Trading standards in Northern Ireland have warned that patients who sign up to an online offer promising “free” slimming pills are actually being charged £69 per month.

Customers were tricked into buying the diet pills each month, though they thought they would only be paying for postage and packaging of the products. The details of the offer were hidden in the lengthy terms and conditions, which actually forced customers to buy a regular monthly supply of weight-loss pills.

The customers only realised they had been conned when the second payment came out of their account the next month.

The case highlighted the number of con-artists who are operating on the internet, claiming to sell slimming pills.

Many sites use people’s desperation about being overweight to rip them off, even potentially putting their health at risk. Some claim to sell the weight-loss pills Reductil, which are legally only allowed to be sold with a prescription.

Companies are bypassing this, meaning the drug is offered without a doctor’s supervision. This then puts people with contra-indications for Reductil, such as impaired liver function or high blood pressure, at serious risk.

Other internet firms purport to offer diet pills like Tesofensine or Acomplia, which are actually not being manufactured by the pharmaceutical company that owns the rights to them. Acomplia lost it license in Europe and the U.S last year, while Tesofensine is still in the clinical trial stage.

Companies claim that they are selling “genuine” diet pills which in fact are counterfeit. There is also a problem with offers for other types of weight loss solutions, which have not had clinical trials and are generally ineffective.
The manager of the Northern Irish consumer group Consumerline said that the case highlighted the potential risk of buying things like weight-loss pills without consulting a doctor first.

He said, “Slimming aids can be very expensive and, for some of the products on sale, there is little scientific evidence that using them will result in successful weight loss – indeed, consumers could even be potentially putting their health at risk.

“Research into slimming aids has shown that some products on the market are worthless and even dangerous, containing untested and potentially harmful ingredients.

“Consumers should always seek professional advice from their doctor or pharmacist before purchasing slimming or other health products.”

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