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'Ivanka Trump' face cream scheme leads to surprise $100 charge

Posted at 12:42 PM, Apr 04, 2017
and last updated 2017-04-04 17:12:00-04

Ivanka Trump has a successful line of clothing, shoes and handbags. And although she doesn't sell anti-wrinkle cream, one woman said she feels duped after she was charged $100 for what she thought was a free-trial sample of a Trump-branded cream.

Lisa Zillich said she was on Facebook when an ad popped up for a risk-free trial of an anti-wrinkle cream called Satin Youth.  All she had to pay was $3.95 for shipping, she said.

A few days later, her sample arrived. But after a couple of weeks, she said her credit card was charged $99.95. When she tried to call and cancel, she was one day too late. 

"I tried to cancel when I saw the $99.95, but that was exactly the morning of the 15th day," she said. 

The fine print states customers have just 14 days from their order to request a refund, she said.

Frustrated, Zillich called a phone number listed with the product. She said a man picked up and spoke to her.

"And he told me (the brand was) Ivanka Trump," she said. "And I told him, 'This can't be (with) the Ivanka, the real Ivanka.'"  

Zillich said he insisted the brand was associated with Trump.

While there are no public records of Trump selling anti-wrinkle cream, a Google search shows Trump's name and photo on several web ads (appearing to be magazine articles) linking to the same $4 trial offer. 

In some promotions, the product was called Illium cream, not Satin Youth. In another ad, it was called Bisou anti-wrinkle cream. All three ads, though, were identical otherwise.

"It's crazy," Zillich said.

Trump does not appeared to be affiliated with any line of anti-wrinkle creams, nor does she endorse any of these products.

When reached for comment, a phone agent for Satin Youth would not say where the company was located (though the website and print on the face cream jar list an address in St. George, Utah) or allow this reporter to speak to a manager. Satin Youth also failed to respond to two emails.

Satin Youth also has dozens of complaints online for similar surprise $99 charges.

The Better Business Bureau does not yet have any reviews or report on Satin Youth, possibly because the product has only been around a few months.

But it gives another product using that same address(a body building supplement called NitroX) an "F" rating for similar complaints of $4 samples turning into big, unexpected credit card bills.

Zillich said she just hopes she gets her money back.

"I feel like a fool because I did this," she said.

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