The reason I am giving this company a poor - average rating is that I have had both positive and negative experiences with them. First, I'll start with the positive.
I think they are on the right track to provide quality products made from quality ingredients. So many of the supposed 'health' food supplements are loaded with garbage - high fructose corn syrup, etc. This company strives to keep their ingredients whole and clean, and I really appreciate that. I like the taste of their protein powder and their protein bars well enough, and have learned to attribute the *slightly* better taste to other companies' powders to the extra sugar and crap they put in it. I'm much happier with quality ingredients that will actually improve my health.
I have always received every order in a timely fashion.
Now the cons: I find their advertising tactics beyond annoying. Instead of a trustworthy, on the up-and-up company, they come across as a used-car dealership. I appreciate companies that just deal with me in a straight-forward way, instead of constantly trying to ad things to my order on the sly ("Ok, now that you have already purchased our product for the most fabulous price we have to offer, after checkout we'll tell you what the real best price is so you have to buy more. And, we'll tell you about all these other products you just have to purchase right now or never see this wonderful price point again" geez).
On the point of advertising, BioTrust floods the web with their own reviews (often just advertisements in disguise). You are hard-pressed to find a 'real' review from a 'real' consumer anywhere.
Their products are too expensive. The jars are already smaller than most other protein powders, and when you open it, it is only half-full. I expect to pay a bit more for better quality, but this company is charging more than they need to, just because they can. I hope they come down in price.
And the biggest con that prompted me to write this review: I have found that many of their product promise way more than they can deliver, especially those that come in pill form. I tried the Leptiburn, hoping that it would help me lose weight. I started out with the dose recommended, only to find that I felt I had overdosed on caffeine (I had the jitters, was unable to focus, and my sleep became a bit erratic).
Further, I found that if I didn't closely monitor my food intake like I would if I were just going on a diet without the pills, Leptiburn made no difference in weight loss. Their claim is that you can lose weight without changing your diet, not my experience. If these pills help with metabolism at all, the difference is so minuscule that it isn't worth the hefty price tag. Won't be purchasing these again. I didn't attempt to take them up on their money-back guarantee. Just too much hassle, which I suppose is exactly what they are counting on.
I have also tried their pro-biotic supplement, because I like the idea behind taking probiotics. Since I have started these, I have had non-stop gastro-intestinal issues. At first I chalked it up to "just needing to cleanse", but after almost two months, it hasn't stopped. Guess I need to re-think taking these as well. I also haven't seen any noticeable improvement in my health in any other area.
Bottom line: Buyer beware. They have some quality products, but if you think they are some kind of miracle cure, they aren't. You have to plan on changing bad habits and better food intake, because these pills can't compensate for poor diet decisions. I guess it is up to each buyer to decide which products are worth their hefty prices, and which aren't. As for me, I'm just sticking to their protein powders and protein bars, and certainly waiting for their 20% off coupons before I buy.
Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Company Response from BioTRUST
Jun 4, 2015
Hi Keri,
I hope this finds you doing well and in great health! My name is Tim Skwiat, and I am the Director of Nutrition and Exercise with BioTRUST Nutrition.
I'd like to thank you for taking the time to share this well-written, well-thought-out review. At BioTRUST, our number one goal is to ensure that our outstanding customers like yourself are completely satisfied. In fact, BioTRUST has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, a reflection to our commitment of excellent customer service. It's much easier to ensure customer satisfaction when the lines of communication are as strong and clear as yours. So, thank you.
Overall, we welcome all customer feedback and testimonials, and while the majority of that is positive, we accept negative criticism with open arms as well. We are committed to excellence, and who better to tell us how to improve than our loyal customers.
If you don’t mind, I’d like to take a moment to speak to your concerns, and I also want to make sure to make myself available to you for any additional questions or concerns that you may have. With regard to our advertising, we appreciate your feedback, and we will be certain to pass it along to our Marketing team, which does extensive testing to find the most customer-friendly methods to deliver high-quality information about our products.
If you’re not particularly fond of watching the educational videos that we’ve prepared, I invite you to simply visit BioTRUST.com to learn more about our products. There, you can learn about our entire line of premium products made with natural ingredients. You can view the Supplement Facts, ingredients, and recommended use, and you can also read about the products (including all of the supporting research studies) at your own pace.
With regard to the package options presented during the checkout process, we share these as a courtesy to our customers. For instance, many customers may not know about our entire line of products, and these suggestions during the checkout process provide them with additional options that other customers who have made similar purchases have also chosen. As noted, these are often provided at a special discounted rate as a reflection of our gratitude toward our loyal customers.
BioTRUST supplements are premium products made with natural ingredients. We only use the best ingredients, in the most effective forms, at optimal levels (i.e., amounts proven efficacious in research studies), packaged in the most efficient delivery systems to create products that are better than anything else on the market from a quality, safety, and effectiveness standpoint.
Yes, this is reflected in the price tag, but we do offer a number of ways in which customers can take advantage of significant savings. For instance, we offer discounted bundles, monthly ship-and-save (with discounts and free shipping), and regular coupons (as you mentioned) through electronic and regular mail as well as social media outlets.
Ultimately, we are committed to customer satisfaction—and your results. In addition to our products, we have a number of free resources available to ensure our customers’ success, including our free BioTRUST Community and Coaching Forums, our daily newsletter, and over a dozen free eBooks.
As far as the reviews that you see online, these are not paid advertisements. BioTRUST has many affiliates who promote our products to their subscribers because they themselves use them, believe in them, and recommend them. Further, there are numerous independents websites online where you can view customer testimonials. There are two verified review sites (including this one) on which BioTRUST has a 4-star (out of 5 stars) rating. What’s more, you are more than welcome to visit out Online Community to interact with other real customers like yourself.
With regard to LeptiBURN, I am very sorry to learn about your experience. There is a warning on the label that states, “Do not take with any product containing caffeine or any ingredients with a known stimulant effect.” With that being said, we take adverse event reporting like this incredibly seriously, and along those lines, I’d like to make sure that I collect some additional information from you about your experience.
At BioTRUST, we believe in a lifestyle approach to optimizing health, body composition, and vitality. Such an approach involves good nutrition and health eating habits, regular physical activity, better sleep quality, adequate hydration, and proper stress management. Supplements, which should be selected on an individual basis based on goals and a needs analysis (and we have expert coaches available to help with this), are meant to be an addition. In other words, our scientifically-backed supplements are designed to make a good plan markedly more effective and efficient.
For instance, in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, healthy, overweight participants received 300mg of IGOB131 (the exact same Irvingia gabonensis extract and exact same amount found in two daily servings of LeptiBURN) or a placebo for 8 week. After just 4 weeks, the folks taking the supplement lost, on average, over 8 pounds, and after 8 weeks, they had lost an average of 16 pounds, which was over 5 times the amount of the placebo group.
Another example is Metabo379. The safety and efficacy of its primary ingredients have been demonstrated in two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled human studies. Folks who supplemented with SIGMALean (the primary ingredient in Metabo379) for 8 weeks (combined with a modest reduced-calorie diet and moderate physical activity) lost, on average, nearly 4 times more weight than the placebo group (i.e., diet and exercise alone). If that’s not impressive enough, the folks taking SIGMALean lost over twice as many inches from their waist and hips, significantly improved quality of life, boosted confidence, and optimized health (i.e., decreased cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar).
With regard to Pro-X10, I’d be interested to learn more about your experiences. In many cases, your initial intuition is on point. In other words, what you noticed may be attributable to a favorable conversion of the gut microbiota. One of the primary tasks of good bacteria is to damage or kill pathogenic bacteria, something that is done by secreting chemicals, changing the pH of the environment, or simply crowding them out.
In other words, there’s a constant life and death struggle between good and bad bacteria, and the bad guys don’t always go quietly. Many experts suggest that temporary reactions such as minor bloating or a mild laxative or constipating effect are signs that the beneficial bacteria are remodeling, detoxifying, and improving the gut environment. There are a number of things that one can do to help in a situation like this: decrease (or, in some cases, increase) the amount taken; make sure you’re taking probiotics with food; add digestive enzymes; stay hydrated (i.e., drink plenty of water); and give it some time (which it sounds like you did do).
With that being said, it may also be important to look into any potential food sensitivities. In certain instances, some folks may experience gastrointestinal issues due to prebiotics (e.g., Actazin), which serve a very valuable function acting as “food” for the probiotics and helping them proliferate. These prebiotics are often soluble fibers may result in digestive symptoms in some people.
With regard to our refund and exchange policy, all of our customers are protected by our one-year money-back guarantee, and details about the policy can be found on our website. Because we value you as a customer, we have provided you with a full refund. In the future, if you would like a refund or need to exchange for another product, please don’t hesitate to contact our Customer Service department. We stand by our policy 100%.
All of the being said, we’re here for you, and we’re committed to your success. Please let us know how we may be of additional assistance, and you are more than welcome to contact me directly at tskwiat@BioTRUST.com at any time. I'm here to help and happy to do so.
Sincerely,
Tim Skwiat
Director of Nutrition and Exercise
