Charges: False advertising and promotion and sale of restricted
herb gotu kola.
Purchase: I bought the Cellu-System at a Shoppers Drug Mart on
January 19, 2002.
The company is based in Toronto.
Web site: www.cellu-system.com
Products:
Toning Cream
Toning Tea
Toning Capsules
Magnetic Toning Shorts
-- That's right MAGNETIC TONING
SHORTS.
Manufacturer:
Vital Science Corp.
Box 89557
Toronto, ON
M4P 1K2
800-231-4751
416-484-4578 - fax
MAGNETIC TONING SHORTS
The Revolutionary
Cellu-System
Magnetic Toning Shorts
The Cellu-System Magnetic Toning
Shorts revolutionizes skin toning by
introducing localized waves of magnetic
therapy to the areas of a woman's
body that are the most difficult to
tone. The exclusively designed
Magnetic Disc Strips are anatomically
positioned to target penetrating
magnetic waves to your hips
and buttocks where signs of
"dimpled skin" are most
evident.
The Cellu-System
Cellulite is the result of several independent factors
that occur in a woman's body as a natural part of
the aging process, whether she exercises or not.
Cellu-System, which consists of Toning Tea,
Toning capsules, Toning Cream, and Magnetic
Toning Shorts, is designed to naturally target the
appearance of skin. Only Cellu-System helps
you to Look Good from Every Angle.
(This by the way
claims to be a Trademark)
CAUTION: Do not use the Magnetic Toning
Shorts if you are pregnant, using a pacemaker or
any other electrical device, have open wounds, blood
clotting problems or have been diagnosed with
myasthenia gravis. If you are on any medication
please consult your physician before use. Not
recommended for children.
(Now this is ridiculous on
all accounts. These magnets don't do anything, they don't treat
anything, they are not worn on the chest, and children don't get cellulite.
So what in the world do these marketers hope to accomplish with
these nonsensical warnings.!!!!)
Herbalist Marion Marshall state that, "Using
magnetic therapy is an effective wayh to target
internal medicine to a particular area.
The synergistic effect of herbal medicine and
magnetic therapy shows measurable results when
applied to previously stubborn problems".
( Now who is
Marion Marshall? What are her credentials as an "herbalist"?
Does she have a PhD in physics, or medical therapeutics, or
pharmacology?)
DIRECTIONS: The Cellu-System Magnetic
Toning Shorts can be worn at any time, but are
recommended to be worn while sleeping, for an
average duration of 6 to 8 hours. Use the
Magnetic Toning Shorts in combination with the
complete Cellu-System. (Very interesting - What do you
do if you already wear magnetic socks, shoes, and sleep on a
magnetic mattress?)
CONTENTS: One pair of exclusively designed
Magnetic Toning Shorts with "built-in"
anatomically positioned Magnetic Disc Strips
CARE: Hand wash, lay flat to dry. (Funny it doesn't say
whether you need to orient the short in a particular direction when
drying.
Another slogan from their own web site:
"It works because it's different, It's different because
it works!"
(I am really impressed with this one folks. I think I'll
buy the company,.....NOT)
Essence of my complaint:
I spend a lot of my time, as the head of Dietfraud.com,
searching
local stores for bogus products and report them to the
vendors, the
goverment, and the media if I find one that I consider
bogus,
dangerous, or disreputable.
I especially get upset when I find these types of
products at major
drug store chains, and Shoppers Drug Mart is just about
the worst one
of the bunch. I've bought just about every kind of scam
product from
their stores that there is in Canada, but this one tops
the worst
list for this year.
I asked the pharmacist if he had any information about
just one of the
ingredients in two of the products. Gotu kola is an herb
that was in
the Cellu-System Toning Tea, and in the Toning Capsules.
He didn't
know anything about it. Nor, did he have any way to find
out for me.
The boxes scream out this slogan said this: "The Natural
Way to Look
Good from Every Angle"
And, it also says "Clinically Tested"
I don't see any clinical tests listed. All I saw was a
bunch of
testimonials on their rather poorly designed and
amateurish web site.
Their packaging showed the bare back of what appears to
be a caucasian
woman, scantilly covered with a blue towel.
Well, I need to explain to you that I am very concerned
as a consumer
about what I put into my body, and I am a more than a
little scared. I
don't see clinical research, I see testimonials.
Questions for Health Canada and Vital Science Corp.
Gotu kola
- This herb gotu kola, appears to be restricted
by Health Canada.
- Gotu kola site with description of toxicity, side effects,
warnings, etc. I don't seem to find any of this on the
packaging and
the manufacturer's own web page. Pity....
- Canada Customs and Revenue Memorandum D10-14-30 - Discusses natural medicinal preparations as medicaments. Check out section #8 for guidance. Show me the evidence folks, that's all they want. That's all the consumers of Canada deserve.
- Can the manufacturer reveal what clinical studies were done and where they were published? Were they aware of the Health Canada's position on gotu kola?
- If gotu kola products make health claims they must have a DIN according to a published memorandum from Revenue Canada: D19-9-1
Traditional Medicines, Including Herbal Products
10. Traditional medicines generally do not have a DIN/GP if they do not make any therapeutic
claims. Currently, they are generally controlled as food products. Revenue Canada will refer to
Health Canada commercial shipments of traditional medicines that make therapeutic claims.
Health Canada will determine whether or not the goods may be imported. Personal importations of
traditional medicines are permitted in a single-treatment size or a three-month supply.
Who at Health Canada approved the manufacture
and distribution of any of the herbs contained in the Cellu-System products in Canada? If they make health claims, why does the herbal products not have to comply with regulations? Are the gotu kola raw herbs imported, and if so, what did the company tell Revenue Canada and Customs what they were using the herbs for?
Magnetic Toning Shorts
- Did the vendor of the Magnetic Toning Shorts have
clearance through the Advertising Standards Council to advertise?
- Where is the proof for any of the claims?
- Who were the names of the sales representative who sold this stuff to
Shoppers Drug Mart? What were they told by the company to say to Shoppers Drug Mart buyers in regards to the products?
- How much did Cellu-System pay for prime positioning in the stores?
- What evidence did they present to Shoppers Drug Mart
that convinced them to carry these products?
- Why don't the pharmacists at Shoppers Drug Mart know anything about the products?
- Why is Dini Petty is on the company's web
site? Is she really part-owner of this company? -
I did a
search for her name and found no credible evidence that
she has any
training in cosmetics, herbology, or medicine, but I do
believe she
is a former Scientologist. Are there any dermatolgists,
bariatric
physicians, or even naturopaths who work for the
manufacturer, or do one of the eight partners have a license in one of the regulated health professions in Ontario?
-
Where is the miraculous research that was done, and who did it?
- The manufacturer of the Cellu-System is linked to
Dermaglow Skin Care.
They have a whole range of products that include
biomarine protein
caplets that are supposed to work from the inside. I
assume that it's
similar to Imedeen, or Cellasene, but not sure.
Shoppers Drug Mart and promotion of fraudulent products
It really shakes my faith in Shoppers Drug Mart to see
such rubbish
put on their shelves. These Cellu-System products were
right across
the aisle from the Fat Trapper products, so they are
probably in a
good spot to grab the public's eye.
I am really interested in what the management of
Dermaglow and Vital
Science Corporation Canada have to say, and am looking
forward to
hearing from someone who can put me at ease.
The Advertising Standards Council do nothing about
health scams if they don't have a DIN number. But, I am asking the ASC to
immediatly
address the nature of the packing, the deceptive
information on their
web page as it pertains to the Magnetic Toning Shorts.
Health Canada has so far ignored all complaints made by me in regards to magnetic devices, and we don't know why. Certainly the Magnetic Toning Shorts are magnetic products that clearly make medical claims which are clearly in violation of Health Canada Policies.
Why would Shoppers Drug Mart carry this product? Why is Health Canada not able to control these products. Hundreds of web sites in Canada advertise magnetic devices, and most of them are right here in Southwestern Ontario.
The claims made by Cellu-System are not just ambigous, they are clearly bogus and fraudulent.
In fact, we feel that the Competition Bureau should investigate this particular
product immediately. Consumer Information Canada is one of the only places where the public can go to see what is available to them to complain about Canadian products and services. Billions of dollars worth of internet sales of bogus products have been ordered through Canadian based scam operations, and yet you wouldn't know it from looking at any government affiliated web site. What is the deep dark secret here?
HealthWatcher and its sister consumer web site Dietfraud.com provide a single complaint page for both Canada and the U.S. Please see below about the magnetic
product
frauds being perpetrated in the U.S., and the
investigations and
opinions of experts that have been recently reported by
Canadian and
American reporters and scientists below.
Class Action against fraudulent products
If the Competition Bureau does not listen to complaints
about products like Cellu-System, then there is really no other choice but to
organize an
information campaign and to feature these products on our site..
We are gathering names for a Class Action lawsuit and we
aim to
include all vendors, distributors, and outlets that sell
these
products.
If Shoppers Drug Mart would kindly put a disclaimer on
their shelves
attached to these products, that would also be a public
service, but
it is clear to me that SDM continues to feature,
advertise, and market
products that have no clinical backing, that are
fraudulent, and that
are potentially injurious to the health of its
customers.
Shoppers Drug Mart were formerly owned by a tobacco
conglomerate known
as Imasco, that has now been split up. They now have an
IPO in the
works.
It is clear to me that Shoppers Drug Mart actively
supports
quackery, like magnetic therapy, and even has a web
section to prove
it. The evidence that is presented on their site is
about the weakest
I have ever seen in favour of magnetic therapy. It's
really quite
amusing, but for the customers who buy the magnetic
products that
have been hawked by SDM at natural health products shows
recently, it is a
real slap in the face for them.
Magnetic scams and quackbusters
Magnetic devices and products have been the subject of
numerous lawsuits and government actions in the U.S. Canada has done nothing to prevent these scams, despite their own regulatory policies.
Who sells or supports magnetic products like Cellu-System
- Toronto Star owned regional magazine - Forever Young
Article on web site from Forever Young by Ellen
Ashton-Haiste. It says
that Dini Petty is a partner in the company. It
identifies Marion
Marshall as a medical herbalist. What does that mean?
Does she have a
degree in medical herbalism? Does she have a license to
practice?
- Magnapack - London, Ontario based distributor
These folks
sell the
Cellu-System, too. And, they sell it for a lot less than
Shoppers Drug
Mart.
- Magnapak Newsletter #7
For more magnetic quackery, this one has to win some
prize. My oh my,
someone named Cathy Miner won a prize here. Is it
possible that Cathy
is the same person who did work for the Cellu-System
folks, or is
this just a coincidence. They also sell Sota
instruments, base in British Columbia. Sota markets zappers and other devices used by people who follow Hulda Clark's protocols to treat
cancer. According the the Magnapak web site, Sota
Instrument's Magnetic Pulser, Silver Pulser and
Bio-Tuner. These
products are all registered type II medical devices by
HPB Canada.
Wow, aren't we smart. I wonder why Health Canada's
device people
allowed these devices on the market. What would they do
if they found
out people were using them to treat cancer. In fact,
these folks brag
out their license from Health Canada. Do the people
from
Cellu-System have a license from Health Canada, too?
- Magnapak sells to Amway, too
- Become a magnetic healer
Magnapak links to a site where you can even get a
mailorder diploma
for magnetic healing, just in case you can't attract
enough negative people while wearing the magnetic bloomies.
- Magnetize your water, too
In case the Walkerton Water Inquiry missed this one, I'd say it's about time to magnetize your water, just in case.
Registration from Network Solutions shows this address:
Registrant:
Vital Science Corp. (CELLU-SYSTEM-DOM)
129 Old Orchard Grove
Toronto, Ontario M5M 2E1
CA
Domain Name: CELLU-SYSTEM.COM
Administrative Contact, Billing Contact:
Brito, Suzana (SBJ162) suzana@INTERLOG.COM
Niche Consulting
55 Brownlow Avenue Suite 707
Toronto, Ontario M4S 2L1
CA
416-932-8369 (FAX) 416-932-8369
Technical Contact:
Administration, DNS (NA979) dnsadmin@IDIRECT.COM
ID Internet Direct Ltd
5415 Dundas Street West, Suite 301
Toronto
ON
M9B 1B5
CA
416-233-7150 (FAX) 416-233-6970
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