The company pleaded guilty to exploiting a deceptive offers scheme for free trials
January 28, 2021, GATINEAU (Quebec), Competition Bureau
Today, a Canadian company, Revive You Media (1806369 Alberta Limited), pleaded guilty in Ontario Provincial Court to promoting deceptive offers for free trials of dietary supplements and health supplements , which effectively tricked consumers into a monthly subscription.
The company was fined $ 15 million and is also subject to a court order prohibiting it from directly or indirectly participating in the promotion of deceptive offers for free trials for a period of 10 years. The penalties for failure to comply with such an order are a fine, the amount of which is left to the discretion of the courts, or imprisonment for up to five years.
A Competition Bureau investigation concluded that Revive You Media was operating a subscription trick scam. The Bureau determined that the company gave the false impression on its websites that consumers were ordering free trials with no additional obligations. In effect, the company was signing consumers up for subscriptions that cost over $ 100 per month.
The company has used claims like “risk-free trial” and “pay only for delivery” to mislead consumers. The actual nature and cost of the offers was not disclosed to consumers in a clear and obvious manner on the company’s websites.
The Competition law prohibits companies and individuals from making false or misleading representations to promote products, services or business interests.
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