Whenever a new health trend or superfood is discovered there you can be sure there will be a flood of new products being sold seemingly that same day.
In the rush to put out a product for a hot new health trend, some companies sacrifice quality, and may even attempt to scam their customers.
The health supplement market is only lightly regulated, so it is up to us, the consumers, to protect each other from these unscrupulous business.
Some people choose to avoid these new trends because they are too worried about being ripped off, and miss out on some really amazing health benefits in the process.
The acai berry scam is one of the biggest and most publicized health supplement scams in recent history. The reason it was so huge was because the acai berry really is worth most of the hype it receives. It is at or near the top of the chart in antioxidant content, helps increase your energy in a healthy way (unlike coffee or energy drinks), and improve your skin and hair making you look much younger. With all of these benefits coming from a natural product with no known side effects, it is no surprise that it would become so popular. As the fruit grows in popularity, the number of companies selling it increases dramatically. Many of these companies are selling a legitimate product that really works, but some are cutting corners just trying to make a quick buck.
In this article we want to show you how to differentiate between the real deal and any acai berry scam products that you might run into while choosing one to purchase. If you follow these simple tips you will be able to find a legitimate product, and start receiving all of the possible benefits of acai.
3 Tips to Avoid Acai Berry Scams
Avoid Free Trial Offers
There is a very specific pattern that these acai scams use to lure people in. You will come to a website that will be offering you a free trial bottle of acai, and you just have to pay the shipping and handling. The site might also have pictures of Oprah Winfrey or Rachel Ray, even though neither of the two have every endorsed a specific acai product (they just featured the benefits on their shows).
They will probably say that the free trial is only for a limited time and they only have 5, 10, or 30 bottles left. There may also be a timer counting down until the offer runs out. You are then prompted to give them your name address and credit card number, so they can mail you the free bottle. If you see this type of site leave it immediately. While it is possible they sell the real product it is more likely a scam. The next tip will show you exactly how they scam you and get you to pay close to $90 per month against your will.
Read the Fine Print
The fine print is where they really stick it to you. If you read the fine print on an acai berry scam site it will most likely say a few things. First, it will tell you that the trial lasts 14 days and when it runs out you will be billed $88 each month until you decide to cancel. Second, it will tell you that this trial begins as soon as you order, not when you first get the bottle. Shipping usually takes at least four days, so you really only get to try the product for 10 days or less. Some scam companies even go so far as to say the first bottle must be returned before the 14th day, which leaves you about 3 days to actually try it before being billed.
The real scam comes with trying to cancel the monthly fee. Offering a free trial is a legitimate business practice, as long as you make it very clear what steps need to be taken, and have these steps be very easy. The reason that these scam companies have come under fire is because they often make it nearly impossible for people to cancel. The might never answer their phone or emails, and if you do get through they may leave you on hold for hours at a time. Many people have reported that they were forced to cancel their credit cards to get the $88 charges to stop.
The point of this article is not to scare you away from purchasing acai, but to show you where to get a product that really works. This is where our final tip comes into play.
Buy Only From Acai Industry Leaders
There are a few companies out there who have been producing amazing acai juices, powders, and pills way before it was a worldwide trend. The berry has been incredibly popular in Brazil for many years, and these companies work closely with the native acai farmers in order to get you the highest quality berries possible. The scam products will sell you spray dried acai pills that will have lost almost all of their potency by the time they reach you. If an acai pill looks bright pink instead of dark purple, you will know it is not the real thing.
If you are looking avoid the acai berry scam go with companies that sell 100% pure acai berry.
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