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eDiets.com

eDiets.com review: eDiets is not a reputable site, it is a scam! 19

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Author of the review
12:00 am EDT
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This review was chosen algorithmically as the most valued customer feedback.

Quoted from eDiets spam I received: "Your goals and success are very important to us!" I have found this to be as far from the truth as possible. That is the main reason I decided to cancel my subscription.

I asked that when my 28-day cycle was up, they cancel my subscription, then leave me and my money alone. No more spam, no more charges. They then sent me an email stating I would have to continue paying $17.96 per month for three months or pay a $25.00 cancellation fee. Being charged $25.00 to cancel, in my opinion is ridiculous. I paid my $17.96 for 28-days worth of access to the site, at 11 days I made the decision to cancel (which tells you how much use I got out of the site).

In the "agreed upon terms" it says: "After the FIRST 28 day billing cycle, your credit card will be billed $17.96 every 28 days UNTIL YOU CANCEL your membership." Well, I requested they cancel my membership as soon as the FIRST 28- day billing cycle (which I have already paid for) is up.

I then realized that in one place they made mention of "the third 28-day billing cycle" but everything else in the "agreed upon terms" states you may cancel any time, including the quote I mentioned above. They do not mention the word THIRD until right before the FIFTH time they mention 28-days. I am sure this was intentional. The majority of average human beings would miss the word third when it was only mentioned one time, verses “28-days” being mentioned 5 times in a paragraph.

So, in retrospect, kudos to eDiets for figuring out how to rip-off thousands of people for at least $25.00.

eDiets is not a reputable site, it is a scam. At the very least upon reading this anyone curious/interested in eDiets will know to go through everything said (especially terms and conditions) with a fine tooth comb.

Thank you for your time,
T. Tomarkin

cc: help AT ediets.com-

Just a note to the less-than-friendly folks at ediets.com; Thank you so much for regurgitating your rulebook in response to my request to cancel verses actually attempting to resolve this issue. It seems that many others have taken issue with your fine print terms and conditions as well. Hopefully with enough complaints (to 3rd party organizations) you will be more considerate about your customer care/support.

More eDiets.com reviews & complaints

eDiets.com - billing practices 9
Resolved
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
19 comments
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Kelly Payne
, US
Jun 27, 2016 10:37 am EDT

I cannot find a phone number to actually reach someone in person- the only thing I can find is a contact form on their website, and I have written this 3 times with no response. I have been charged for joining eDiets last Tuesday and it has been a week now without being able to access my plan. What horrible customer service that doesn't even include a phone number to talk to someone in person.

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Abbie CL
, US
Feb 12, 2013 7:14 pm EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I actually don't mind the food. For what it is, it's OK. The people on the other hand, are something else. Due to a medical condition, I must carefully monitor my nutrition; however, the nutrition labels on the eDiets food often do not match the nutrition labels posted on-line or on a sheet the nutritionist sent me. I have called and e-mailed many, many times asking which are correct, and I have been completely ignored. Over Christmas they did change some, but not all, of their on-line nutrition labels; however, even many that were changed still don't match the food labels. Which are correct? After 1.5 months of asking, I still don't know. The other problem is I am frequently sent food different than what I order - food that doesn't meet my nutritional needs and/or food I don't like. I guess there are reasons why they have an "F" rating from the Better Business Bureau.

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kentstephens
Dedham, US
Jun 22, 2012 9:45 am EDT

I keep searching online for some way to actually contact eDiets. It is unreal, they owe our company $13K for online advertising from 2011 and for the life of me, I cannot get a single response from their company, either by email, phone call or snail mail. We signed a contract to deliver this advertising and are basically screwed for the money now. I know I can use an agency, I just keep thinking if someone would contact me back we could work it out, I cannot get a single response in 9 months! VERY FRUSTRATING!

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laurie8
Helotes, US
Apr 12, 2012 11:00 pm EDT

i just got off the phone with ediets. they are rude and had no intention of rectifying my situation. i was under the impression that they would bill me 175.00 every 3 weeks when i joined. when i realized i was being charged weekly and was down 900.00, i called immediately to cancel my membership and try to get a refund. they were VERY rude and quoted word by word the 'terms and agreement clause' aka, fine print. nonetheless, i called my bank immediately after that and cancelled the card they were charging. then today, i realize they actually tried to charge my card again and were unable to so they contacted me to tell me they were going to give me a 105.00 credit and needed me to call my bank with a 'number' they gave me. however, i continued questioning my situation only to find out that had i actually given my bank the number ediets gave me, it would have RELEASED the funds to ediets! omg! this is an awful internet company and if anyone has any ideas how to make them accountable for all this please let me know!

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dave2479
, US
Mar 09, 2012 10:46 pm EST

i used this program in the past and stopped it because i had to cut back on expenses.i want to get back on it to lose some weight and my friend said to read this website before re-joining.i honestly am shocked at these complaints.i had no such problems when i signed up.they were pretty clrear about how much they were going to charge me and how there was a cut off date if i wanted to cancel so they wouldn't send me the food for the next week.Matter of fact the girl i spoke with didn't let me get off the phone until she read all the disclaimers to me. I cancelled after a month and a half and it was pretty easy also.I called, said i wanted to cancel and they tried to ask why and offered me a lower price but i said no and they cancelled it.so again i don't understand all these complaints.

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Elash
Kingsland, US
Jul 13, 2010 12:24 am EDT

I tried to sign up tonight. They charged my credit card and then the login information didn't work. I checked my credit card transactions and they had charged me once and tried to charge three more times but were declined. I called the number and they told me they hadn't charged me. I started to argue and the girl on the phone started yelling my first name, not Mrs. So and So like you're supposed to do on a business call and said, "I'm trying to help you!"
I asked for her manager. I was told that they had merely put a hold on the money and couldn't refund the money for three to five days, but if I pay them again they would set up an account.
So I got online tech support in a chat. He told me the problem was with my bank and that they had not charged me. I told him I was looking at the charge and that I had checked my balance before the charge and it was now down by exactly the amount I had been trying to pay them. There was nothing he would do. He would not let me send him a screenshot, just kept insisting I had not been charged. Don't deal with this company. They suck.

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navyvet123
Phoenix, US
Feb 23, 2010 9:57 am EST

SIMPLE SOLUTION.

Hello everyone, the solution is simple. I worked for one of the major credit card companies for more than 10 years. If you are not satisfied and can't get through to cancel the program or continue to be billed after cancellation or get charged a cancellation fee that is not supported by contract, just contact your credit card for assistance. Your credit card company will work on your behalf to immediately cancel the service and the billing will stop. Credit card companies call this a "continuous billing dispute" and to my vast knowledge of the subject, credit card companies are contractually obligated to cancel these services at your request. I would however try cancelling in writing first, keep the letter and maybe send the letter twice. The CC company will go back and cancel from the time the first cancellation letter was written. However, it is my experience, that a good credit card company like Amex will take care of this immediately without all the letter writing. But the letter writing will give your CC company proof, so keep the letters and you will get the satisfaction you are looking for. My first call is always to my credit card company. If you are a good credit card customer who spends a lot of money, sometimes the card company will give you the money out of the own pocket, so to speak. But you would need to be an exceptional customer.
Now, I am a disabled Vet and need someone to cook for me, but it's hard to believe that ediets can deliver the food they advertise for $18/month. But I see no complaints about the food, just the cost. I don't care what it costs. How's the food?

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Rominagata
Pittsburgh, US
Oct 22, 2009 1:12 pm EDT

I just called in to cancel and was told I have to pay the $25.
Term and agreements should not be that difficult to read.
It doesn't matter, I told the woman I was talking to on the phone I was going to tell my friends to not use this site. She got quiet. I asked if she was there. She said yes. I said "Ok? Thanks" but she hung up.

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against predatory companies
, US
Oct 06, 2009 3:11 pm EDT

Ediets is a fraudulent company, simply put. Little did I know that when I "accepted the terms" I allowed ediets to charge my debit card monthly ad infinitum. I decided not to sign up officially, and NEVER accessed their site, but still received monthly charges simply because I "accepted the terms". Beware: their is not official "enroll now" button to click, nor does one receive and email confirming your enrollment. One only knows she is a member when her credit card is charged. Don't expect ediets to be helpful. They will not refund nor waive the "early cancellation fee", which was NOT mentioned expect for in fine print under the "terms", because they are predatory, making money NOT by their goods/services, but by extorting its customers.

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J_C_Parry
Ponca City, US
Sep 28, 2009 12:17 pm EDT

I agree. I signed up, tried it for a couple of weeks and discovered that I could get the same information for free from other sites on the Internet. I phoned to cancel (funny how these companies allow you to sign-up online but require you to phone in to cancel) and was notified that there is a 3 month minimum or a $25 early termination fee. I went online and used the "Chat" feature to try to find out more. Following is a copy of my conversation:

Please wait while we find an agent to assist you...
You have been connected to Felicia M..
Customer: I just phoned to cancel my subscription and was told there was a 3 month committment and a $25 early termination fee.
Customer: I just reviewed the documentation sent to me and there is no mention of this fee. I don't believe you can legally attempt to hold me to such a contract. Can you advise where this committment is stipulated?
Felicia M.: Thank you for contacting Member Support this is Felicia. May I please have your e-mail address so that I can look up your account?
Customer:XXX@Somewhere.com
Felicia M.: For John Doe
Customer: Yes.
Felicia M.: Mr.Doe, when you register for the program before the system will allow your registration to go through, you have to click acceptance to the terms and agreements of the program. That is where the Early Termination Fee is discussed.
Customer: Is this policy posted somewhere I can view it?
Felicia M.: Yes if you go back to the area where you originally registered for the program and scroll down to the bottom of the screen, the terms and agreements are listed there.
Customer: Thank you for the information. It seems like a scam however, since it states that you can cancel anytime. Only after reading further, do you see that there is a $25 early termination fee. If the company really believed in their product, I don't think they would have such a questionable stipulation. Don't you agree?
Customer: It does not directly state that you are commited to 3 months. It only states, that if you terminate before 3 months, you will be billed 25 dollars. This seems pretty suspect. If this was above board, why wouldn't it openly state that you are agreeing to a 3 month commitment (in a prominent area of the screen?)
Customer: I can't imagine I am the only one to be frustrated by this.
Customer: Is this the first you have experienced re. an unhappy customer that believes that eDiets has acted questionably with this behavior?
Customer: Hello? Felicia -- are you still there?
Felicia M.: Mostly when members have not read through the terms and agreements and agree to them, then they do question the policy. But it is indicated in bold print in the second paragraph.
Customer: So the company is more interested in getting the $25 rather than keeping satisfied customers?

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cyndiak002
Wasilla, US
Jul 21, 2009 2:06 pm EDT

I wish I had checked out reviews of ediets before I joined - I have exactly the same issues described by others here, and I feel like I've been ripped off, no doubt about that. They count on you to not read all the fine print and make it confusing, and I can't begin to imagine how much revenue this issue alone has put in their pockets. I won't even say "it's my fault, I should have read it all" because I thought it was such a highly visible and seemingly well received plan and website, I actually thought "they wouldn't do anything like that." Well, silly me. I'm in the process of writing reviews everywhere I can about these practices. I'm not going to be an apathetic consumer anymore, not in these tough economic times.

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Ravinia
, US
Apr 08, 2009 1:26 pm EDT

apparently they still have issues. Beware - the first week's order is NONREFUNDABLE. you sign up without seeing the full menus (just a small "sample") and if you decide to cancel, you will still be charged. I gave 10 days notice before delivery of the first order, but was recited the terms of service and BS about how "the lead time to set up a new account" meant it couldn't be cancelled. BS. BS, borderline unethical and bad customer relations.

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marez
,
Sep 23, 2008 6:10 pm EDT

I totally agree! I cancelled two months in...I had only logged on to the site TWICE. The agent that I spoke with was rude and patronizing. He made no apologies, tell me it was my fault because the information was in the terms and conditions. When I said that he was providing poor customer serivce he simply stated that he did not agree, that customer service involved relating company policies to the customer.

SO. He cancels my account. I go online a minute later and find that they are going to charge me a 25 dollar early termination fee...wouldn't it have been nice for the agent to RELATE that company policy to me.

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Mindy
,
Mar 10, 2008 1:29 pm EDT

I also found it impossible to get ediets to cancel my account. I called over and over during a 2 month period, sat on hold for more than an hour each time. I would eventually be hung up on, and my emails were ignored. At this point, I called and pretended I wanted to buy something new...when I got a human I was finally able (with much use of my angry teacher voice) to convince them to refund my money and cancel my account. Given that just happened I don't hold much hope yet of getting my money back (having read in other comments here that other's didn't have much luck!), but at least I got an actual person instead of the horrible on hold music!

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Barbara
,
Mar 09, 2008 11:47 am EDT

Boy, I wish I read these complaints before I signed up with ediets.com. I, too, cannot get through to their phone number to cancel the subscription. I faxed my request letter to cancel and followed up by Fed Ex'ing the letter. I requested that Fed Ex get a proof of delivery signature. At least I have all of this documentation to give to my credit card company in my request to keep ediets.com from billing my credit card anymore. After reading all these complaints, I'm thinking of changing my credit card account number!

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Janice Billq
,
Mar 04, 2008 1:52 pm EST

I also have tried to cancel my eDiet account and have had the same experience with being put on hold. When I have finally gotten through they told me they would cancel it but continue to charge us. We are going to report them to our Credit Card company and as frauds and PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY.

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Karen
,
Mar 03, 2008 7:03 pm EST

EDIETS IS A HUGE RIP-OFF! DO NOT BUY INTO THIS SERVICE! I have been unable to change my diet plan for 3 weeks now. I have emailed 3 times with no response. I have called multiple times and I am either hung up on or the call is simply never answered (after an hour). I have no idea how to cancel because I can't get any response. I've sent a complaint to the Better Business Bureau, but if they keep charging me I don't know how to cancel without going to court.

AVOID THIS FRAUDULENT COMPANY!

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Rhiannon Reid
,
Jan 01, 2008 7:23 pm EST

I too had charges starting to be taken out of my account again by Ediets after cancelling it almost a year ago. They claimed they had no record of my cancellation, but no charges were being taken up to the last two months. Very suspitious to me.

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Harvey Cook
,
Sep 24, 2007 4:23 pm EDT

My wife received her credit card bill today and the only charge made was $89.00 from ediets. This is AFTER she CANCELLED 25 months ago

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