Consumers Defrauded by Tooth Whitening "Free Trial" to Get Refunds

FTC to issue $1.1 million in checks to more than 40,000 consumers

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is issuing a total of $1.1 million in checks to 41,934 consumers who were defrauded in what they thought was a "free trial" of tooth whiteners and other related products.

The products were offered to consumers by RevMountain, LLC; Anasazi Management Partners; and 59 related corporate defendants.

The FTC says consumers who believed they had bought a single trial product for about $5 were charged without their knowledge approximately $200 a month until they canceled both subscriptions.

The associated companies used deceptive claims, hidden disclosures, and confusing terms to trick people into providing their billing information, supposedly to pay a small fee for the tooth whiteners and other trial products. Instead, the defendants charged consumers for two ongoing subscriptions to nearly identical products until the consumers canceled.

The FTC urges consumers to use caution when participating in "free trials" or trial offers in order to prevent the type of abuse and deception seen in this case. Watching bank accounts and disputing charges you didn't agree to immediately are good steps to take.

The FTC can be a consumer ally by seeking financial redress in some cases. In 2022, for example, the FTC returned some $392 million to consumers harmed in various illegal activities.

Consumers who suspect they have been defrauded by a scam like the one described in the tooth whitening case can report that activity here. For warnings about various business practices and activities known to be harmful to consumers, the FTC offers this resource.

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