'Phoned the CAB's 'Consumer Advice' dept about this firm this morning. (Apparently this arm of the CAB liaise with the OFT and Trading Standards Depts now). The person I spoke to confirmed that several of the terms and conditions on the website of Deadseakit.com*LONDON breach UK regs. Also the content of their online advert will be examined, plus the Health & Safety issue of failing to state the ingredients used and the expiry date of the product. The case will be investigated by 2 branches of Trading Standards: one from my own area, and one from the area of London where this firm are registered.

WOW! Disgraceful behaviour, as you say. Well first of all I'm sorry to hear that you've had so much hassle ... and secondly, thanks very much for the warning. This incident really DOES need to be widely publicised. Obviously a crime (fraud/obtaining goods & cash by deception) HAS been committed by the buyer.

OK, a bit more digging ... the domain name Deadseakit.com*LONDON has just 14 days left to run. (Expires 8th October 2012). The domain name is owned by a firm called DS Marketing Ltd who operate from premises at 788 - 790 Finchley Road, London NW11 7TJ. They aren't the sole importers/distributors of the 'Dead Sea Kit' products that are made in Israel (see ebay for at least one other example!) ... but they're the only outfit that charges extremely high prices for the products; and the only firm that 'cajoles' (dupes?) customers into signing up for 'repeat purchases'.

Interesting post. However, I take issue with the 'vanity trap' remark ... I've volunteered as a 'human guinea pig' several times previously (I'd rather smear 'products' on my 63-year-old face than have them dripped into the eyes of rabbits etc), and the Deadseakit advert that I responded to implied that this was a similar sort of thing. I was supposed to take 'before' and 'after' mug-shots, and as a 'reward' I got to keep the samples of grease. Incidentally, the company IS based in the UK ... they merely 'ship from' a P.O. Box in Israel.

Incidentally ... Cosmetic, toiletry and perfumery products (cosmetics) are subject to European laws that ensure that they are safe. These laws also require certain information to be printed or labelled on packaging. This includes an ingredient list, the contents, any warnings that might be necessary on how to use the product safely, and a "period after opening" or a "Best Before Date" to show how long the product may be kept. There is no such labelling on the Beauty Kit that I was sent:

Although this firm probably aren't acting unlawfully they're certainly using some very dubious tactics in order to shift their products! I applied online for what I *thought* were some free samples of facial moisturiser ... but what I was really applying for was a free trial of these products. (Spot the subtle difference? Well I didn't notice it at the time.) I was asked for £3.95 to cover postage ... and (silly me) used my credit card to pay for it. In due course the samples arrived ... 3 little tiny pots of 'goo'. I thought no more about it until I received my credit card statement. Not only had Deadseakit.com*LONDON taken the £3.95 for p&p, but they'd also taken £59.95 just 10 days later! Apparently the £59.95 charge was levied because I had decided to keep the product AFTER my free trial had ended! (My free trial, it appears, lasted for just 14 days ... this info is buried amongst the 'small print' at the bottom of their website). I contacted my credit card provider immediately ... but it appears that as I voluntarily supplied my credit card details to this firm there is no way that I can recoup the payment. To make matters worse ... having now read and digested their t&cs it seems that I have also entered into an 'autorefill' agreement with Deadseakit.com*LONDON ... apparently they'll send me a little pot of goo every month at £59.95 a time! (Or so they think ... but needless to say I'll be cancelling my credit card!) Ask yourselves ... what sort of firm has so little faith in its products that it has to resort to duping its customers in order to make a sale? If they truly believe that their product is worth £59.95 then why do they try to hide the price behind the 'free trial' incentive? Bah!

Hello huggy41 ... Just looked at my credit file with Experian and there are no 'accounts overdue' showing at all. There is no mention at all of the NatWest credit card or the CCJ, or any of the DCAs.

Hi All ... I'd be grateful if someone could advise me on this matter, please. In June I received a letter (dated 08/06/12) from a company I'd never heard of ... 'Experto Credite' ... claiming that I owe £355. The letter states: "Your account details have been passed to us by National Westminster Bank PLC to act as a collection agent and we will now be dealing with your account. If you are making payments to Intrum Justitia then there is no need to contact us as we have taken over the management of this account but the address and bank account remain the same, so we will continue to receive your payment." I immediately wrote to Experto and asked for further details of the alleged debt. I received their reply this morning. Apparently the debt relates to a NatWest credit card that I had in the year 2000(ish!) I was made redundant in 2001; fell into arrears with the monthly payments; and NatWest took me to Court so I was lumbered with a CCJ. I then started to make regular payments ... and once the debt had dwindled significantly, NatWest transferred it to a DCA called 'Intrum Justitia'. This was on the 8th May 2003. I was paying 'Intrum Justitia' £30/month, but missed one installment so they transferred the account to 'Geoffrey Parker Bourne Solicitors' (NB: they call themselves 'solicitors' but they're just a DCA). Now as far as I was aware, I continued to pay 'Parker Bourne' until May 2009 when I assumed (by my own calculation) that the debt had cleared. So I am completely confused ... Why would 'Experto' think that I might still be paying 'Intrum' when the debt was moved on to 'Parker Bourne' and repaid? At the end of the letter 'Experto' write: "Your account has been placed on hold for our client to respond to your request". But who is their client? And if I still owe money to 'someone', then why haven't they been in touch with me during the past 3 years?