NextClick Media
NextClick Media is a company that provides marketing services to Internet-based commerce businesses. It began operating in 2006 out of San Francisco. Its Web site advertises that it offers "an integrated suite of marketing services that help our ecommerce clients optimize conversion and monetize their installed base customers." It also states the company will help clients "maximize the value of their advertising dollars," convert visitors to their Web site into paying customers and maximize the "lifetime value of those customers."[1]
Federal Trade Commission suit
On May 7, 2008, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission announced that it was taking action against NextClick Media for misrepresenting the costs associated with the “free” trial of an herbal quit-smoking patch product it offered on several Web sites. The FTC also charged the company with failure to disclose material facts, unauthorized billing of consumers credit cards, and for making false claims about the smoking cessation patches that violated the FTC Act. FTC also charged NextClick Media with withdrawing funds from consumers’ accounts without their authorization in violation of the Electronic Fund Transfer Act.
FTC charged that NextClick Media operated several Web sites that deceptively offered “free” 10- day trials for an herbal stop-smoking patch called “Nicocure,” “Stop Smoking 180,” and “Zero Nicotine.” The sites advertised that consumers would only pay for shipping and handling. NextClick ran ads in large type that said “FREE 10-Day Supply plus shipping and handling,” and “TRY IT FREE.” Consumers engaging in the “free trial” had to provide their credit or debit card number to pay for the shipping charge. But, instead of sendng a 10-day trial size package, the company sent a 30-day supply and told customers they had to pay for all 30 days of product if they wanted to keep it. Consumers who tried to return the unused product had to pay return postage and were charged a $7.95 restocking fee. None of this was disclosed adequately by the sites.
Consumers who signed up for the free trial also found that by doing so, they were agreeing to be enrolled in a "continuity program" that would be automatically bill them monthly charges of up to $99.95 until they cancelled. But, the operators deliberately misled consumers into believing they would not be automatically enrolled. Statements on their Web site claimed, “Your 10 day trial is absolutely free! Charges will only be made to your credit card if you find that StopSmoking180 is the product for you and you choose to continue with the stop smoking 180 program for a discounted membership price.”
After the FTC took action against the company, NextClick agreed to stop their deceptive practices.
NextClick Media did business as StopSmoking180.com, StopSmokingResolution.com and BeautifulSkin.com[2]
Contact
NextClick Media, Inc.
2525 Charleston Road
Suite 101
Mountain View, CA 94043
Website: http://www.nextclickmedia.com/index.html
References
- ↑ Web site of NextClick Media, accessed May 7, 2008
- ↑ U.S. Federal Trade Commission “Free Trial” Smoking Cessation Patch Promoter Halts Deceptive Practices; Trials Weren’t Free, Patches Didn’t Work As Claimed, FTC Alleges Press release. May 7, 2008
