So you're watching ads for two products, Colin Broom and beyond body.
Both are subsidiaries of Tiktok's biggest weight loss advertiser kilo group,
the Lithuania based digital wellness conglomerate.
So today Media Matters America released a report exposing kilo group as a weight
loss scam.
Because the company lies to consumers in attempts to trap them
in these weight loss schemes and get some money out of them.
Specifically with renewing their subscriptions for
whatever the hell it is that they're selling.
So let's go to details of how they're pulling this off and
maybe how they can be stopped.
So this Lithuania-based digital "wellness" conglomerate named Kilo group spent $4.3
million on Tiktok advertisements between november 1st of last year and
January 7th of this year.
Just a few days ago, making the company the biggest fitness and
weight loss advertisers on the platform during that entire period, $4.3 million.
So that's based on some data from a path Matics, they compile these things.
So these ads are men of course to target young women,
which they know on Tiktok, they can get too many of those folks.
Because the younger demographics are all over the place there.
So the kilo group uses unrealistic weight loss goals to sell these products as
you can imagine.
So Colin Broom, this is what they're about,
their product is a laxative drink that promotes easy, dramatic weight loss.
In order to purchase this product though,
consumers must complete a quiz that includes questions about their goal wish.
Media matters answer these questions is that they were a woman weighing £180
with a goal weight of £110 or £70 weight loss there.
And Colin Brooms estimate, should the consumer use their laxative product for
a £70 weight loss?
They said you can do it in three months, £70 from 180 to 110.
Media matters also tested an even more dramatic and dangerous weight loss goal,
and they said to Colin Broom that okay.
Now I'm a five ft three woman and I weigh £250, and
they wanna lose 150 of that down to £100 which would be very unhealthy.
Five ft three person at least according to a body mass index would be a problem.
So Colin Brooms weight estimates suggested that £150 weight loss
would happen again in three months [LAUGH] that's great.
They figured this way it can work.
This is one of those things you can drink this,
I guess what they assume tasty looking drink and you lose £70 in three months or
£150 over double in three months as well.
There's the other one I mentioned beyond body.
They have a personalized weight loss book, and
there's not much better than Colin Broom, which I wish they'd change that name.
Beyond bodies ads make similar promises as Colin's,
when I wanna have a flat belly, but beyond body is too expensive,
is what one ad reads, followed by a sale offer to talk about how they can do it.
But here's what happens when you try to purchase beyond body or Colin Broom.
Consumers are pushed into an auto renewing subscription that are automatically
selected when they check out.
These customers are on International Business review website, Trust pilot.
They report a pattern of deceptive business practices from these companies,
describing unjust refund refusals, surprise subscription fees and
unexpected charges.
Sounds like Donald Trump's fundraising process and
his emails he sends out to folks to make sure that you cannot undo your
subscriptions that you're paying monthly.
And it might even increase at least that's what Donald Trump's folks.
But still Tiktok is having to try and crack down on this whole thing,
I'm not on Tiktok much at all.
So, I haven't seen any of these types of things or
how these ads are not going down, I assume you guys spend more time there.
Have you seen any of these things, have been broke it in?
>> I'm not on Tiktok, I've decided that at 35 years old,
the buck stops at Tiktok, but honestly,
normally I would make fun of adults falling for get skinny quick schemes.
But like that they charge excuse me targeting young people who
are obviously more susceptible to this in their formative years.
This is what makes this scary man, and they spend so much time on the Tiktok, and
start idolizing these people who do weird dance moves and
like wear yoga pants all day.
It's, it's crazy, honestly, it's scary.
>> Yeah, at 34 I am on Tiktok but very reluctantly so, I get on,
I post my stuff and I get off.
So I really don't know what goes on on Tiktok, and
I don't really understand the app and I'm not ashamed to say that.
But, like auto renewing subscriptions are the worst, right?
I'm currently trying to watch all of Apple TV plus,
because I got a free month of it and I want to cancel it before it auto renew.
So, [LAUGH] I'm under the wire, but as far as fad diets and weight loss miracles go,
I think it's really sad that these are still so prominent.
I know we used to see a lot of these when I was younger growing up and
it's weird to think that there's still a thing.
And I think it's side issue apart from all the health issues that this is
causing is that, people are tired of being marketed to all the time.
I can't stand getting ads on my phone anymore, I literally get triggered by it.
And what's more insidious and sad about these scams is that they take advantage
of people who genuinely need help and are seeking help, right?
They play up people's insecurities and exploit them, and
they confuse people with misinformation when they're trying to learn and
understand it's really unfair and yeah, people are tired.
>> It's a prime, I guess prime real estate for this type of stuff cuz people
complain about social media and specifically the visual ones more likely.
I guess the Twitter are not, not Twitter's, the Instagrams and
the Tiktoks of the world because, the dance moves and
let's not act like you don't know any of those moves there was at 35 years old.
>> I've been known to cut a rug Itu here and there, but
you won't find me doing that on Tiktok.
>> The best way to make sure that I know you don't know any of these dance is just
to call it cutting a rug so yes, you're right.
>> [LAUGH]. >> You're definitely not doing [LAUGH] any
of those things.
>> I think I even put in my Tiktok bio, like I'm not funny.
So I don't come here and expect to laugh, I'm not that entertaining in that way.
>> Every once in a while though, you have to pull off a dance here and there.
My kid just told me I need to start dancing on Tiktok cuz I told him I posted
zero things, he's like, [CROSSTALK].
>> I'll follow you.
>> No, you can follow,
you may not [CROSSTALK] [LAUGH] you may not see much though.
No, but again, but because of how visual these sites are and you see so
many people honestly making money off of how they look or
then how they portray themselves as more like what it is.
Then of course, the impression of folks will be looking at it and think,
man, I really have to try and make sure I look this way.
To have enough attention and get my followers up, and
I want to feel like it's an investment until then this happens.
I think maybe both elements of this entire thing need to be re-thought and
re-focused in the first place.
We've all known some kind of eating disorder in some point of life and
I feel like it's exacerbated here with all these things.