The Scam Stops Here: CCN Settles, a $1.4 Million Win for Consumers - AARP The... Scams & Fraud
The Scam Stops Here
CCN settles a $1 4 million win for consumers
It's a sucker play. You go for the free-trial offer online. You pay for shipping and handling with a credit card. Then, when the bill arrives, you find the trial was anything but free—you've signed up for an ongoing supply at a hefty price. People are taken in by such ruses every day, losing from a few bucks to several hundred dollars if the company makes it hard for you to cancel an order. How can practices like this be stopped? Here's how. I'd received complaints about Central Coast Nutraceuticals (CCN), seller of AcaiPure and HoodiaCore, and was getting stonewalled by them. Then I learned that Terry Goddard, Arizona's attorney general, had filed a civil suit against Phoenix-based CCN alleging consumer fraud. Goddard's account matched the letters I'd been getting from AARP members: CCN had hooked them with a trial offer, then shipped them—and billed them for—products they'd never ordered. I knew what to do next. Like Woodward and Bernstein, I followed the money. CCN's online sales are by credit card. Card issuers want to cut down on dubious vendors, don't they? They'd at least suspend CCN pending a court ruling, wouldn't they? It turned out Goddard's suit was news to the masters of plastic—a communications gap I happily filled. One company acted immediately: within three hours of being informed of Arizona's suit, American Express terminated CCN's merchant account. Visa, MasterCard, and Discover Card were slower to act—with Discover, it was six weeks—but eventually all of them cut off CCN. All but shut down, CCN quickly settled with Goddard, agreeing to change its business practices and pay $1,375,000 in fines and restitution. Our thanks to the credit card companies and Terry Goddard for making this the biggest On Your Side victory to date. HOW TO GET YOUR MONEY BACK If you believe you were a victim of CCN's deceptive marketing, file a complaint by August 17 to be eligible for restitution from the settlement. Request a complaint/restitution form from the or by calling 800-352-8431 (602-542-5763 in Arizona). Ron Burley is the author of (Ten Speed Press, 2006). You can read his journal on AARP.org, where there's also a new On Your Side column every two weeks. Submit your own question for consideration in a future On Your Side column. Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures
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