Deerfield Beach's Vitacost.com files plan to go public

Co-owners contact info-
Dr. Allen S. Josephs
340 East Northfield Road
Suite 2A
Livingston, NJ 07039
Look up the number!

Don't buy from vitacost they will sell your card number to other scammers. I have had this happen to me twice and it is time consuming to go to the bank to dispute.

I wish I had read all your messages before ordering some pills from Vitacost. Anyone who is considering this option: DO NOT DO IT!
I thought it was a good deal, but shipping to Europe means handling and packaging in English American. So although I considered the shipping payd, I had to pay another 21 Euros to get my package.

My wife ordered from Vitacost last spring and that is when the Shopping Essentials charges began on our Citi Mastercard. Why is Vitacost associated with Shopping Essentials? Vitacost seems to offer a good product at a good price. Why ruin their reputation? The other bizarre thing is that credit card companies know about this fraud and they continue to process the monthly charges. Why didn't Citi notify me of this charge the first month it showed up? I am retired and have the time to pursue these issues. I charge a lot on my Citi card for frequent flyer miles. Why would they jepordize my business to process fraudelent charges from Shopping Essentials SHOPESSPLUS 877-442-5774? The way I discovered the $19.95 charge is because the Citi fraud department contacted me about a different fraudelent charge on my card. I filed a dispute and claimed that I never received the product that I never ordered. Then I looked at every charge on my statement and discovered SHOPESSPLUS. Why would Citi notify me about one fraud on my card and not another? I am really disappointed with Citi AAdvantage World MasterCard. Now the fun begins.

I have never been to a vitacost website , however I have incurred the same charge from this shopes essentials company recently.

Exact same thing happened to me. When citibank tried to dispute it I was told it was through a subscription link for a $10 discount for Vitacost that I clicked on. And when the subscription didnt get canceled it automatically bills my cc. This is just bull***... I remember clicking on a $10 discount but nowhere did it say it was for a subscription. Oh well at least they are credting my $19.95 and canceled whatever that subscription was.

Richard Raleigh NC wrote:

My wife ordered from Vitacost last spring and that is when the Shopping Essentials charges began on our Citi Mastercard. Why is Vitacost associated with Shopping Essentials? Vitacost seems to offer a good product at a good price. Why ruin their reputation? The other bizarre thing is that credit card companies know about this fraud and they continue to process the monthly charges. Why didn't Citi notify me of this charge the first month it showed up? I am retired and have the time to pursue these issues. I charge a lot on my Citi card for frequent flyer miles. Why would they jepordize my business to process fraudelent charges from Shopping Essentials SHOPESSPLUS 877-442-5774? The way I discovered the $19.95 charge is because the Citi fraud department contacted me about a different fraudelent charge on my card. I filed a dispute and claimed that I never received the product that I never ordered. Then I looked at every charge on my statement and discovered SHOPESSPLUS. Why would Citi notify me about one fraud on my card and not another? I am really disappointed with Citi AAdvantage World MasterCard. Now the fun begins.

Below is what I received from VitaCost after I communicated my dissatisfaction about their business relationship with Shopping Essentials.

Pamela Widener <Pamela.Widener@VitaCost.co m>

Dawn Michaud <Dawn.Michaud@VitaCost.com >


Subject: RE: My account - shopping essentials From: Richard

Priority: Normal Date: Thursday, August 6, 2009 3:03 PM Size: 27 KB

Dear Richard

Thank you for contacting Vitacost.com . In order for your Shopping Essentials membership to be activated you would have had to enter your email address twice and selected the “Yes” button. By selecting yes, you authorized Vitacost.com to provide your information to Shopping Essentials. Immediately below the boxes where you entered your email address is the statement:“By clicking ‘Yes” I have read and agree to the Offer Details displayed to the left and authorize Vitacost.com to securely transfer my name, address and credit/debit card information to Shopping Essentials, a service provider of Vitacost.com .

The Offer Details, which were provided next to the yes and no thanks buttons, stated the length of the free trial, auto renewal information, the amount of the subscription fee, as well as a toll free number for cancellation. In addition, during the trial membership, Shopping Essentials sends out a welcome email so that you may cancel and avoid being billed after the free trial period. Since you have already contacted Shopping Essentials and cancelled your membership you will not have any additional charges from them. In the future if you place an order online and the pop up appears offering the membership; as long as you click “No Thanks,” and do not fill out the survey and enter in your email address twice you will not be signed up for the membership.

I hope this information has answered any questions you may have and I do apologize for any confusion or inconvenience this may have caused you. If you need further assistance please contact customer service.

Around six months ago I was charged a fee of $85 for "free shipping" from Shopping Essentials on my credit card as a result of clicking on a link that advertised free shipping on the Vitacost site. I thought if Vitacost sponsors it, it has to be legit. Wrong. When I called Shopping Essentials and told them I would not pay their $85 for free shipping, they tried to convince me what a good deal it was, that I would not have to pay shipping for the whole year. I was disinterested in this royal bargain. They then told me they can cancel my order, but I'd have to pay an $8.00 service charge for "placing the order" I never placed. I told them I would not pay that $8.00 under any circumstance. They then shut down my on-line Vitacost account. Who are these scary people? How do they put their head down on their pillow at night?

We stopped buying from Vitacost. Vitacost decided to allow these popups to appear after a purchase from Vitacost so I hold Vitacost responsible for the situation. I wonder who really owns the popups? There seem to be many versions of the 'subscription' ploy. If there is no legal recourse for Shopping Essentials programs then we can just stop shopping with any company that links with their popups.

I did a google search on Vitacost NSI lead and about 8 entries down I found the following link: http://talkpsoriasis.org/showthread.php...
More information about lead in NSI products and supposedly NSI is owned by Vitacost. again, I say,"what next?"

http://www.ripoffreport.com/Telemarketers/Ver...

and yet another link to a Rip Off Report where someone wrote a detailed letter which was copied to CitiBank's fraud department. This letter was sent in 2006. Why is Citibank continueing to process transactions for Shopping Essentials? Citi AAdvantage MasteCard phoned me about another scam item on my statement so why did they not phone me the first month that Shopping Essentials appeared on my monthly credit card statement? The person from Rip Off paid out over $500. Today Citi Cards sent me letters stating, "Our investigation is now complete and we are pleased to inform you that the conditional credit you received for $19.95 is now permanent." This credited me for charges on 5/21/9 and 6/20/9. Now I will pursue older charges. When you google Shopping Essentials Scam there are over 160,000 entries. Just how much money has Shopping Essentials collected over the years?

link to info on NSI scientific advisory board

http://www.vitacost.com/Company/AdvisoryBoard...

Dr. Allen S. Josephs, Co-Founder & Chairman, Vitacost.com
Is currently in private practice in neurology with Essex Neurological Associates and is Section Chief of Neurology at St. Barnabas Hospital, a 600-bed hospital in Livingston, New Jersey. Dr. Josephs served his neurology residency at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York, where he also served as Chief Resident in Neurology. In addition, he has served as the Chairman of the Ethics Committee of Beth Israel Hospital. Dr. Josephs is board certified in Internal Medicine and Neurology. He is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, the Essex County Medical Society, and Alpha Omega Honor Medical Society.

This scam is still going on. Vitacost frauded me starting in July 2009. I just caught the recurring charges on my card October 2009. Vitacost is run by thieves. Beware of these scumbags and take your business elsewhwere.

I have not engaged in any business with Vitacost or Shopping Essentials and have had a bill of $19.95 charged to my account. What?! Who are they and what are they doing? I cannot afford this...I also received a charge from Passport 2 fun plus for the same amount. I have not participated in anything with them either. Nor have I ever received an e-mail reminding my of a free-trial period. Vitacost and whoever else is involved in this scam better figure it out. I am outraged.

I do not know how you came to this forum if it has nothing to do with Vitacost or Shopping Essentials? If you type the exact entry on your credit card statement in this forum then when other people google that entry then they will get this forum.

SHOPESSPLUS 877-442-5774 was what appeared on my credit card statement with a charge of $19.95

I disputed 3 months of charges and have disputed a couple of other scams. All my disputes were settled in my favor by CitiCard MasterCard. Enough people must not dispute these charges so the companies keep on with the scam.

I now use a 'virtual' credit card number when ordering anything over the web or over the phone. This is a service provided by CitiCard and is very easy to use. The virtual card number can only be used once.

800-739-2601
Vitacost has NUMEROUS issues that affect the consumers on a number of levels. I have been a customer for years and because of my busy lifestyle and the low prices on their products they always seemed the convenient choice for my vitamin purchases. I also have to admit that I have paid quite a heavy price for their low prices in the form of extreme aggravation , lost time and money and I am ceasing my business for them due to this last situation.
They have an awful policy of charging your credit card twice within a 24 -36 hour period.
What that does is freezes your account with that amount of money for five business days.
I've had this problem with them before and forgot about this policy when I ordered this last time around.
Vitacost has a terrible phone service , at least once or twice a week their phone lines go completely down .
When you are one of the lucky ones to get though , you are stuck on hold no less than 15 to 20 minutes and the voice of this shrill woman at high octaves comes on every 60 seconds and states in a most annoying Robin Leach esque voice " never wait on hold again " and proc eeds to tell you that your place in line will be held with a call back number and when it is your turn , vitacost will call you back.
Guess what ? They NEVER call you back.
The only other alternative is to wait on hold with that horrible voice they have chosen for their system.
This time around they have caused me six overdraft fees as a result of charging my card twice.
My account is upside down and after calling four days in a row and getting the run around , I am still nowhere except highly distressed.
My orders through the years have always been in the hundreds of dollars range , some closer to a thousand dollars and they have caused issues with my parents,my grandmother , and two colleagues...what are the odds ?
They screw up way too many times , they abuse your credit card in return they do nothing to make it right , other than just sending you in circles.
I highly suggest a company J&J Health Foods , their prices compete with vitacost, and they deliver.
Vitacost needs to be investigated for their policies , not to mention their crapshoot service , with them , it's the luck of the draw.
If you are going to order from Vitacost.com , order at your own risk!