A Letter to Billy Blanks: Your Tae Bo Website is a Rip Off!

Consumers Beware -- if you want to buy something from the Billy Blanks Website REFUSE ALL FREE OFFERS. 
They are NOT free.

A Letter to Billy Blanks

Dear Billy Blanks:

Your website is a rip off.  You talk about truth and trust, but your company offers neither to consumers.  Maybe you don't run the "business side" of things but the people you hired can't be trusted and truth in advertising means nothing to them.

This is what happened to me today:

June 8, 2007

A few minutes ago, I placed an order on your Billy Blanks website for the Tae Bo Amped system.  I had repeatedly tried to order an additional "amplifier" but it wouldn't let me do it.  So, I just ordered one set of the Amped System.  After I hit "place order," I received a message that said I could get a "free gift of an additional amplifier."  I hit yes, thinking this must be why the store wouldn't let me buy another one.

Another screen came up with another "free gift" offer.  I said yes.  Thank God I said "No" when the THIRD FREE SCREEN CAME UP.

Clicking YES was obviously stupid on my part, since nothing is FREE.  If you read the details from my order below, you will see that I was charged an additional $60.00 for items advertised as FREE.

FREE means NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE.

Both of the screens said the items were FREE.  Instead, I'm showing a DELUXE SYSTEM, yet I can find NO INDICATION OF WHAT THIS IS ON YOUR WEBSITE.  All I wanted was an additional amplifier, which I was willing to pay the $20 for to purchase -- but your "store" wouldn't allow it.  It kept saying "invalid product code," and then your system ripped me off with these additional charges!!

I did not intend to authorize this additional charge to my credit card as these items were clearly indicated as FREE. 

I immediately called your customer service number and was told that my order wouldn't show up until three days from now!  So, you have my credit card information and are going to immediately process it but I have no way to correct my order for THREE DAYS.  This means my card will be charged before I can get any customer service because your service department is not open on the weekends.

I need immediate resolution of this problem.  Your website is misleading and difficult to use.  Offering free items and then charging outrageous prices for them is called fraud, and it is against the law.

Cecilia Sepp

Thank you for you Order!

Here is your order ID: 738G-YN9J-H4K3

Please print a copy of this page for your records.

Shipping Address

Cecilia Sepp

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

US

Credit Card (information deleted for publication)

duct Quantity Price Per Unit Total

ALL NEW Billy’s Tae Bo AMPED System 1 $39.95 $39.95

AMPED Deluxe Package 1 $29.95 $29.95

AMPED Energy Formula Supply 1 $25.90 $25.90

Sub Total: $95.80

Shipping & Handling: $30.80

Tax: $0.00

Order Total: $126.60

WHO KNEW "FREE STUFF" WAS SO EXPENSIVE??

Buyers, beware of Billy Blanks.  He just wants in your wallet.

Comments

[Julie Zhuk]

Dear Billy Blanks,

I don't know if you are the one who is going to be sitting and reading through all these comments people are making.

I just wanted you to know how happy I am with your program. Your work outs are so much fun and a real knock out for a work out. I am loving it that I bought the amplifier and some of your dvd's. I am doing it every day. Thank you for coming up with all these work outs.

Sincerely,

Julie Zhuk

[Yelley Taylor]

I just ordered the Ultimate DVD for 19.98 and clicked free gift and a charge of 64.99 showed up. What a rip off. i called customer service and they told me to call in three days also and they will cancel the order. I have never heard of anything like that. I am sooooo mad right now. I only wanted the dvd for 19.98. I am contacting the better business bureau. I am so disappointed in Billy Blanks. I have been doing Tae bo since 1998 and I so mad i dont even want to look at Billy Blanks face while I am exercising.

[Chie]

Oh my god! I am soooo angry about them right now too. I enrolled club member and purchased ampled set. they sent me 2 sets of ampled set different price and charged my credit card. I called customer service. The was the worst experience ever. the lady told me keep the another set for myself and gift to my friend! I told her I just wanna return. She gave me a order number and speak very fast and hung up on me!!
I was soo upset. I sent it back anyway but I am not sure they will refund me.also I e-mail customer service a week ago but no responce. I will call tomorrow to cancel club membership I hope it will go easy.
I will never buy their stuff again.

[Patricia]

I hope I had read this before I tried to enroll for the Billy Blanks Club 30 days free trial. I was supposed to give them my credit card number, so they would charge me if I didn't cancell past the 30 days. The thing is that after I click submit, I received a message in big red letters that read MORE CATALOGS REVIEWED. I thought I did something wrong so I tried to enroll again, filling the application again with my credit card number, but the same message appeared, and I was dumb enough to do it several times. I don't know what this message is about and it seems that I am not enrolled cause it won't let me log in for the cub web page. I hope I am not being charged the number of times I click submit with my credit card number. The haven't even sent me an email to confirm my subscription or anything.....so, they have my credit card number (wich I put in several times), and I have no clue of what has happened with my supposed inscription to his club. That's when I decided to surf the web to see if there was someone that have had a similar experience, and I found this page.

[Jennie]

I had the same problem you did! I was sent $90 worth of vitamins and a six month supply of DVD's. Also, when I called after the three day waiting period, I was told that the additional items were cancelled. Then they just showed up at my house anyway! So I am being charged for the shipping to me when I return these items, also at my cost!! What a rip off. I feel like if Billy Blanks knew that Gaiam was doing such a hard sell that he would not be happy. Someone should alert him.

Glad to hear that it wasn't just me.

Jennie