Has anyone heard of this? Similac playing dirty

[nighten]

Another forum I frequent recently posted this information about a study that Similac is offering for new mothers.

Apparently the study is for breastfeeding mothers, lasts four months, and pays $300 plus a gift card. All the participants have to do is record when the baby nurses and poops.

So an acquaintance of someone on that forum signed up for the study. She sent in the initial questionnaire and received a phone call from Similac as a "follow up" to the beginning of the study. The person told this new mother that there was a second study, which paid more and lasts longer, being done for formula users, and offered to send her free formula for the duration if she'd switch to that study instead.

WTH?!?

Has anyone heard of this? Please let me know as I plan to contact Similac tomorrow and would like additional information if possible.

(My apologies if this has already been posted, but the search feature wasn't working for me.)

[PatioGardener]

wow. That makes me want to vomit. Please post what you find.

[*Melissa*]

omg, that is terrible! Keep us updated on your call!

[Breastfeeding Insomniac]

I have not heard of this yet, but sadly, I am not at all surprised. Now that hospitals are catching on to banning the bags, the formula companies need new angles at marketing tactics to sabatoge breastfeeding.

You can report this to IBFAN:
http://www.ibfan.org/site2005/Pages/...t_id=418&iui=1

[cheery]

seems hard to believe. how is it profitable to them?
pls let us know if this is really true or just an internet scare ...

[menomena]

i really, really, REALLY hope this is not true and someone misunderstood. YIKES.

[maine06]

OMFG this is just blatant sabotage of new mommies :

[rmzbm]

That is one of the most vile tings I have heard! Lot's of formula *stuff* makes me mad but THAT! UGGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[nighten]

Originally Posted by Breastfeeding Insomniac

I have not heard of this yet, but sadly, I am not at all surprised. Now that hospitals are catching on to banning the bags, the formula companies need new angles at marketing tactics to sabatoge breastfeeding.

You can report this to IBFAN:
http://www.ibfan.org/site2005/Pages/...t_id=418&iui=1

Done. Thank you. I plan to call Similac today for more details and to see what they have to say about it.

[smeisnotapirate]

Originally Posted by cheery

seems hard to believe. how is it profitable to them?
pls let us know if this is really true or just an internet scare ...

It could be profitable because they probably don't give quite enough to last you until your next "shipment" of formula, so you have to go out and get more from the store. Then you have the cans sitting around the house, then you talk about how great Similac is for paying you AND giving you free formula...

[spmamma]

This is awful!

[Juvysen]

Originally Posted by smeisnotapirate

It could be profitable because they probably don't give quite enough to last you until your next "shipment" of formula, so you have to go out and get more from the store. Then you have the cans sitting around the house, then you talk about how great Similac is for paying you AND giving you free formula...

Plus, once the study's done, you're stuck buying formula.... and then you tell your friends how much "easier" bottlefeeding is and how awesome similac is....

:Puke

[Mom2J]

I really hope that's not true. If it is, that is one of the most disgusting things I've ever heard in my whole life, and I will do everything in my power to help fight it. There is absolutely no way they can justify that. It's the most blatant display of sabotage I have ever seen.

[Unreal]

ugh.

It is sad that we live in a place where we can't immediately dismiss this as ridiculous--which it is. How friggin' obscene.

If it is true, it won't last long.....I hope...

But they'll find some other way....they need to get free formula to mamas

[amandaleigh37]

You know, I think I posted here a while ago... last year, about something similar my sister-in-law got from her hospital. My mom didn't know the details, but told me that she got a $200 babies r us gift card "for breastfeeding". (She did breastfeed in the hospital but switched to formula soon after. It didn't make sense to me at the time, but it sounds very similar to this....

I never asked my SIL about it, since we don't really talk. But it would make sense.

[Tine]

Originally Posted by nighten

The person told this new mother that there was a second study, which paid more and lasts longer, being done for formula users, and offered to send her free formula for the duration if she'd switch to that study instead.

Oh. My. God. That's so evil! What's the CEO of Similac's name...Lucifer?

[nighten]

I called Similac and got the runaround (not surprising) and everyone I spoke to said they didn't know of any "studies" being conducted for breastfeeding or otherwise.

One woman said, "We have NO marketing programs involving free formula" which is a crock of crap. At the birthing hospital I checked that I was a breastfeeding mother, and still I received several cans of powdered Enfamil in the mail at my home, about two weeks I think? After the baby was born. I called and told them I was offended that they'd sent this to my home and would not be buying any of their products in the future.

So I know from personal experience that they DO have marketing programs involving free formula (and I'm not the only mama who received their "gift" in the mail), so for them to blatantly lie about that makes me more certain that they are also funding this underhanded ploy to get nursing mothers to switch, for free money and formula.

Despicable.

[Rani]

Technically that counts as bait and switch I suspect so you may also want to contact FTC or the BBB too. Just like a company offering the cheaper item, then "switching up" for a few more dollars....

[nighten]

I did a bit more searching and discovered what I think is the core scam:

Apparently there are studies taking place in hospitals all over the country, some of which are presumably legitimate. But some are being used by Similac (and perhaps other formula makers, though Similac is the only one I know of for sure) as a way to prey on new mothers who are trying to breastfeed.

The studies vary but there are some similarities:

The mother is paid in either cash, gift card (typically to BRU, or a grocery), and/or gifts (like a breastpump or nursing items). Then in some of these cases the mother is contacted by a "third party" representative (not an "official" formula maker rep) and told that there is either an additional study (like the one I described in the first post here) or that there is an additional segment to the breastfeeding study, which requires feeding the baby a particular type of formula (typically a soy or dairy), and I'm inferring from what I've read that it seems like that's when the third party rep offers to send the free formula (in this case, from Similac) to the new mother.

If the mother refuses then she potentially runs the risk of losing whatever was promised for participating in the study. I'm not sure if the same happens to a mother who is offered a spot in the additional formula study, but chooses to continue nursing instead.

Either way, it's a really dirty tactic and I'm appalled, but unsure how to go about getting specific proof, since I'm not personally in touch with the new mother to whom this has happened recently.

I am tempted to contact some hospitals to see what the specifics are in their current studies and find out if who is funding these "studies" and to what extent Similar (and/or other formula companies) are involved.

If anyone knows anything about any of this, please post or PM me. This is one time where I will not sit back and let the company get away with this corporate crap. I'm that disgusted.

Thanks!

[bobbirs]

please keep us posted! i m just as discusted as u r!