Hi everyone! I found this site very useful when I found out about Viv3Labs, and so I am hoping to help anyone who has had the same issue. I was offered a refund by the company -- but you have to act fast in order to get it! Here is what I did:
First, if you are reading this, your heart is probably pounding so hard, and you're probably thinking, "How could I be so stupid!" ... At least, that was what I was thinking. So I had to quickly take action. Without even looking on my credit card bill, I knew I was charged. I had an off feeling when I purchased the Acai Berry Detox pills, and when I received the product in the mail, I had an even worse feeling. I searched Viv3Labs online, and sure enough, this website came up first. I read the complaints, and I knew that I had to do something and contact the company immediately.
First, the numbers and website given to you on the Viv3Labs website are completely false. The email "
[email protected]" does not allow you to send email, but if you receive an email from this company, you will be able to reply. You cannot send a new mail message to this email address. Secondly, if you do send a message to
[email protected], you will receive an automated response, telling you that you cannot contact this company via email, and that you must call them directly. It lists some numbers for you to call. I bought a calling card, and I called the numbers listed. I called out of their business hours, so an automated voice message instructed me to call from 8 - 5 (United Kingdom time, which is 5 hours ahead of the Eastern time zone in North America) from Monday to Friday. Well, I did call that number during their business hours, and it 'could not be reached' ... !!! At this point, I was scared. I couldn't contact the company, and I knew that I had been charged.
Not to panic.
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BY EMAIL:
On this forum, I found other email addresses that could be contacted! I emailed ALL of these addresses at once and asked to cancel my subscription and for a full refund. Here are the email addresses:
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected]
Clay Douglass and Mitch Platt apparently run this scheme. I found their emails on this forum. I also emailed the "
[email protected]" along with these emails, just so that they knew that I was trying to get ahold of their company.
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VERY IMPORTANT THINGS TO NOTE IN THE EMAIL:
On the Viv3Labs website, it does state that you must cancel your subscription within 15 days of your PURCHASE. BUT, it ALSO states that a customer may receive a full refund within THIRTY days of purchase. Here is the link to where it states that on their website:
http://viv3labs.helpserve.com/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=26&nav=0
So, if you want your money back, and you're contacting them within 30 days of your purchase, they should give it back to you. They refused me the first time I asked (see emails below), but I told them it was unacceptable to refuse me because of their policy.
ALSO IMPORTANT IN THE EMAIL:
Consumer Protection Act / Fraud
I also threatened a UK law against them: As the website offers a refund as an option for the consumer, you are able to to take action using the Consumer Protection Act based in the UK, which will entitle you to a full refund of your product. I made that clear to them in an email, which they immediately responded to me that they would refund the money. Since this is a UK company, it must comply with this Act.
Additionally, I told them that I spoke with my credit card company. Because their website states that they will refund money withint 30 days, if they refuse, told them that I had already contacted the appropriate personel regarding the matter, and should a refund not be given, I would take further action to ensure that they did not receive payment, as it is FRAUDULANT to note that you refund customers if you refuse to do so. I threated that my credit card company had noted that these conditions are enough to prove credit card fraud by the company. ...In fact, my credit card company did not tell me that these conditions were enough to prove credit card fraud. BUT, it probably would stand up to being that, since if a refund is not offered when the company says that it will give one within 30 days, that is fraudulant. I actually hadn't contacted the "appropriate personel", but it was a scare tactic that I had used for them to refund my money (see emails below -- the scare tatics worked!)
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BY PHONE:
416 900 1137
On my credit card bill online, there was a phone number listed next to the charge. This number is 416 900 1137. Again, I used a calling card. I got through immediately to a person, who asked for my "order number." I told him that I did not have one (they never sent me a confirmation email), and so he asked for my email address. I spoke with him before I received an email response. I asked to cancel my subscription, where he gave me a confirmation number, and I told him I wanted a refund, because the policy noted that I would be able to receive one within 30 days. He said that he was not authorized to do so, but within 72 hours, someone would email me regarding a refund. This happened, and here are the emails which we exchanged that got me a refund.
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MY EMAILS WHICH OFFERED ME A REFUND:
THEIR EMAIL RESPONSE TO MY PHONE CALL:
> Subject: Viv3Labs Customer Support-your inquiry
> Date: Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:53:27 +0200
> CC:
> From:
[email protected]
>
> Dear Customer,
>
> Thank you very much for contacting our Viv3 Labs customer service by phone.
>
> We would like to inform you that on 2009-07-27 you were charged for the shipping and handling cost on your free trial. The 15 days free trial starts from the day of the shipment of the order and implies that you have 15 days to test your order for free.
>
> As stated in the terms and conditions of the purchase that you accepted during the purchase process, if you do not cancel your account during the 15 days trial period, you will be charged for the product separately and thus the free trial converts into a regular subscription. We confirm that on 2009-08-13 you were charged for the product for the amount of 118.63 USD.
>
> We have now cancelled your account as of today. This cancellation implies that starting from 2009-08-14 our company will make no more charges and no more products will be shipped to you.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Viv3 Labs
> Customer Service
MY RESPONSE:
Dear Viv3Labs:
When contacting your customer service by telephone, I requested that I be contacted regarding a full refund for the $118.63 USD. I have read your terms and conditions, and it clearly states that a customer may request a full refund within 30 days of their purchase. I would like to request a full refund of the $118.63 USD, as I am not satisfied with this product. As I had purchased this product on July 27th, the 30 day period has not yet ended. Consequently, I would like to be credited for the full $118.63 USD. Additionally, the 15 days trial period ended on August 13th, which was only 1 day shy of my first attempt in contacting your company. In first contacting Viv3Labs, all phone numbers and email are illegitimate, making the contacting extremely difficult. Please keep this in mind given my request for a full refund. As always good customer service is what keeps companies, such as yours, afloat. Please respond back regarding this refund.
(My Name)
THEIR RESPONSE --- PLEASE NOTE THAT THEY, AT FIRST, REFUSED A REFUND:
> Subject: Viv3Labs Customer Support-your inquiry
> Date: Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:04:22 +0200
> CC:
> From:
[email protected]
>
> Dear Customer,
>
> Thank you very much for contacting our customer service at Viv3 Labs.
>
> As indicated in our previous communication to you, you have accepted the terms and conditions of the purchase, indicating that unless you cancel your account within the 15-day trial period you will be charged for the product, in addition to the shipping and handling charges.
>
> Please note that for this reason we are unable to credit you account for the product you received.
>
> The terms and conditions are available on the website at the bottom of the page.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Viv3 Labs
> Customer Service
MY RESPONSE BACK -- WHICH GOT ME THE REFUND (please note that I also used bold and italics on some ares!):
Hello:
While I purchased this product, the terms and conditions were not available at the time of checkout. As I referred to them afterward, the terms and conditions clearly state that within thirty days, you may request a refund. This is found on the FAQs page on the viv3labs website. Here is the link to that to verify this: http://viv3labs.helpserve.com/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=26&nav=0 . Here is exactly what the policy states:
"Our refund policy is as follows:
* 1. You may receive a refund of any Product that you ordered up to thirty (30) days after Your order is placed.
* 2. Customers are restricted to receiving a single refund per product ordered. Repetitive refunds are not permitted unless the product, as delivered to you, is defective. VIV3 reserves the right to refuse a refund to any customer who repeatedly requests refunds or who, in VIV3’s judgment, requests refunds in bad faith.
* 3. In order to process your refund, you must supply VIV3 with Your name and delivery address. If you provide us with insufficient or incorrect information your refund will be delayed.
* 4. Depending on the bank that issues the credit card, your refund can take up tothirty (30) days to appear on your credit card statement. If you have any questions about whether a refund has been issued by VIV3, please call Our Customer Service Department toll-free at 080 8238 9891 or (+44) 2031399027 outside of the UK.
* 5. Shipping and handling costs are not refundable"
THEREFORE, I am ENTITLED TO A REFUND for this product. It is completely unacceptable to "be unable to credit my account for this product", as your policy CLEARLY states that a refund is an option. There is absolutely no reason why a refund cannot be placed. Your website clearly states this. Additionally, your services make it extremely difficult to locate and read your terms of service at the time of checkout, as many other customers have noted. Further, as your website offers a refund as an option for the consumer, I am not afraid to take action using the Consumer Protection Act based in the UK, which will entitle me to a full refund of your product. I have already contacted the appropriate personel regarding this, and should a refund not be given, I will take further action to ensure that Viv3Labs does not receive payment, as it is fraudulant to note that you refund customers if you refuse to do so. My credit card company has noted that these conditions are enough to prove credit card fraud by your company.
Thank you for your response. Please respond back.
(my name)
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I received this email from Viv3Labs today:
Dear Customer,
Thank you very much for contacting our customer service at Viv3 Labs. Our refund policy is as follows: * 1. You may receive a refund of any Product that you ordered up to thirty (30) days after Your order is placed. We would like to resolve this issue by granting you a refund for the amount of 118.63USd. If you accept this condition, please contact us back and we will issue your refund.
Best regards, Viv3 LabsCustomer Service
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I wrote them back accepting these terms, and I also asked them for a confirmation number or an estimate as to when the amount would be credited from my account.
DO NOT LET THESE PEOPLE TAKE YOUR MONEY! IT'S NOT WORTH IT!!
I will respond back if they do not credit my account, but if they do not, I now at least have written emailed proof that they agreed to pay me back. Also, I am planning on cancelling my credit card account, as many people have said that even after they contacted this company, they keep charging them. I would suggest doing the same.
I really hope that I helped some panicked people, and I thank all the posts that helped me when I needed it.
