Have you ever purchased one of Kevin Trudeau’s books? Perhaps you saw him selling a number of so-called health products on late-night TV throughout the 1990s. The former informercial pitchman has never really been a stranger to controversy and is currently in jail for contempt of court.
Trudeau has apparently failed to pay a fine that was previously levied against him as part of a settlement with the FTC. Jailed last Tuesday, Trudeau is to remain there until he reveals the location of his offshore bank accounts, where he’s apparently stashed all his cash and gold.
Kevin Trudeau vs. US District Judge Robert Gettleman
The judge who had Trudeau arrested last Tuesday, Robert Gettleman, isn’t an unfamiliar face to the late-night TV pitchman. Gettleman banned Trudeau from selling anything but books back in 2007 and also barred him from appearing in any infomercials for three years.
When Trudeau violated that 2007 settlement, the Federal Trade Commission slapped him with a hefty $37 million fine. But he didn’t pay up quickly enough, so Gettlemen has had him put in jail. No one is exactly sure how long he’ll stay in jail, however, because he’s got to be there until he tells everyone the location of his offshore bank accounts.
Infomercial Personality No Stranger to Controversy
Trudeau was jailed for failing to pay a fine, and will remain jailed until he reveals the location of his offshore accounts.
Trudeau isn’t exactly known for being an on-the-books kind of guy (pun intended). As early as 1991, the pitchman was convicted of fraud in a pretty big case. He was found guilty of charging over $122,000 on stolen credit card numbers and spent two years in federal prison as a result.
Since then, Trudeau made his money selling a series of books about health cures and other “secret” remedies that he claims have been deliberately covered up by the government and/or pharmaceutical corporations. His first book was called Natural Cures “They” Don’t Want You to Know About.
As USA Today points out, his other books didn’t have better titles, nor were they received any better:
“That book and several followups, including More Natural “Cures” Revealed; Previously Censored Brand Name Products That Cure Disease, drew criticism from scientists and medical experts.”
In other words, Trudeau isn’t exactly rolling around in credibility. In addition to his legal troubles, Kevin Trudeau’s products currently have 19 complaints on Scambook, with total consumer reported damages over $1800.
Consumers have complained that Trudeau’s company never delivered the books they ordered; others were charged unauthorized fees that they couldn’t get refunded. Here are what real consumers have said about Kevin Trudeau’s Free Money:
was told my copy of the book on free money plus the free book and a $50 Walmart card had been sent i had previously ordered the book on dec 21,2012 and still have not received the books. [source]
On June, 2012, I ordered by phone Kevin Trudeau’s Free Money Book. The advertisement said it the book cost 19.95, the offer included a second free book and free shipping and handling, but instead my credit card was charged 61.85 and I don’t really know why those charges added up to 61.85. [source]
The program “Free Money “is a scam. The book is %90 motivational speaking. The other 10 percent is of no value to the average person. And the company refused to refund any monies stating they are a separate entity from Kevin. [source]
If You Think You’re a Victim
If you feel that you’ve been ripped off by a Kevin Trudeau product, you can always file a complaint right here at Scambook.
What do you think about Kevin Trudeau’s jail time? Do you think he’s a scammer or an innocent infomercial pitchman who’s made some bad business decisions? Have you ever ordered any of his books? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
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I bought one of Kevin’s books at Dalton Book store in our area… the clerk who rang it up said they had all his books on clearance and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about but she said the books were a waste of money… still for the 3.00 I spent I figured there would be something of value in the book about free money from the government… as I read the book it was a big joke… nothing in it that you couldn’t of found on the internet or from your state elected officials… whether he belongs in jail is up to what you believe in but he is quite the charmer so I think he just kept getting by with stuff… know I will never buy another of his books when I can get info from the internet for free… and then make my own mind up… maybe this time he will learn something in jail but not gonnna hold my breath…