Fitness queen Kayla Itsines has been accused of failing to alert her 7.4 million followers to a scam by an unrelated company promising ‘unlimited access’ to her mobile phone app Sweat.
Several customers took to Ms Itsines’ Facebook and Instagram pages this week to complain about a special promotion they received via email offering a lifetime subscription to the fitness app for just $19.99.
As customers anticipated unlimited access after a seven-day free trial they say they were stunned to discover they could no longer access the app on the eighth day.
They claimed they were being charged a continuing monthly fee of $19.99 – Ms Itsines’ set rate for the app.
Australian fitness queen Kayla Itsines (pictured) has been accused of failing to alert her 7.4 million followers to a scam by an unrelated company promising ‘unlimited access’ to her mobile phone app Sweat
Several customers took to Ms Itsines’ Facebook and Instagram pages this week to complain about a special promotion they received via email offering a lifetime subscription to the fitness app (pictured) for just $19.99
The Sweat staff acknowledged and apologized for the ‘scam’ in replies to individual complaints or inquiries (pictured) but do not appear to have released a formal warning to its customers
The Sweat staff acknowledged and apologized for the ‘scam’ in replies to individual complaints but do not appear to have released a formal warning to its customers.
In a blog posted to Ms Itsines’ Facebook, one woman detailed her experience and slammed the company for not doing more to warn the 26-year-old’s subscribers.
The woman said she previously cancelled her subscription to Sweat but decided to sign up again she received the promotional email.
‘I figured it was a good deal, so I bought it. I got an email confirmation from kaylaitsinessales@gmail.com (which is the same email I received the original confirmation from a year ago when I bought the PDFs),’ she said.
When her access was cut off after the seven-day trial, the woman said she began emailing and tweeting at Ms Itsines, demanding an answer.
Anticipating unlimited access after a seven-day free trial, customers say they were stunned to discover they could no longer access the app on the eighth day
In a blog posted to Ms Itsines’ Facebook, one woman detailed her experience and slammed the company for not doing more to warn the 26-year-old’s subscribers
Numerous customers complained that they had not received a response to emails
A woman from the U.S. said she was able to get a refund for the bogus offer
The woman said a member of the Sweat support team responded after several days and told her the special offer, nor the email, were associated with the company.
‘The company ‘Kayla Itsines Sales’ and all associated offers are currently under investigation by the relevant authorities for fraudulent activity,’ the email read.
The woman said she became even more annoyed after receiving the response.
‘This so called ‘scam’ has clearly been emailed out to their customer base yet Kayla herself hasn’t addressed it in social media, warning her 7.3 million Instagram followers that this is a ‘scam’.’
‘You have millions of loyal women following your business, your workouts, you as a someone they look up to and you’re willingly letting them be scammed and that is your response?’ she said.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Kayla Itsines and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for comment.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Kayla Itsines (pictured) and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for comment