You're on social media or surfing the web when you see an ad for a free trial of a new wrinkle cream or diet pill. It may be endorsed by a celebrity and all you have to pay is a small fee for shipping and handling. But that free trial may be anything but free.
The Better Business Bureau released a new report Wednesday on what it calls "subscription traps and deceptive free trials." It says these schemes have hurt millions worldwide.
"I come across these sorts of ads, not trying to look for them, on almost a daily basis," said Steve Baker, author of the report, who is an international investigation specialist at the BBB, in a phone interview with CNBC. "These things have just permeated the internet at this point."
Free trials are also on the radar of the Federal Trade Commission, which has brought actions against companies in this sector.
"Think of free trial offers as a hook. And they are a hook to get consumer credit card information," said Janet Evans, a lawyer with the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. "Consumers lose money and we get a lot of complaints on them."
The BBB identified 36,986 complaints over the last three years, though not all involve monetary loss. The average amount lost was $186, according to the group's report.
