SAN ANTONIO — Ads, emails or texts about “miracle” weight loss products will be tempting.
“Everybody wants to lose 20 pounds in two weeks. It sounds great, but really got to get deep down into what is realistic,” said Jason Meza, regional director for the Better Business Bureau. “What is a realistic goal for you? Will it put more stress on your body than is healthy? Have you reached out to a doctor?”
Claims of amazing outcomes often come with a monthly charge that is hard to cancel or a high price with few results. Research products before you make a decision.
“They’ll use aggressive sales tactics,” said Michael Skiba who is known as Dr. Fraud. “So they’ll really try to push you a little bit, whether it’s on the phone or via email and also, too, it’s a limited time only. So a lot of them have that maybe 24-, 48-hour window where they really try to entice people. That really, really pushes people to make a decision, maybe not as objectively as they would.”
Do a web search for the product before you purchase. Skiba suggests using this wording:
“Put the name in and then put scams after it in quotes,” he said. “Often times you’ll be surprised what you see.”
Also, look at reviews. You should be cautious about purchasing the item if it has bad reviews or few reviews.
Many will get a gym membership, but it is important to really read the contract before signing up.
“Are there policies involved where you can freeze or put a pause during summer months, during a vacation, if you get injured?” Meza said. “There are some contracts that allow you the flexibility to put a freeze in place. On top of that, there are regular monthly fees, there are cancelation clauses, there’s cancelation penalties. So just take the time to really figure out what that bottom line price is per month and what the out is or what the fee is for moving on.”
Also, check on what renewal policies are for memberships or any subscriptions.
Many gym or health products offer a free trial. Make sure you understand when you will be charged, how much, and how you can cancel.
“They do have fine print around that,” Meza said. “So free trial periods, great. Take them but really figure out if there’s going to be a renewal or automatic renewal attached to those.”
Be careful where you buy at-home fitness equipment to be sure you get the real deal.
“Many times branded workout gear at prices significantly less than what they could be found at a legitimate retailer or actual dealer themselves, that’s a red flag,” Meza said.
“But it’s not the real thing, you know, and it’s very evident as soon as they open the box, and then the return policies are usually not as robust or there’s no return policy at all,” Skiba said. “If that product is priced 20% or more lower than the competitor, there’s a chance it could be a misrepresented item.”
The best way to pay for any fitness item or program is a credit card because it offers fraud protection. It can be more difficult or even impossible to get your money back if you use a debit card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or peer-to-peer payments apps like Venmo or Cash App.