Beware of fake ads featuring celebrities
A pop-up ad on Facebook featuring CTV News anchor Lisa LaFlamme hooked Bonnie Meyer of Vancouver to click on an offer for CBD gummies.
"If she's endorsing them they've got to be good. You know I have nothing but total respect for Lisa LaFlamme," Meyer told CTV News.
She added that she thought she was going to get a free trial but the next day she noticed more than $300 in credit card charges from a company called Galaxy Primal CBD.
"Pay attention before you click," explained Simon Lis, Better Business Bureau president of Mainland B.C.
Lis said she's heard complaints about free trial offers before.
"The trick is once you sign up for this free offer, they ask you for a credit card, maybe for shipping. You may or may not get the product or when sometimes you do get the product, you start entering into this long standing agreement where now you're getting the product every month," she said.
Meyer received a lot of CBD product, which she says she did not want or order. In addition, she said she received more credit card charges and is now out $616.
As for celebrity endorsements?
Lisa LaFlamme tweeted out a warning last June about her name and likeness being used to promote CBD.
"It's fake," she wrote. "Please don't be fooled."
CTV News tried to get a comment from the company that Meyer says took the order, but got caught in a loop that led to no answers.
We called the number that Meyer says her credit card company gave her that was associated with the charges. A customer service representative answered and told us that they represent several different brands. However, he did acknowledge we were calling from a TV station.
"I will try to escalate this one to our manager and I will let them talk to you, OK?" he said.
No one got back to us. We also called the number that Meyer said she used when trying to communicate with the company that took her order.
We got another call centre and a customer service representative, who called herself Mary, gave us another number to call.
"You have a chance to talk with one of our supervisors and manager," Mary said, but when the number was called, Mary answered the phone again.
"You told me I could call this number and talk to a supervisor," CTV News Vancouver's Ross McLaughlin said.
"Hmm," said Mary.
"Can I?"
The call disconnected.
All the CBD products that Meyer received had a natural product number on them. We looked the number up in Health Canada's database and discovered it was linked to a company called Stalco Inc. based in North York, Ont.
We left a message for Steven Page, the company president, but got no response.
The company's voicemail recording seems to distance itself from the actual sales of its products.
The voicemail recording stated, "Please note Stalco is a third party logistics company and does not sell any products. If you have questions regarding a product that was shipped from our facility, please contact the company that sold you the product."
Fortunately, Meyer says she was able to get all the credit card charges reversed after putting them in dispute with her credit card company's fraud department.
"It can be challenging because you need to show that you didn't agree to these charges and so if you're clicking without reading, you may have inadvertently signed up for something," said Lis.
As for pop-up ads on social media?
"I don't trust them. I'll be scared of every ad that pops up now," Meyer said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
Some Canadian families will receive up to $620 per child today
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
BREAKING Iran fires at apparent Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
An apparent Israeli drone attack on Iran saw troops fire air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan, an assault coming in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Ottawa to force banks to call carbon rebate a carbon rebate in direct deposits
Canadian banks that refuse to identify the carbon rebate by name when doing direct deposits are forcing the government to change the law to make them do it, says Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.
Ontario woman loses $15,000 to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.