Information to ADA Members from Leslee Williams, ADA Vice President, Public and Professional Communications
As you may already know, there are an increasing number of complaints from members about Overstocker, a liquidation company that has advertised in ADA Vendor Showcase. Members indicate the company is not fulfilling orders, making unauthorized credit card transactions and providing limited or no customer assistance. Note that Overstocker is not to be confused with another company called Overstock.
The complaints are highly negative not just to the company but to the ADA because members either believe the ADA endorses the company or has not conducted enough due diligence before accepting the company as an advertiser. These assumptions are not true. Advertisements are not ADA endorsements. Due diligence is also completed in a vetting process (including credit and reference checks) to be approved as an advertiser. Once an advertiser, companies must follow stringent advertising standards to ensure integrity of the ad and confirm materials do not conflict with ADA policy, standards or the Code of Ethics.
Overstocker completed the necessary steps to become an advertiser and adhered to ad standards for a time. Now, despite repeated attempts, Overstocker is not responding to the ADA. Therefore, ADA will no longer allow Overstocker to advertise on any of its channels.
Working together with ADA Business Group staff, we have developed a communications plan and are advising members not to order from Overstocker, to contact their credit card companies to dispute charges from the company for unfulfilled orders and we will provide information should members wish to report the company to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.FTC.gov and the Better Business Bureau.
We are communicating this information via an ADA News story, Morning Huddle summary and in outreach to state and local dental societies and councils and committees and council/committee staff respectively. In addition the MSC will be provided with talking points to aid in further inquiries. Lastly, because we know this issue has been raised in some dentist-only social media groups, we will share the ADA News link with closed group administrators to share with their communities.
