The Skeptic Next Door

Tonight I received a call from a telemarketer. Apparently my partner has filled out a form on a web site requesting a free sample of Ultra Green Tee. The rep spent the first minute talking, without me speaking a word or even asking to whom he were speaking.

Once I told him he was speaking to the wrong person, he happily switched to trying to get me to pay for my partners free sample and to order a sample for myself.

While he went through his sales pitch, I googled his product. I got hits on many complaints about the company. The main complaint seems to be after paying for shipping people are getting charged about $70.00 for the free sample.

When I asked about this, the rep complained about the evil people out to get their company. I said there seems to be many evil people. The Complaints Board has 15 pages of complaints going back 120 days. After reading their Terms and Condition, it appears what is happening is they give you a 14 day trial, but send you a 30 day supply. So after 14 days they charge you for the entire 30 days and will continue to send and bill you for 30 day supplies until you tell them to stop. The problem is the main page does not have the terms and conditions. You have to click on the mouse print on the bottom of the page. It appears the company will stop the charges and shipments if you contact them.

I ask if there is any scientific studies for the product and he tells me that there is information on the company website. I ask the rep for the company’s name telling him I am trying to find it on the internet. He directs me http://www.ultraleangreen.com which is a different site than where the terms and conditions are.

This site does not have much information. Most importantly I cannot find the number that you need to call to cancel the order, or the terms and conditions.

The rep started to state all of the benefits of the product, which included weight loss, weight maintenance, it is an antioxidant, energy boast, weight loss helps prevent the onset of diabetes and many many others. I wish I could quote them but I was busy searching the internet.

He also said that it was approved by the food and drug authority. This made my ears perk up. That sounds a lot like the food and drug administration, but I don’t think they have a mandate over herbal supplements.

When I first searched for ultra green tee I got the http://ultra-greentea.ca/. This site states the following:

• Burns Calories and Body Fat!
• Accelerates Your Metabolism!
• Reduces Your Appetite!
• Fights Fatigues and Increases Energy!
• Enhances Immune System
• Reduces the Risk of Cancer!

It also says it is “not a official Ultra Green Tea site, we only provide a link to their page.”

Going back to the page the web address the rep supplied, there is a disclaimer at the bottom

The Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated these statements. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

By this point the rep has been babbling at me for 15 minutes about the various health benefits.

Looking at the web site, there is also a list of ingredients on supplement Facts:

• Green tea extracts, I would hope so (green tea would probably be better).
• Maltodextrin, which is easily digestible, being absorbed as rapidly as glucose. Ok Simple Sugar.
• Citrimax which is Hydroxycitric acid (HCA) for which Wikipedia says there is no clinical evidence of it being effective.
• ADVANTRA Z or extract of bitter orange. It doesn’t sound too good.

From wikipedia:

• Bitter orange contains synephrine, a drug similar to ephedrine, acting as a stimulant (β₂ agonist) with a possible risk of ischemic stroke and heart problems.

From medical news today

• Synephrine, the main active compound in bitter orange, is claimed to increase metabolism and promote thermogenesis.1 Although their effectiveness remains unclear, many products containing bitter orange are being promoted as “Ephedra/ephedrine free,” since the use of Ephedra has been restricted in Canada and prohibited in dietary supplements in the United States owing to adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular reactions.

I ask the rep about their weight loss product having its second ingredient being a sugar. He starts repeating the health claims.

I ask about the Federal Drug Administration disclaimer. He responds with more health benefits. I interrupt and quote the disclaimer to him with little effect.

Ultimately I decline to supply my credit card number. On the positive side I kept him from bother someone else for quite a long time.

[Update]

I got another phone call from the ultra green tree people. The rep at least asked for my partner by mispronounced name. The rep barely spoke English, so it seemed mean to hassle her. Ultimately she asked my name several times. I told her, but maybe it was not a name she did not recognized. Even when I said my name is … she did not understand. Or maybe the previous rep recorded my name.  Eventually she politely hung up.

The one part of her sales pitch she got out was that she wanted send may partner the free 30 day sample. Which is not what the terms and conditions say.