Company's "free" trial for diapers and wipes could end up costing you big if you miss the terms.
|
UPDATE 10/10/17: The Honest Company has agreed to pay $1.55 million to settle allegations that it misrepresented several cleaning products as “free” of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) when the products actually contained the ingredient. Information on how consumers can file a claim for restitution can be found here. Our original ad alert follows.
Behind the diaper dancing in this commercial for The Honest Company is a decidedly less cute condition about the company’s free trial of diapers and wipes. The stinky stipulation: Automatic enrollment into a monthly auto-ship program that will charge you $79.95 per month if you don’t cancel within seven days of receiving your gratis diapers and wipes.
The commercial’s fine print notes that the free trial is tied to an auto-ship program but fails to disclose its monthly cost. For this, you have to visit the website, which, to be fair, is where the commercial says you need to go to get the free trial.
The free trial — if you can call it that, as it requires you to pay $5.95 for shipping (also revealed in the tiny print) — consists of seven diapers and 10 wipes. But be prepared to receive a lot more if you don’t opt out of the auto-ship program in time — and for a much steeper price than the cost of shipping.
The Honest Company was co-founded in 2011 by the actress Jessica Alba with promises of safer and more environmentally friendly products. It is valued at nearly $1 billion with about 80 percent of revenue coming from auto-ship program subscriptions, according to the Wall Street Journal. A recent Wall Street Journal investigation found that the company’s laundry detergent contained an ingredient, sodium lauryl sulfate aka SLS, that it said it didn’t use in its products. The company is disputing the findings but is now facing class-action lawsuits over its claim that its products are natural despite containing synthetic ingredients.
There’s honestly a lot for consumers to think about regarding these products.
Click here for more of our coverage.
This story was updated on 9/28/16.
Our Ad Alerts are not just about false and deceptive marketing issues, but may also be about ads that, although not necessarily deceptive, should be viewed with caution. Ad Alerts can also be about single issues and may not include a comprehensive list of all marketing issues relating to the brand discussed.
MADISON, CONN. August 30, 2021 – With ads for a blockbuster “2 pairs from $9.95” sale on kids shoes, online footwear and clothing retailer FabKids knows how to lure in…
Online retailer deceptively advertises members-only prices, TINA.org investigation finds.
Comparing the amount companies agree to pay to settle deceptive marketing charges with their annual revenue.