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Gero Vita is one of the nation's largest distributors of herbal supplements and so-called "alternative health" products. Though formally pardoned by former President Clinton, Gero Vita founder Glenn Braswell has served time in federal prison for perjury and mail fraud. The Food and Drug Administration has seized Gero Vita products on several occasions and the Federal Trade Commission has prosecuted the company for allegedly making misleading claims.
In May 2003, the FTC asked a federal court to permanently bar Braswell from the health supplement business and also sought other remedies against the firm.
Theresa of Roanoke Rapids NC (09/20/06)
My grandfather has purchased the Gero-Vita G.H.3 supplement, thinking it would cure all of his aliments. He bought 8 bottles of this ****! I called the company and asked that they take back the 7 bottles that are not open and refund him his money. THEY WILL NOT! At 30.00 a bottle and my grandfather is on a fixed income, he needs that money. He is 88 years old, and now I am handling all his mail, and finances. I think they should take the unopened bottles of this garbage and refund him his money.
Alfred of Traverse City MI (09/05/06)
Ordered (1) bottle of PW1-Prostata. Merchandise never received. My VISA card was debited. Wrote (3) e-mails to help@gvistore.com informing them I had not yet received my order. When my VISA payment was due, I called VISA and informed them that the GVI item was in dispute as item had not yet been received. They redebited GVI and credited out the charge. Now I've received received an invoice from them for this amount. No one seems to reply to my plight. Never had this problem with them before as I have been dealing with these people for several years.
Janice of Cincinnati OH (01/07/06)
My ex-husband took this Gero Vita for years, to help with his memory and because he was elderly he thought this was helping him. Well I believe that this product has in fact caused him to have multible strokes, because he had high blood preasure and was on medication for this for years and he never had any problems until he started taking this Gero Vita and now he's in a nursing home. He has been diagnosed with dementia, and we have a 14-yr-old son together and the worst is my son has lost his father.
Miller of Los Angeles CA (02/21/04)
Over a period of time using the product Prostada as is sold by this company I became nausiated everytime I took these products. There is also another product sold bt this company I can't remember the name, It was suppose to contain natural steroids. I believe as a result of using this product over time I developed a severe stiffness in both of my hands that has limited my ability to do many things. I called Gero Vita to complain about this product -- they no longer advertise it in their magazines and claim they never sold it.
William of Warren PA (12/27/03)
I took a 90-day supply of Arthro 7 and it doesn't help my knee and my shoulder. I spent $98.00 and had no improvement. I tried it because of Lee Majors. They sent me a little letter with him sponsoring it. I called an 800 number to order it.
Rex of Louisville OHIO (04/21/03)
I asked to re-order Sexative Plus, a product that seemed to be helping me and was advised it was not longer being produced. I said I finally found something that was helping me and after one order it's discontinued. I suggested I should get a refund on my order since my recuperation was being interrupted through no fault of my own($61.49). The girl gave me a number to call to get my refund. While on the phone I ordered another product. The complaint number told me she couldn't refund my money because it was over 30 days old. I didn't want a refund in the first place, I wanted a re-order, but since I can't continue my progression the Sexative I thought that order price should be refunded to me.
Nadia of Greenwich CT (06/19/02)
6 months order for Arthro-7 ordered Jan 28, 2002. When recently opening the bottle - the odour was horrendous. I have never noticed this before - is this correct that there is this odour when opening a new bottle. Have been taking the Arthro-7 for 2 years.
Lisa of Los Angeles CA (08/15/01)
My friend made a $1300 order of Gero Vita products which she never received, although her June 5, 2001 check was cashed on June 28, 2001. Her numerous calls have led to empty promises and a terrible runaround. Gero Vita phone reps have gone as far as sending her to their corporate offices in Marina del Rey (California), which happens to be near her home. When she went to the office it turned out to be nothing more than a commercial post office business where Gero Vita's suite number was their post box number.
I am attempting to act as my friend's advocate in this matter because she is elderly, unwell and so upset by this fraud that her blood pressure has become dangerously high and her health is further threatened in other ways. I have discovered many complaints about the exact same issue posted on the internet. Surely there is something we can do to stop this kind of dishonest exploitation of the elderly and infirm. I am writing a certified letter to Gero Vita demanding an immediate refund by overnight mail, but my hopes of getting it are nil. I would like to know what else I can do to redress this grevious matter, who can I turn to, what agencies can support our efforts to get satisfaction.
My friend is terribly upset by the endless phone calls and empty promises. Her blood pressure becomes dangerously elevated and she develops sick headaches. Her husband is harrassing her to do something to get their money back. They are both retired and on fixed incomes. The stress in their household is extraordinarily deleterious to both of them.
Stuart of Owings MD (08/05/01)
Used Testerex and Teston-6 with no apparent effect. Products had been recommended by customer service rep. on phone. The economic damage was at least $119. The physical damage is unknown--but emotionally, I was upset that the products did not seem to work.
Barbara of Duncansville, PA, writes:
In October 2000, my 73-year-old father received propaganda brochures from this company promising a miracle cure for arthritis. He was taken in by the booklet and ordered the product which he never received. When I called to inquire on behalf of my father because of his age implications and his poor hearing, I was told that the product was mailed to him, but they had used an incorrect address. They claimed to have mailed a refund check when they received the shipment back as undeliverable. However, not using common sense, they claim to have mailed the refund check to the same BAD address that the shipment went to in the first place. So, I had thought that everything was cleared up, but he has yet to receive a refund check.
I wrote to the company's corporate headquarters or customer service department in California but have still had no success in getting the refund in the amount of $40. On 12-30 I called again and the representative, Sara, told me that no check had been issued. When I asked to speak to her supervisor, I was placed on hold for over fifteen minutes and she came back on telling me that the supervisor was still unavailable. She told me she would process a request for the refund check but that it would take an additional 20 days for my father to receive it. I made her confirm the CORRECT address for the refund. I asked them to remove my father totally from their mailing list because he is also getting a "Journal of Longevity" which is another solicitation of this company, except they are under the guise of a Reno, Nevada company this time. I do not expect my father to receive his refund check.
It is probably easier for this company basing out of Canada, but I am worried about the millions of senior citizens out there like my own father who are gullible to such things, in addition to the Baby Boomer generation currently reaching the stage where they too will be targets for such fraud.
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