'The most powerful fat-fighting formula in the entire world." This is how one website describes the acai berry.

It's an inch-long reddish, purple fruit. It comes from the acai palm tree, which is native to Central and South America and it is a relative of the blueberry, cranberry and other dark purple fruits.

But whether or not these berries can help you to lose weight, one thing is certain. If bought from unscrupulous online sellers, they can certainly help you to lose your money.

Martha Colleran from Co Galway has already lost €302.57. When browsing on health sites online she clicked on an advert for acai berries advertising a 'no fee, free trial'.

Clicking through to the site she learned that these berries had been discussed positively on the Oprah Winfrey Show and that they were a weight-loss agent.

"It sounded so good," says Martha. "There was no risk involved and all I had to pay was €5 for post and packaging. It seems so great that I signed up for my free trial."

On August 7, Martha's delivery of acai berries and a 'life cleanse' product arrived. She took the berries but found they upset her stomach, so she threw them out and seven days later wrote to the company saying that she did not want to start subscribing to get regular deliveries of the berries.

"It was then," explains Martha, "that I noticed two charges on my Visa bill, each for €84.67. I contacted my bank who said that I had subscribed and so they couldn't stop the payments.

"Then I contacted the company stating that I had not signed up and I asked for a refund, but they hung up on me.

'Next my credit card was debited for three separate amounts totalling €133.23, under different company names and for different products I had never heard of."

Martha feels that "these people are scammers to the hilt". "Once they get your credit card details," she believes, "you are dead meat."

Martha has now cancelled her credit card, and her bank says they will try to refund her for the last three payments debited from her account.

She has received three deliveries of acai berries she never ordered and has sent them back by registered post.

Martha has contacted the European Consumer Centre Ireland (ECC) for further help, but she says: "I feel helpless. I don't have the money and this is a crisis for me."

The ECC's Caroline Curneen reveals that in the past two weeks, they have already received 12 complaints about this, a sign that they are just witnessing the beginning of a potentially huge problem.

"Typically," she explains, "consumers respond to an offer, either on a dedicated website or via a pop up, for a 'free 15-day trial pack' of Acai Berry Diet Pills.

"People taking up the 'free' offer are then asked to supply their credit-card details to cover the postage and packing," she continues.

"Customers later discover that they have inadvertently subscribed to receive more of the products at an average cost of €83 per month unless they take almost immediate action to cancel the 'contract'.

"The trader argues that all the information the customer needs is available in the terms and conditions. However, these may not be immediately obvious," says Ms Curneen.

Indeed, the terms and conditions do say that the product is supplied as part of a trial promotion which is then automatically followed by the subscription. The customer must cancel the subscription within 15 days or additional supplies will be sent and money will be debited.

But Bernie Conway's 19-year-old daughter Colleen did read the terms and conditions and she still lost money.

Bernie explained that Colleen heard about the acai berry on the Oprah Winfrey Show and linked through to an advert she saw while online.

An experienced shopper, Colleen realised she had to cancel within 15 days. So she did.

"She cancelled over the phone," says Bernie, "but then I noticed that €83.21 was charged to my Visa account. So Colleen called the company again, who told her that her order had been cancelled and that they would send her email confirmation.

"Instead she got an email just saying that you have to cancel within 15 days. But she had already done that."

So far, we have a tale of unclear sales information, credit cards debited after cancelling the order and big health claims.

Caroline Curneen says that Trading Standards in the UK are currently looking into the matter. The company operates under various names, and while a UK address is used, the company appears to originate outside of the EU.

What's more, this 'scam' is operating worldwide, with complaints also coming from customers in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, Spain, France, Italy, Germany and the UK.

And is there an Oprah connection? Oprah's website does describe acai berries as "nature's energy fruit". However, nowhere does the website suggest that this fruit is a diet aid.

Furthermore, in August, Harpo Inc, Oprah Winfrey's company, filed a lawsuit for trademark infringement against 40 internet marketers of dietary supplement, including acai berry products.

Her website states: "Neither Oprah Winfrey nor Dr Oz has ever sponsored or endorsed any acai berry ... or dietary supplement product". But do the berries work?

Dr Daniel McCartney from the Irish Nutritional and Dietetic Institute provided some interesting information.

He reports that: "David A Bender, senior lecturer in Biochemistry at the University College London, wrote about the health claims made for acai berries in the October 2008 edition of HealthWatch.

He concluded that of the 10 Medline citations available relating to acai berries, "there is no mention in any of these papers of any possible or likely weight-reducing action".

Mr McCartney adds that a search he conducted last Friday "revealed 25 citations in total relating to acai berries, but again, none of these referred to any possible or probable weight-reducing effects".

Aveen Bannon of the Dublin Nutrition Centre agrees. "Acai berries are high in vitamin c but they don't aid weight loss.

"There is no magic pill for weight loss", she adds, "instead it all comes down to three things: healthy eating, exercise and a balanced diet."

- Tina Leonard

Irish Independent