Momentum Direct: Sounds Too Good to be True

The offer sounds too good to be true: log into a website, fill in a form that collects information that would be on a personal check, agree to pay shipping and handling, and get a 'FREE trial product.'

Your checking account has an amount equal to the shipping and handling charge taken out, and you wait.

Eventually, nothing has arrived, but more money gets taken out of your checking account.

Later, more money is removed.

I talked to someone who had a run-in with Momentum Direct, a company which is developing a reputation for operating like this. As a rule, I identify my sources, but this time I didn't get permission.

The person I know lost about $300.00 before noticing the loss. Happily, this person tracked records and talked with an officer of the bank within 60 days of the start of this mess. There will be a $20.00 charge, but that seems to be the extent of the damage.

This isn't an isolated case. A few minutes on Google turned up:

• "Unauthorized charges to bank account"
  Complaint Wire
  Excerpt:
  "By Jasmine, 27 Jul 2007 | Country: United States
  "I tried a free trial of Perma Slim from Momentum Direct. I paid about $9 dollars in shipping and 2 weeks later I received the pills."
• "Report: Momentum Direct"
  Ripoff Report
  Excerpt:
  "Momentum Direct Attn: Contact Your Bank's Fraud Unit Immediately Concerning Momentum Direct Magnolia Texas *EDitor's Suggestions on how to get your money back into your bank account!
  "Ladyc
  Burlington, New Jersey
  "On 11/27/07 I ordered a free trial product from Momentum Direct and paid by electronic check, the only method of payment they said they accepted. Terms and Conditions of the Free Trial Program states that if you feel the product is not for you, simply send the bottle back within the 2-week trial period and you will not be charged. If you liked it, then do nothing and you would be charged the member's price of $49.95 for the bottle."
  
• "Momentum Direct"
  Complaints Board
  Excerpt:
  "Posted: 2006-12-21 by K. E.
  "Momentum Direct is a scam!
  "Ordered a FREE trial product from momentum direct where it says you only have to pay for shipping. The only method of payment they accept is an electronic check. After I had not received anything for a few weeks I tried to contact the company at (281) 356-1400. The phone would ring twice then disconnect. I tried to call several times but still the same thing. Then today I had another electronic check posted to my bank account with the same check number as the one that I had used to pay for the shipping. It was from momentum direct for 49.95. I did not authorize any such payment and was very upset, especially since I never received anything from them.

Bottom line here is that quite a few people have been very disappointed in their dealings with Momentum Direct.

Since the company has been playing this game for around two years, at least, I'm guessing that either it's one of those unethical-but-legal things: or that nobody's gotten around to bringing charges.

I won't advocate any course of action, but will observe that I don't intend to have dealings with Momentum Direct.

To make sure that I don't harm the image of an unrelated company, here's the contact information for Momentum Direct. No link: that didn't seem like the right thing to do.

Momentum Direct
1010 South Magnolia Boulevard
Magnolia, TX 77355

www.momentumdirect.net