The Real Secret About "The Secret Cure for Hypothyroidism" -- A Warning
I usually don't bring up the issue of companies who advertise here at the website. In response to the occasional complaint, I usually explain that, just as your local newspaper's columnist doesn't have any control over -- much less endorse the products sold in -- the ads that show up on the newspaper page along with a column, I similarly don't control or endorse the advertisers that show up next to my articles here on the site.Occasionally, however, one advertisement becomes so problematic that I am compelled to address it. In this case, it's an ad you may have seen here, and that you'll see on many other sites, promising "The Cure for Hypothyroidism" or the "Secret Cure for Hypothyroidism." I will NOT give you a link to it, because I don't want to encourage anyone to visit or buy from the site.
I've had SO many emails the past few weeks from people writing to complain after they've visited the site, and bought the short electronic pamphlet titled "Secret Cure for Hypothyroidism." These readers wrote to me because they felt entirely ripped off after they saw what they received, and wanted to warn other patients about it before anyone else makes the mistake of buying it. Find out what is actually in the "Secret Cure for Hypothyroidism," and why other patients have adamantly asked me issue this warning.
First, let's be clear. There is no "secret cure for hypothyroidism." If there was any cure for hypothyroidism, we'd know about it. And you can bet the bank that with more than ten years as a patient advocate, I'd know about it, I'd be telling you all about it every chance I could, and it would definitely NOT be a secret!
To claim that there's a "cure" for hypothyroidism -- much less that you can accomplish this in days, as some of the ads claim -- is a come-on, plain and simple, designed to separate you from your money. And we're not talking about just a few dollars. The "Secret Cure for Hypothyroidism" is being sold for $17 -- more than the cost of most books!
And for $17, you'd expect to get a lot of information. The ads make this "Cure" sound as if it's a full-length book. In reality? It's a short pamphlet of 20 pages -- AND, 5 of the 20 pages are the title page and filler pages that don't contain any content!) So you get 15 pages, and you end up paying more than $1 per PAGE...and for what?
You get a rehash, recap and summary of basic thyroid information, information you've been reading for years, for FREE, here at the About.com thyroid site. Frankly, you can read just a few articles here at the site -- i.e., What is Thyroid Disease, Symptoms of Thyroid Disease, Diagnosis of Thyroid Disease, and Treatments of Thyroid Disease -- and you'll be way ahead of the supposed author, "Pat Harper" in no time. And it won't cost you a cent!
The pamphlet claims to be a written by this "Pat Harper," who is touted as "America's #1 Hypothyroidism Expert." Pat Harper is, however, fictional...she does not exist. The photo of "Pat Harper" used at the website is actually a clip art photograph of a posed model, dressed as a doctor, available from Clipart.com. See the clip art photo here. It appears that "Pat Harper" has been manufactured out of thin air to try to make unsuspecting thyroid patients believe that there is some validity behind this supposed "Cure."
The whole enterprise is another scheme put together by Perry Belcher, owner of the controversial supplement affiliate marketer Selmedica, who registered and owns the "Cure's" promotional site. You may have heard of Selmedica -- their claim to fame is taking common vitamins and supplements, giving them fancy pharmaceutical drug-like names, putting huge price tags on them and charging more than many legitimate prescription drugs, then heavily advertising these supplements with promises of instant cures for various diseases and conditions, and then marketing them exclusively online, by using heavy affiliate marketing -- all this, of course, until they run afoul of the Food and Drug Administration. I've covered them before, when I talked about Alvidar, an overpriced multivitamin they sell as a supposed thyroid cure.
Their products claim to cure everything from head lice to body odor to shingles. Check out some of the other preposterous products, and note how many have been "discontinued" -- some no doubt involuntarily...
The "Cure for Hypothyroidism" title and its fake author are a cynical marketing ploy, clearly meant to take unfair advantage of -- and money out of the pockets of -- thyroid patients who are desperate for answers, and want so very much to feel well.
And, what makes it even more clear that this brochure is designed merely to separate you from your money is that while it claims to offer a money-back guarantee, no one I've talked to seems able to get their money back, even with numerous attempts to contact the company. Emails to the various addresses go unanswered, or returned as undeliverable. So much for the "money-back guarantee," right? The pamphlet is even the topic of a entry at the "Ripoff Report". And this is nothing compared to the poor reputation of Selmedica, which also has been cited too many times to count by the Better Business Bureau. Apparently customers complain that they are unable to get their money back on much of anything this company sells.
So far, the only "secret" anyone seems to want from these people is what it will take for those who spent their hard-earned dollars on this nonsense to legitimately get their money back as promised by the "money-back guarantee."
(ADDITIONAL WARNING!!!! Another angle I discovered later is that after you order, they start charging you MONTHLY for special "access" to their website -- WITHOUT your realizing!! Get the details now.)
If You Bought the "Secret Cure for Hypothyroidism" Pamphlet and Want Your Money Back
If you're one of the people who bought the "Secret Cure for Hypothyroidism" pamphlet and haven't been able to get your money back, here is some information to help.
First, don't be surprised if you send email to the address Pat@thyroidsecrets.com that they list for refunds or information, and it comes back as "undeliverable." This mailbox appears to be a fake, set up to make it impossible to get a refund.
Send a Strongly Worded Email to Increase Media: Some ripped off readers have been reporting that they are getting a response to emails sent to info@increasemedia.com, so contact that address, demand your refund as per their money-back guarantee, and inform them that you will be reporting them to the Tennessee Office of Consumer Affairs, the Better Business Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission if they don't immediately process your refund, and stop any and ALL charges to your credit card, including any ongoing monthly charges for so-called "access to their web site special reports."
After you've emailed, you may also want to call them directly to inform them of your intent to take action if you don't get an immediate refund. Their Customer Service phone number is 901-737-4138
Contact Perry Belcher: If you don't get anywhere, then call Perry Belcher directly. (Perry Belcher is the owner of "Increase Media" and calls himself an "internet marketing guru.")
Perry Belcher's phone numbers: 901-737-8122, 901-753-7588 or try contacting him at his Direct Line: 901-867-2797
Fax Perry Belcher: You can send a strongly worded fax demanding they immediately process your refund and stop charging your credit card -- this time, cc: the Tennessee Office of Consumer Affairs, the Better Business Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission. Send it to:
Perry Belcher
Increase Media
7740 A Trinity Rd #107
Cordova, TN 38018
FAX 901-737-8270
Ask for a Chargeback from Your Credit Card Company: If you can't get Belcher and Increase Media to honor their money-back guarantee, contact your credit card company, and ask for what's known as a "chargeback" for this pamphlet. A chargeback means that you have tried to get a rightful refund from the company, but the company is refusing to honor their obligation. Inform the credit card company that you are legitimately due a refund, which the company has promised but has not provided. The credit card company will usually issue you a credit even if the seller won't. (And this won't be the first time your credit card company has had to issue a chargeback for Belcher / Selmedica / Increase Media, I'd guess.)
Report Him and the Company: Also, please do your part to help prevent other people from getting scammed. Here are some ideas.
- File a Complaint with the Tennessee Office of Consumer Affairs-- regarding Perry Belcher/Selmedica.com, of Cordova, TN
- Report the company to the Better Business Bureau -- regarding Selmedica.com, of Cordova, TN -- Perry Belcher and Selmedica are the registrants and owners of the site selling the "Cure" pamphlet. Contact info for the BBB is as follows:
BBB of the Mid-South, Inc.
3693 Tyndale Drive
Memphis, TN 38125
Phone: (901)759-1300 / Fax: (901)757-2997
Web: www.midsouth.bbb.org - File a Complaint with the Federal Trade Commission
- File a Report with Buyers Beware
- File with Ripoff Report
- Post to the Scam.com boards
Comments
THANKS FOR YOUR FREE INFORMATION. I JUST NEED TO KNOW MORE. I HAVE BEEN HYPER WITH THYROID AND BEEN RESPONDING WELL TO MEDICATION. NOW I STARTED GAINING WEIGHT SINCE MY CONDITION SEEMS BETTER. I AM EXERCISING AND EATING WELL. WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?
SO, you can get a lot of great information about your question by posting to the forum here. Many have gone through what you are going through and can help you.
As for the bogus secret cure, I know exactly what website that Mary Shomon is talking about. I was so angry that I contacted every news media channel in my area to expose that BS so people who really need treatment get the right treatment and not a string of lies. Thank you Mary for making us all aware of this!
This article should be a report at Ripoff Report, that way even more people would see it. Great advice.
Thank you for your insightful article. I had just ran across the advertisement and was doing some searching on the web for more info. Hopefully you have saved some people from this scam.
Thank you for your posting. I recently bought your book and have been reading it with great enthusiasm. It is very helpful. While looking for another topic, I ran across the secret cure site. I thought it interesting that “she” was a medical researcher with no credentials. I, too, do medical research as a nurse, but there was a suspicious lack of information. I sent an email questioning that. Haven’t heard back. Then, I ran across your article. That was the Lord protecting me!!! I’ll let you know if I hear anything. I doubt I will after reading your commentary! Your book is awesome and I appreciate your careful, thorough research.
Thanks for this review. I about fell into the trap but decided to google it first.
Appreciate the honest feedback.
Thanks for confirming I had been ripped off. I feel so foolish. But the good news is that I have managed to contact “Pat” and have been promised a refund. Whether I’ll get it remains to be seen. These people now trade on http://www.increasemedia.com
and can be contacted on
info@increasemedia.com
Please publish this information so that everyone else who needs to can contact them but I would be grateful if you do not publish my name. Thank you for a very interesting site and newsletter.
Thank you for posting and providing all the links to help get my money back and avoid future charges. I paid through paypal and they denied my claim. I sent a very firm and direct email to the scamming company- I hope this helps. I tried the 901 number you provided and received a voicemail & left a message. $17.00 is a lot of money for me as I am caring for my mom who lives alone and is recovering from a double mascectomy and she depends on me financially, I could have paid for something for her! I have just been diagnosed with hashimotos desease and am trying to learn all I can. I am a 30 year old mother & pre-diagnosis, I felt I was dying!
Thank you again. You are a life saver. Lesson Learned: )
I think these people also have a site called ‘the secret cure for chronic fatigue’ I am so fed up of these claims that i googled ‘Pat Harper’ and nothing came up for any ‘experts’, always suspicious.well done for exposing these people.
Mary,
thanks so much for this informative site it saves me a lot of time on research. Thank you very very much for the article on “the cure for hypothyroidism” I was about to buy this book , to avoid using the thyroxine I was prescribed and you just saved me the money and the frustration.
Blessings,
Marisol
My wife found the website and asked me what I thought. We googled Pat Harper and came across this article. Thank you for saving us from being scammed.
Checked this people out. Increasemedia is being outsourced to the philippines. Perhaps you can call the US embassy in Manila and report them . They are based in Makati. So that their scams will stop
Pat has another book on the market with the title “The Secrete Cure for High Cholesterol” with the same price. She claimed that she has been a medical researcher, writer and Speaker for the last 18 years. Before I make the payment, I decided to Google her name hopping to find her studies posted or her name mentioned in relation with any study or valuable resource. But I didn’t find any, except yours. Thanks for saving my $17.
Thank you so much for this expose on “Pat Harper.” I had seen the natural cure for high cholesterol advertised on another of Pat Harper’s websites. Apparently, she’s an “expert” in all sorts of illnesses. I googled the name to see if she was more than a self-proclaimed expert and came across your website. While $17 (that must be the magic selling price for all of her reports)is not a lot of money, it’s better in my pocket than hers(his). What’s particularly infuriating is Harper’s self-deprecating, do gooder facade while picking the public’s pocket. Keep up your good work.
Regards,
Margery
I WAS JUST RIPPED OFF BY PAT HARPER AND INCREASE MEDIA FOR A CURE FOR HIGH CHOLESTEROL. THE WHOLE THING LOOKED VERY FISHY SO I DECIDED TO GO TO THE BLOG AND I GOT YOUR INFO. I WAS ONLY TAKEN FOR 17.00 HOPE YOU WEREN’T STUNG TOO BADLY.
LIZ
Thanks for the warning about Pat Harper. I was at the point of paying for this ‘report’. However I ‘googled’ the name and the word ‘review’ and came to your site. I am generally cautious about such claims but was nearly sucked in. Thanks again.
Wow. I came across the “Cure” website, started to feel hope that I could be free of my hypothyroidism, clicked on the purchase button, and then as an afterthought, opened another browser window to do some research on that site. I am so glad I did. Thank you so much for your information.
If you do a Google image search for -
pat harper medical
you will find -
thecureforanxiety.com
thecureforbackpain.com
thecureforchronicfatigue.com
thecureforhighbloodpressure.com
thecureforhighcholesterol.com
thecureforibs.com
thecureforinfertility.com
Pat knows everything!
Thanks for this info. I recently bought a $17 “book” and was then also charged (a week later) for 2 products, one for $67 and another for $47! In the process of getting my money back. Hopefully all goes well.
Thanks for the info. I am keeping the steps you suggest as a guide for possible other scams I might fall prey to…and there are plenty of them out there! They appeal to our sense of frustration and need for immediate resolution to a problem that so far can’t be cured. Another note…before I buy ANYTHING on the internet, I do a Google search to see if others have experienced any problems with the seller. This is very telling. I once paid $50 to an auctioneer for a rare pair of ratail $200 jeans. Turns out about 50 other people paid for them too. No one got the jeans, they were nothing but a picture and a cleverly worded ad. I have learned…the hard way! (I hope).
Apparently, he’s been arrested, and the Shelby County Sheriff’s office would like to hear from anyone who believes they’ve been defrauded by Belcher’s internet businesses. To contact them, call the following number: 901-545-3268 or email: selmedica@shelby-sheriff.org.
Thank you for the heads up. To behonest I would NEVER believe there was a cure as I have had this disease for over 20+ years. But I can understand completely the “desperation” some can feel when the medications they are perscribed don’t seem to be working. A lot of people go through hell, just as I still do at times, and you are willing to sell your soul to the devil just to be “normal” again.
Thanks,