AG Takes Action Against Weight Loss, Skin Care Company
POSTED: Friday, September 5, 2008
HOUSTON -- A Houston weight loss and skin care company has been ordered to stop making unauthorized bank account withdrawals from customers who tried to cancel their orders or who didn't want their products in the first place, KPRC Local 2 reported.
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott filed an enforcement action against Momentum Direct LLC and its owners, Robert and Christopher Jones, on Friday.
Abbott said more than 600 complaints against the company have been filed with the Better Business Bureau and more than 40 have been filed with his office.
The complaints cited false advertising, deceptive business practices and broken promises, Abbott said.
The company does business under various names and throughout several warehouses:
Momentum Health & Nutrition Momentum Worldwide Nutrition Tech Nutrition Express Momentum Direct Momentum Fax on Demand 20Minutefacelift.com 2DaySlimdown.com Momentumdirect.net Momentumworldwide.com
The company promised customers that its products would make them lose 6 to 12 pounds in two days. It also promised customers that the first bottle was free, that there was a free trial program and easy order cancellation, Abbott said.
Many of the complaints focused on the company's refusal to honor cancellation requests, Abbott said.
Abbott said the state's investigation found that Momentum Direct ignored the requests, charged customers for products that were never shipped and debited bank account for products that were never ordered.
Some customers incurred bank charged for insufficient funds because of the company's unauthorized charges, Abbott said.
Customers complained that they were unable to reach the company by telephone, e-mail or mail.
Abbott wants full restitution for the customers. He is seeking civil penalties of up to $20,000 per violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and $250,000 for any conduct that was calculated to deprive money or property from consumers age 65 or older.
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