told that a supervisor had called me since I had asked to speak to someone higher up when I called initially. At any rate, what I think did it was calling my bank and getting the fraud division involved. My bank credited back the $10 I spent on the product samples. I haven’t changed my bank card yet. The bank told me they would decline any charges from the company, but as you said, they use a number of different names. Definitely get a hold of someone at your bank whether it’s today or tomorrow and get them involved. Good luck, Pat! Thanks for sharing your nightmare too. I have my fingers crossed that your bank will be helpful too. LMK what happens
Can you please get me the phone number? I cannot find it anywhere, and me emails have been fruitless so far!
Thanks
Laura, I’m so sorry that I don’t have it any longer. The company must have taken it down because just now I looked on all of their phony websites. Have you called your bank or credit card company? I did report the company to the Better Business Bureau as you should too but I don’t know if they would be able to provide you with the phone number. Another thing you can do is contact the office of the Attorney General in your state. I hope your bank/credit card company will help you. 🙁 Good luck
Oh no Allison, this is terrible. I actually seen this ad on Facebook and was about to order when I stopped myself because I was scammed in a similar situation a few months back when it came to jewelry. They offered free jewelry and a watch but I just needed to pay shipping – two months later nothing arrived and I wound up paying triple the amount of what it would have all been worth if I bought it. Luckily I used my paypal to pay and paypal refunded me the money immediately when they couldn’t get ahold of the company to fix the situation. No matter being a beauty blogger or not… these companies are getting smarter and smarter now a days and I have been thankful to keep my eyes open better. I hope you can reconcile the lost soon.
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I’m so glad that Paypal came to your aid. These scammers are terrible. I am amazed at how many women have commented about being scammed by this same company, most through the ad on FB that tricked me 🙁 Fortunately, my bank has been great about settling this.
Same thing happened to me and today I was notified of 2 – false charges on my credit card from DERMA EXQUISITE!
Lori, I’m sorry it happened to you too. Did your credit card’s fraud division get involved to help you with this? This company is bad bad news. Thanks for sharing your story.
Shit! I also accidently got involved in this scam! Found your post while I was searching for more information about the skin care company.
I had seen the ad on Facebook and made my purchase. Now I am not even able to find that ad again. I wanted to give a comment so that others are aware. If I had seen comments that this was a fraud company, I would not have made the stupid purchase.
Kay, I’m sorry to hear that you got ensnared by the same ad on FB that I did, but thanks for taking the time to comment. I’ve been trying to find the ad to report it to FB, but I ended up reporting a Revived Youth FB page instead and leaving a message about the ad. I truly hope they pull the ad since quite a few of us have been taken in. Please monitor your credit card or your bank account carefully so that they don’t charge you inappropriately. Also, it is a subscription service so call their customer service number and cancel the subscription ASAP. LMK what happens. Good luck!
yup just got scammed by the same Company. Only thing was I checked on terms a small link at the bottom of the screen and saw that I had to cancel my autoship in 14 days. So I got my trial, before the 14 days were up I emailed CS so I had a paper trail saying I wanted to cancel, no reply then on the 14th day I called and spoke to mark who ensured me that I would not be charged anything further. ok cool, got my statement and they charged my card $93.61 and $92.59 for the damn eye serum I didn’t want or add to my cart. I email and called and she claims they didn’t get my email and that I was out of the trial period. finally she offer a 35% refund but I’m still mad and don’t think I should have to pay for it at all. debating calling the bank and asking about disputing the charge but she said they will fight me on it after I threatened her with it.
Fulfillment Center
c/o Revived Youth Returns
PO BOX 35395
St Petersberg, FL 33705
Celeste, did you call your credit card company or bank about this situation? Please do if you haven’t already and ask to speak to someone in their fraud division. That’s how I got helped. I didn’t send back the product. But even though my issue is supposedly resolved, I think I’m going to call my bank back and ask for a new card. I’m still nervous that RY’ll try to charge me again.
Oh my stars. That is horrible. I truly hope that you and everyone else who has been defrauded by these wretches gets economic justice. I also hope that these con artists are soon out of business.
Thanks, Gabrielle! I posted this story to warn others. It seems like a number of women were taken in by Revived Youth and their other scammy companies. I reported this to the Better Business Bureau too. Beware!!
I fell for it. The ad on Facebook was for one free Clinique sample for $4.99 postage. What I ended up with were the same two products from Revived Youth and multiple credit card charges. I was under the impression Revived Youth was a new line from Clinique (okay, I’m not the sharpest knife on the Christmas tree), but the tab does say “Clinique Free Sample” in the screen shot I took: http://imgur.com/OCuzTEy.
Four different companies in 2 states appeared on my credit cards charges:
02/13/17 Derm Defined 800-7990386 WI – $4.99
02/14/17 EMN*Dermyouthdream 800-7059578 TX – $4.99
02/14/17 Big*Dermlove 800-7961964 WI $1.99
02/28/17 EMN*Dermyouthdream 800-7059578 TX – $92.30
0/3/03/17 Superior Skin Rinse 800-7155329 WI – $97.21
I called the 800-705-9578 number. The line made an odd beeping sound. If definitely do not sound like it was ringing, but I was doing something else, so I didn’t hang up. After about 30 seconds a man answered. He had the script down – it was a trial period; I had agreed to pay the pull price; I had agreed to a monthly autoship, etc. I just kept saying no. In the end he said he would cancel the order and refund my money. I have confirmation emails, but I’ll believe it when I see the reversals in my bank account.
Thanks, Nicky, for letting us all know your experience. Sorry it happened to you. Hopefully those who are looking for phone numbers can use yours. I had pretty much the same experience the thankfully I wasn’t charged as much as you because I didn’t have any “followup charges”. Then my bank got involved and that was that. I hope you’re all set now. I wish the FTC could prevent them from doing business in the U.S. I filed with the Better Business Bureau in my state.
Oh boy Allison & all the other ladies in your REPLIES, “I” too fell for this SCAM.
PHONE: 1-800-836-0752, recording, then press “#0” and a representative with a heavy accent SHOULD answer! Mon – Sat 8:00 am – 4:00 pm Eastern Time.
Like Nicky said on March 18/17, it was a CLINIQUE FREE OFFER, I fell for it too. I’ve always thought Clinique was an outstanding make-up company, so it must be legitimate, NOT! 🙁 I too fell for the “Revived Youth Cream” scam on Facebook, they charged me shipping $4.95 twice & $1.99 for what I’m not sure, so Total=$11.89. I too only pressed ONLINE that I wanted the “Revived Youth Cream,” but my account was charged shipping for the “Eye Serum” too (which I did NOT want either Allison)on Feb 10/2017. I received the product in the mail & it seemed OK, I was happy to give it a try. But…for some reason, I did not try the cream yet. Then, I noticed a CHARGE on my account on Feb 27/17 for $97.21 “Derma Allure” and then again on Mar 3/17 “Amazing Skin System” for $92.30. WHAT THE HECK?? I called my bank. 🙁 I went into my bank & they also got on the phone & called the company number. The REP said it was a 14 Day TRIAL and since I did NOT CANCEL the renewal price before the 14 Day TRIAL was over, I was charged the full amount for the product. I did NOT authorize the purchase!! My BANK would NOT REFUND the charges. They told me to keep calling and calling the 1-800-836-0752 to ask them for a FULL REFUND. So…I did that. The BEST the REP could offer me was 15% off the product…and eventually 50% off the product. She got pissy with me and said if you don’t take that offer, I would receive NO refund at all & she would CANCEL my account. WHAT?? I will call AGAIN tomorrow & call my BANK again. I will also go INTO my bank and dispute the unauthorized CHARGE on my account. Grrrrrr… This is VERY frustrating!! Thanks for letting me vent. IT IS A SCAM of all SCAMS!!!!
Sincerely, Sheri
Sheri, I’m so sorry that you got taken too, and that you’ve had such a difficult time cancelling and getting the charge removed. I’m sorry that your bank has been so uncooperative. If you have a fair amount of money at the bank, tell them you’re thinking of moving to another bank that takes care of their customers better. I was lucky that my bank actually has a Consumer Fraud Division. I know you’ve already spent a ton of time fighting these jerks at this fraudulent company, but if you have some extra time call or email your state attorney generals office and lodge a complaint against the company. Also with the Better Business Bureau in your state. Actually, the FTC should prevent them from this horrible false advertising. It is very frustrating. I’m laughing that the CSR threatened to “cancel your account” since that’s exactly what you want her to do. When I called, I told the CSR I wanted to speak to a supervisor and though they didn’t connect me with someone right then, she did call me back a couple of days later. I wish you the best and hope you can get a decent resolution.
Hi Allison,
This is unacceptable! I really hope y’all get your money back. Thanks for sharing this. I’d definitely keep an eye of this bogus company.
Happened to me. Free trial and a week later they hit me up for $93.00. Told my bank it was a fraudulent charge and I did not authorize it. Apparently. Shark Tank(Lori) is representing a company that scams people.
I’m sorry you were taken in like the rest of us, but I’m glad your bank stood behind you. I was wondering if Shark Tank actually has anything to do with this fraudulent company or if it was hijacked but you may be right since they don’t seem to be forcing RY to take down their ads. disgraceful
I had this pop up on my Pinterest page as a deal because my local Macy’s is going out of business and they were trying to get rid of their inventory. I tried to dispute the charges but Visa wasn’t having it because I signed up for the “free” trial and didn’t return the product. I called the company and they basically said I was out of luck because I kept the product over the 14 day period. This company sucks! I can’t believe they can even get away with this!
I’m confused, Lori – was there any relationship between Macy’s and Revived Youth? I was able to get my bank’s fraud division involved and they called the company with me (the 2nd time I called). The first time I asked to speak to a supervisor & I was told there was none available but eventually one did call me back. Call your bank or credit card company and ask for the fraud division & tell them you’ve learned this company is a known scammer. So sorry it happened to you too!
No relationship between the two. I’m not sure how they were able to manipulate it that way. I asked to speak to a supervisor as well and was told the same thing. I was also told that the supervisor won’t do anything for me either. I will try calling my banks fraud division. I ordered two items from them. They charged me around $200. I told them that if I wanted to spend $200, I would have just gone and had Botox!
Maybe I’m the first guy that got duped by them trying to be nice to my wife. I am very careful to read and not sign up for a free trial that you have to cancel if you don’t want to continue. I never saw it, so I have to give them credit as a scam business that they are very good, and must use an awfully small font in the small print area. I ordered the $5 sample in February and then this week received our monthly supply with a $97 charge. The number I called was 800-836-0752 and supposedly canceled by an automated process. I also talked to a rep who said my subscription had been canceled but there was no way of getting a refund since we had passed the 14 day trial period. I also filed a complaint with the BBB. Sounds like some fairly smart and careful people got scammed by these people. I sadly joined that crowd.
Oh Rich, I’m sorry you got taken in too. Thanks for providing the phone number as a number of women were unable to find it. It seems that this company, whatever its actual name, has been busy. I hope in the future people will google the brand name and find this post with all of our sad tales before they place their order. I was lucky that my bank refunded my money. The bank’s fraud division sort of made it seem like they would refund my money and then pursue the company but I don’t know if they did. I’m glad you filed a complaint with BBB as I did. We should all probably file a complaint with our states’ attorney general’s office too. This company obviously makes a good enough business getting everyone’s $97 and saying that it’s too late for a refund. They need to hear from a few attorneys. Thanks for sharing your story.
They did not have a record of me canceling within 14 days and charged me an additional $89 (roughly) and send NOT ADDITIONAL product…just saying that I had to contact and send back the product… I am on the phone with VISA right now.. They are hitting me with recurring $89 charges every month… TOTAL scam. I am getting a new credit card number
Definitely cancel your card. So sorry that this happened to you, Neil. If you have time, file a complaint with your state’s AG and BBB. Spread the word!
I fell for this to. I thought I would get the product for my girl friend. It was as Allison said, only $4.99 to cover shipping and handling. But on my next credit card statement I was billed 97.21 for the Skin cream and 92.30 for the eye cream for a total of $189.51. I called the company phone # which was listed on my credit card statement. I got a person named “Frank” who said they could only refund me 30%. I had to argue for a full refund. I got a confirmation email for two separate refunds and the following month my credit card was credited the $189.51, however the Revived Skin Care cream then billed me a second time for $189.51 th3e next month. I called the number for Revived again !-800-796-0481 and this time I was hung up on. So I called back and got a “Milan”. He argued for ten minutes that they already refunded me and could not go back more than 30 days to refund me for the original purchase. Called my credit Card company and reported it.
Update: Just got off the phone with my US Bank Credit card and they are refunding me the second two charges totaling $189.51 plus opening a dispute claim against Revived Skin Cream. They also advised I cancel my credit card and will send me a new one.
Larry, so sorry that this happened to you too. And the company is unbelievably scummy that they would credit you, only to recharge you the same fraudulent amount. I’m glad you called your credit card company and that they’re opening a dispute against RY. If you have time, report RY to the attorney general and Better Business Bureau in your state. Thanks for sharing your situation with us.
beware and freeze the card for now. My credit card company says they have to honor any auto pay that was set up.
When it’s frozen they can’t accept any charge.
That’s useful info, Karin. I had never heard of either: “honoring any auto pay” including fraudulent ones or “freezing” a credit card. Good to know.
It’s really horrible and a nightmare !!! I have been scammed for the first time in my life!
RY is a scam artist. I didn’t order for the eye serum but was charged too. Like other people interested for a ” trial sample” … it turned out to be a trap !! ! Charging my credit card.. derma wrinkle blast (RY) cream for 97.21 & eye serum for $92.30. Right now my bank has been involved to follow up this dispute. I also change my card. I returned both products via USPS with tracking number. The phone numbers RY provided in my letter is different #s from all the above that I read. They provided eRepresentativeServices 1-888–796-1917 that sound like a fax machine and is not working at all ! I’m looking forward to be refunded. I will try to report this to the AG & BBB.
Sorry it happened to you, too, but looks like you’re on it. Hope you will find the time to report this scammy company.
PS the biggest clue was when they didn’t take American Express. Mastercard and Visa have more lax rules. Amex is behind the client first on these types of complaints.
True enough, Karin. Plus AMEX charges the company a significantly higher percentage than MasterCard and VISA.
Allison I am just as busy as the next person…however I am complaining to the BBB and the Attorney General here in NY. This is beyond slick marketing its a totally strategized consumer scam. The lack of ingredients on some of these products and the approach is criminal/
I hope others on this feed do the same thing. Thanks for posting this to begin with too many people get embarrassed.
All I wanted was a test trial which I paid for. I was sent the eye gel also. Then on April 25,2017 I was charged $89.47 & $94.57 still waiting for the merchandise I never ordered. Today I checked my bank account again I was deducted another $89.47 & $94.57 that’s almost $400.00 and no merchandise (not that I want it)
Mary, you must must must get in touch with your bank’s fraud division immediately, and let them know what’s happening. Go through the comments above yours and call RY’s 800 number and tell them to cease and desist and that you’re reporting them to your bank’s fraud division (I was lucky that my bank got on the phone with me when I called RY the second time) and that you’re writing to your state attorney general about their fraudulent practices. Do it because they won’t stop unless you tell them to and tell them you’re reporting them. Good luck!
Hi folks I’m currently talking to a lawyer – anyone who’s been scammed please contact me somehow. We’re trying to put together a case, possibly a class action suit.
Joseph, the only way folks could contact you is if I publish your email address. I’m not sure that that’s a good idea, but your call.
Allison, can I give you my email privately and then can other people contact you privately to get it?
Mainly the lawyer wants to know if the people who got billed for the “monthly membership” never actually received the one month’s supply of the product. I believe that the real full sized product doesn’t actually exist.
So anyone that got billed the monthly charges of $97 and $92 (or thereabouts) – can you post here if you actually received the one month supply of the products?
Joseph, I have your email address that you had to give when you commented on my blog. You may want to read through the comments about what the folks who got billed $92 or $97 actually received. I wrote this post back in January, and that was a long time ago. I was not billed either $92 or $97, and I was lucky that my bank and I bought called a phone number that was available in January and got them to cancel my order, and my bank refunded my money (I think it was less than $15). I threw away the products I got (they’re pictured in my blogpost).
I could add an addendum to the post (though I don’t know that folks who already commented would come back to the site to comment again or follow up and I cannot contact those who commented), but I don’t know what you want it to say? “If you are interested in joining a possible Class Action suit that another reader and his attorney are working on, contact me for further details”???
Well, my mother never actually received any products after being billed for the two monthly membership charges. She only ever received the free samples. If many people are not actually receiving the product after paying the monthly membership charges, then there’s a strong case here.
Also – they told my mother that because she didn’t receive the 1 month supplies, she’d get a about a $39 refund for each, which we never got.
Yes, what you wrote totally works. Thank you and lets bust these scumbags!!
Joseph, I’m sorry that your bank didn’t try to intervene. Please report the company to the Better Business Bureau in your state just so it’s another complaint about them. Most of the folks who commented seemed to have complained and cancelled before they would have been sent the products. The real issue seemed to be that people were “tricked” into a subscription where they thought they were getting a “free” sample (plus cost of shipping). Good luck. I would consider calling your state attorney general to complain too. I wouldn’t give up on getting your mom’s money back.
Thank you Allison – the problem is that these fake companies aren’t registered with the BBB, so not sure if that would do anything. I’ll look in to the state attny general though.
Yeah – stay away from Comerica bank – they do NOT treat their customers well.
They don’t have to be “registered” with the BBB. The bad consumer ratings serve as a deterrent to those who bother to check out an unknown company before doing business with them.
Hey there Joseph (and Allison!). Is there any chance, Joseph, that you’re still going forward with a law suit, or that you have any information concerning how best to approach this situation??? My mom just got duped, and we’re all scrambling to find the best way to handle this. Thank you both for your time, Jeff
Jeff, I don’t know if Joseph has done anything about suing this fraudulent company since he, like you, is a commenter. Back in January, I was able to get my bank’s fraud division to it for me. I hope you will be as lucky. I will never fall for anything that sounds to good to be true again! Sorry it happened to your mom, too.
Hey, thanks so much for the response, Allison. I agree- too good to be true should be the universal ‘danger’ symbol.
I’m still hoping Joseph responds, as i’m curious. Regardless, though, best to you! Jeff
OMG.. this happened to me aswell..Shark tank add.. free but had to pay 4.95 aud got the jar then no details no paperwork nothing!!
that was back in June.. tonight 14/8/2017 another jar arrives in the mail of active plus youth cream.. oh noooooooooo i think to myself.. check my bank account and on the 13/7 they took 131 and on he 29th July 2017 they took $135.95.. rang the bank got a phone number and email.. phone is a dud.. wont ring.. and waiting for response of the email.. reading this blog and found other phone numbers but still cant get through on any of them.. sorry I am not using punctuation etc.. i am just soooooo angry at myself for falling for this. grrrr.. can anyone give me a phone number o call ???? kerri. comment luv
Kerri, I’m so sorry that you were duped by this terrible company too. Regarding phone numbers, they keep changing them and disconnecting them. I would make sure that your bank will block any more attempts from them to take money from your account. Also, ask for your bank’s fraud division and talk to them. Here are a couple of links that could help shut them down or prevent others from being duped: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/reporting-international-scams https://www.usa.gov/stop-scams-frauds One of the more recent commenters was trying to put together a class action suit – check out his comments right before yours. Good luck
I just saw an ad last night, clicked it and found this product… was going to get it but figured I’d google it first and found this. THEN literally JUST NOW I got a phone call from my town (I assumed it was my daughters school) but it was them saying “We were having server issues last night and I wanted to call and apologize and offer you the shipping at half price.” I told him I was only looking and I didn’t want to purchase it. He then said… well actually I can offer an extra product free and you’ll still only pay half price shipping” I said no thank you and he hung up. They’re trying REALLY hard to scam people! UNREAL!
OMG, Nikki, I am so glad that you checked out the company before you made your order! They are such scummy scammers. I am so sorry that they are still in business a year later! Terrible. Thank you for your comment. If you’re looking for great and reliable skincare from a reputable brand, check out Paula’s Choice online and wait for one of their 20% off plus free shipping sales. Their products are top-notch. Also, check out affordable The Ordinary from Deciem 🙂
What a PIA about the inability to easily cancel the subscription. But does the product work? You didn’t mention that in the article.
When I discovered that the company was fraudulent, I threw the products away because I didn’t trust them to manufacture a safe product. Stay far away from them, Jennifer!
2/26/2018 They’re still scamming. I’ll be calling my bank when they open about this fraudulent charge for $89.95 for Re-Youth. Nowhere did I see anything about a recurring subscription or calling within 14 days to cancel. The “supervisor” authorized a 35% refund, which would give me a refund of $31.48 – I told the CS that’s not good enough. I did not authorize a recurring charge or order any subscription product, they took the money fraudulently, without my authorization – and it’s part of my rent money! The CS offered to add a “coupon” which gave me a “total refund amount” of $44.97 “in 2 to 5 business days” – half of what I’d been charged. Many companies, including some magazines, have gone to this type of “you have to opt OUT of it, not INTO it”. I once got a magazine for $12.00 – the “recurring subscription fee” was close to $90.00! I wouldn’t even pay that much for a book! What a rip-off. I wonder how many people have been duped by these tactics – way too many, I’m sure – and there are those people who are so busy, they don’t even question the charges, if they even look at their account. This is for Re-Youth. They have 2 different P.O. Box numbers in Utah. The customer service phone # is 1-866-483-7758.
So sorry that this happened to you too, W.L., but thanks for providing updated info about the company.
These people are still at it! I just called my bank and stopped payments of $119.95 x 2!!! When I ordered the samples I saw NOTHING about a subscription and later charges, and a Foreign atm fee also posted. I’m really burned about this.
i contacted my bank and filed a fraud report and cancelled my card.
Andrea, I’m so sorry that this happened to you too. And as you said, it is horrible that this cheating company is still operating! I’m glad you alerted your bank, filed the fraud report, and cancelled your card. Better to be on the safe side. I don’t know what it’s going to take to get rid of these awful people, but thanks for letting us know that they’re still at it.
OK, come on people, at least one of us must know a good lawyer willing to start a class action suit against these people.
I did talk to a lawyer, and he said I’d have to go to their HQ in Texas to sue them in small claims court. I talked to 3 other lawyers about the case and none of them wanted to bite, but I don’t think they understand the scope of what’s happening.
I think this case is huge. Can we work together to take these guys down? I’m ready to fight.
Joseph, I’m sorry I don’t have any contacts in the legal world, but I certainly applaud you for trying to find an attorney to take on the case. I’m disappointed to hear that none of the lawyers that you approached felt that it was worth their while to undertake a class action suit. 😥