Most of you are too young to remember, "Buy now and we'll send you CD's each month for just $9.95 per month, keep only the ones you want, cancel anytime"
This is the same thing. It may feel scuzzy, but they do tell you this up front, and while they hope you forget, it isn't a scam, it is just preying on the uninformed.
Almost all commercial software, movies and pretty much the entire licensing business model are scams then. Nobody reads the EULAs or equivalent thereof. And if people did read them, and consider thoroughly their implications, then you might see significant drop offs in purchases. Then again this is HN so that sentiment may actually garner a lot of support.
That's different. For most software and movies, people not reading legalese isn't the core of your business. You make money on people buying your DVD, not on gotchas buried in license agreements. (Or, at least, I hope.)
JustFab is different. JustFab's viability depends on people not reading the fine print on the side. As I understand it, their "VIP Program" is their main differentiator.
I also know that those dubious tactics were used to draw people in, but in the end there had to be explicit consent to the subscription model, hence they always emphasized the "you can cancel anytime" part.
JustFab doesn't do that. It crosses the line from "scuzzy" into "scam" by totally obscuring the fact that they are a subscription based service.
There's no indication that they'll automatically send you the month's featured item or even email you about what it is and that you're about to pay for it.
Rather, they're silently selling you "Credits" expecting you to forget all about it until you happen to study your credit card report some month in the future.
Whether or not this is a scam is unclear and dependent upon how clearly they tell you this upfront. We've seen enough evil UIs to know that there are many, many ways to hide this information such that a reasonable person would miss it.
"To become a JustFab VIP Member, simply purchase any JustFab item on this Site and you will be automatically enrolled in the JustFab VIP Membership Program (including the monthly, automatic purchase feature). As a JustFab VIP Member, our experts will send you a customized selection of JustFab items on the 1st day of every month. You will also receive emails, newsletters, special offers and other updates to maximize your shopping experience."
You're looking for it. If you instead were simply looking to buy a pair of shoes you would not be expecting anything at all like that. And you'd probably miss it.
It's important to note that the terms are not listed on the page where you enter your credit card information. They're listed on the "Shopping Bag" page which is 3 pages prior in the checkout process. There is nothing to fill out on the "Shopping Bag" page. The only action the user can take is to click the "Continue Checkout" button. Most users, myself included, would just quickly click through such a page.
When you go to actually submit your order you have to confirm "I accept the terms of Just Fab VIP Membership Program", but it's pretty common to have to accept terms when filling out forms online and pretty uncommon that anyone clicks the link to read them.
This is pretty insidious behavior on JustFab's part. It might be legal but it's definitely not moral.
yes. When I put my credit card in to an online site I say. "Do I trust these people not to steal my identity, to not over charge me, to send me what I ordered?" and only if all the answers are yes to I push "submit".
That's why I still have a roof over my head and money in my bank account, and there isn't some Nigerian Prince with a Mercedes purchased with my money.
"To become a JustFab VIP Member, simply purchase any JustFab item on this Site. Doing so will automatically enroll you in the JustFab VIP Membership Program. This program will charge your method of payment at the rate of $39.99 USD monthly, and in return, our experts will send you a customized selection of JustFab items on the 1st day of every month that you may choose from and pay for using this credit. Any remaining credit at the end of each month is rolled over into the next month. You will also receive emails, newsletters, special offers and other updates to maximize your shopping experience. Save up for a few months to get that pair of shoes you just can't live without! Any accrued credit is non-transferable and redeemable only through JustFab.com."
However, something tells me this version wouldn't fly during the board meeting.
I actually clearly remember that - and at least they did send me something every month - reminding that my card is getting charged.
And yes, it still felt scammy and I was glad to unsubscribe as soon as possible.
Here - this is definitely anti-pattern designed to hide the fact that you are not really buying an item, but instead subscribing to something that will charge you monthly with nothing in return...
This is the same thing. It may feel scuzzy, but they do tell you this up front, and while they hope you forget, it isn't a scam, it is just preying on the uninformed.