Information and Alerts

Alert

On November 22, 2019 and again on December 5, 2019, BBB requested that Sophia Berton communicate a plan to alleviate a pattern of consumer complaints, and answer questions about the company and its practices. To date, BBB has not received a response from Sophia Berton.

The pattern of consumer complaints alleged advertising, billing, customer service, and refund issues. Notably, consumers alleged that after ordering what they believed were free trials, they were unknowingly signed up for recurring monthly purchases.

The questions BBB asked Sophia Berton addressed topics including the company's location, its owners, possible associated companies, and disclosures regarding its membership program. 

Ad Review

BBB promotes truth in advertising by contacting advertisers whose claims conflict with the BBB Code of Advertising. BBB asks advertisers to prove their claims, change ads to make offers clearer to consumers, and remove misleading or deceptive statements. 

On November 11, 2019, BBB requested the company to substantiate or modify the following claim(s) found on the company’s website, in accordance with the BBB Code of Advertising: 

A pattern of complaints alleges enrollment in the company’s auto-ship program without their consent. Sophia Berton advertises free trial offers for its products. Consumers that sign up for the free trial period are enrolled in a monthly subscription for additional products but are not aware of the automatic membership program due to the lack of a clear and conspicuous disclosure of the process. Section 18, (Negative Option Plans, Continuity Plans and Automatic Shipments) in the BBB Code of Advertising maintains that “any advertisement for a product or service that includes an offer to sell or provide consumers with additional goods or services under a negative option feature must include a clear and conspicuous disclosure of all material terms of the negative option feature.” Material terms should be clear and conspicuous prior to a consumer providing personal information, and include the existence of the negative option feature, the cost of the additional goods or services, how consumers can cancel and avoid future shipments and charges, and how consumers can return items that they do not want. 

In addition, the company advertises several health-related claims associated with their product. BBB requested the business substantiate the claims per standards outlined in BBB's Code of Advertising (Section 34, Claimed Results). Claims as to efficacy or results which will be obtained by or realized from a particular product or service should be based on recent and competent scientific or other objective data. Advertisers should be prepared to substantiate such claims.

As of December 11, 2019, the business has not responded to BBB’s request for substantiation or modified the advertising. As of December 11, 2019, the website, https://sophiabertoncream.com/, is active, but now redirects to a new product, Ultra Beauty Cream. 

BBB encourages businesses in any industry to employ to BBB’s Code of Advertising as a standard, and consumers to do some research, such as checking with BBB, before doing any business.