Folexen --- Is A Scam And Here Is Why

[Sparky4444]

Let me preface this by saying that the research, studies and literature on Equol, I believe, are valid....Equol is for real...

...now about Folexen's Equol...

Firstly, the hype and professionalism presented in the website and the claims made therein do NOT match the experiences we have had with this so-called company so far. Crappy packaging and labeling for starters...

Secondly, flat rates for shipping and no indication of tracking or ship dates, etc, etc....

Thirdly, for the brief time this so-called representative of the company was on these web-boards (here and others), his responses, at times, were vague and contradictory. He bantered about a lot of science "talk" but provided no information on the research this company did...and supposedly, they have a pretty sweet research lab with scientists in lab coats and the whole nine yards

..and LASTLY...the easiest thing in the world to do is to take a small sample group, measure their DHT levels before taking these plastic blue capsules and then measure DHT levels AFTER 1 month, 2 months and 3 months of taking the product....done and done....If you don't see any reduction in DHT, then it's garbage....You would think those fancy lab tech's pictured on the website could organize something like that...

....This IS A JOKE....I strongly suggest someone get the BBB in Australia on these guys' *** before they continue to rip off more people...

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But now, we can't challenge this guy on this stuff...He was here and engaging in the thread...We could have busted him right then and there...

This should be a lesson on how to handle this kind of thing in the future...

 

[Admin]

But now, we can't challenge this guy on this stuff...He was here and engaging in the thread...We could have busted him right then and there...

This should be a lesson on how to handle this kind of thing in the future...

The fact that he was here at all resulted in you (and others) giving him money.
That's why he came, and his mission was accomplished.
So the only lesson to learn is that we should have removed him sooner.

 

[Sparky4444]

I agree to a point...I think that we would have thrown money at this guy even if someone came on here and brought the product to light....Isn't there a responsibility to expose this stuff??

 

[zeroes]

We have consumer affairs in this country.

These guys are small time, I know a sole trader who has a picture of a hot chick with a phone in her hand under contact us, she doesn't work for him. You are talking about copyright infringement regarding photos.

If the product doesn't contain S-Eqoul as advertised that is a different story that can goto consumer affairs.

Trying to prove that is going to be hard without lab test. I don't know anyone that does it or the cost involved to do it locally.

Law had a quote for about $4,000, I don't have that kind of money. You can probably double that price as well that would be US$.

 

[Sparky4444]

We have consumer affairs in this country.

These guys are small time, I know a sole trader who has a picture of a hot chick with a phone in her hand under contact us, she doesn't work for him. You are talking about copyright infringement regarding photos.

If the product doesn't contain S-Eqoul as advertised that is a different story that can goto consumer affairs.

Trying to prove that is going to be hard without lab test. I don't know anyone that does it or the cost involved to do it locally.

Law had a quote for about $4,000, I don't have that kind of money. You can probably double that price as well that would be US$.

Maybe a complaint based on their false advertising may be enough to get the BBB or whatever to force them to publish lab results of their product

 

[zeroes]

Complain against what? What are they advertising? What are their claims?

We have had people claim sides including myself so there is something in those capsules.

Whether it works is a different story. They haven't made claims it will regrow your hair.

According to studies Equol reduces DHT so that claim is fine.

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What lab results do you want? We can email them asking for those.

If you tell me what to ask I will email them myself.

 

[Sparky4444]

Complain against what? What are they advertising? What are their claims?

We have had people claim sides including myself so there is something in those capsules.

Whether it works is a different story. They haven't made claims it will regrow your hair.

According to studies Equol reduces DHT so that claim is fine.

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What lab results do you want? We can email them asking for those.

If you tell me what to ask I will email them myself.

If there is indeed 2.5 mg of Equol in those capsules.....Did they not have to prove to some agency that this product is safe for consumption?? Did they not have to prove the contents of the capsules???

...listen, they do NOT have a lab...they do NOT have scientists working on any research....their website claims they have all of this....

...like I said, the most alarming thing is that they didn't do a simple test on DHT levels before and after taking the product...that is proof positive....We KNOW that at a certain, we WILL see a reduction of DHT in the system...the question is how much...

 

[zeroes]

It's not a drug so they don't have to.

Just quickly regarding consumer affairs they will want us to work towards a resolution regarding my claim of false advertising. Best I can hope for is a refund. I would need to contact them first before getting consumer affairs involved.

We would likely need more people complaining to get anywhere if their claims are false.

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Sparx try posting on here http://www.notgoodenough.org/

 

[Sparky4444]

It's not a drug so they don't have to.

Just quickly regarding consumer affairs they will want us to work towards a resolution regarding my claim of false advertising. Best I can hope for is a refund. I would need to contact them first before getting consumer affairs involved.

We would likely need more people complaining to get anywhere if their claims are false.

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Sparx try posting on here http://www.notgoodenough.org/

well, I went into this with no expectations and knowing fully I will be accepting some risk here with this...It is just disappointing to be duped....It is also disappointing that the guy was chased off before we could grill him...If someone comes on here making claims of whatever, then we as forum members and consumers should be able to get as much information about the product as possible..

...let's face it, the guy made no claims yet he came on a hairloss web-board to promote his product....talk about a double-edge deal...

 

[WillNotLetItHappen]

Let me preface this by saying that the research, studies and literature on Equol, I believe, are valid....Equol is for real...

...now about Folexen's Equol...

Firstly, the hype and professionalism presented in the website and the claims made therein do NOT match the experiences we have had with this so-called company so far. Crappy packaging and labeling for starters...

Secondly, flat rates for shipping and no indication of tracking or ship dates, etc, etc....

Thirdly, for the brief time this so-called representative of the company was on these web-boards (here and others), his responses, at times, were vague and contradictory. He bantered about a lot of science "talk" but provided no information on the research this company did...and supposedly, they have a pretty sweet research lab with scientists in lab coats and the whole nine yards

..and LASTLY...the easiest thing in the world to do is to take a small sample group, measure their DHT levels before taking these plastic blue capsules and then measure DHT levels AFTER 1 month, 2 months and 3 months of taking the product....done and done....If you don't see any reduction in DHT, then it's garbage....You would think those fancy lab tech's pictured on the website could organize something like that...

....This IS A JOKE....I strongly suggest someone get the BBB in Australia on these guys' *** before they continue to rip off more people...

- - - Updated - - -

But now, we can't challenge this guy on this stuff...He was here and engaging in the thread...We could have busted him right then and there...

This should be a lesson on how to handle this kind of thing in the future...

Honestly I think this is not fair. Maybe it is a scam, but you're not proving it by your 4 claims.
1) Packaging and labeling? I wouldn't give a **** if it helps my male pattern baldness. It is a small company, they just started up. Give them a break. If your friend opens a small restaurant, it won't be perfect from day one either.
2) Shipping? Ok a nuisance, but see 1)
3) I don't see contradictory responses honestly. I thought he made an effort to reply as honest as possible to the many questions and requests.
4) It is not supposed to lower DHT if I'm not mistaken. this is not finasteride. It binds to DHT but does not lower it. Where is the science in this claim.

I'm not trying to promote them, I'm just saying your bad impression of this company does not prove a thing. What is your point? Are you fed up it isn't helping you?
The only way this really is a scam is if the pills don't contain the amount of equol. This is something we don't know right?

Just my two cents, no pun intended.

 

[Sparky4444]

Honestly I think this is not fair. Maybe it is a scam, but you're not proving it by your 4 claims.
1) Packaging and labeling? I wouldn't give a **** if it helps my male pattern baldness. It is a small company, they just started up. Give them a break. If your friend opens a small restaurant, it won't be perfect from day one either.
2) Shipping? Ok a nuisance, but see 1)
3) I don't see contradictory responses honestly. I thought he made an effort to reply as honest as possible to the many questions and requests.
4) It is not supposed to lower DHT if I'm not mistaken. this is not finasteride. It binds to DHT but does not lower it. Where is the science in this claim.

I'm not trying to promote them, I'm just saying your bad impression of this company does not prove a thing. What is your point? Are you fed up it isn't helping you?
The only way this really is a scam is if the pills don't contain the amount of equol. This is something we don't know right?

Just my two cents, no pun intended.

Wake up dude...
"For your privacy, all purchases are sent in discreet packaging and credit cards are charged via a sister company"

Where have you EVER seen this before...

And look at the picture of the lab on there About Us page:

http://folexen.com/About.aspx

You know how expensive a facility like that would be??? But yet you'll cut corners with packaging and make stupid claims like Privacy and charged through a sister company??

This is all FALSE!
Now, would you believe that the product contains S-Equol like they claim, and in the amount they claim??

I haven't been taking this long enough to know if it is working....If this stuff has legitimate S-Equol at that quantity than good...but based on the deceiving appearances so far, I have my doubts

 

[zeroes]

I have heard of companies with discrete packaging e.g hair pieces, adult products etc.

The photos might be misleading and at worst infringing on copyright laws.

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Shipping is also controlled by courier companies worldwide.

 

[Gee]

Don't think those 4 issues really prove that it's a scam.

1. Packaging is okay, not great.
2. No tracking doesn't = scam.
3. I thought the research had been done by third parties? If the blue caps contain equol then what primary research do you need to do? Dosage perhaps?
4. I'm no scientist but I'm not sure that measuring DHT would prove anything regard equol as its not supposed to inhibit DHT production?

Also, the website doesn't claim they have people working on research, just a fairly generic picture of a lab. It just says they manufacture the stuff.

I'd recommend contacting them directly with your concerns and see what they say- they've always been prompt in responding to my emails. You could bring up the things you found vague or contradictory directly maybe? You're a customer so he should provide you with information.

I'd be very grateful if you could share any response you get - would be v interesting.

 

[Jacob]

:whistle:

 

[The Natural]

I still fail to understand the rush to buy S-equol from this company. Their non-responses and raggedy website were reason enough to wait until better known supplement companies (e.g. Nature Made, Swanson) concluded their trials, and put a product on the market.

 

[Aks20]

Uh, bad packaging and shipping are equal to the company being a fraud? Let me see, apart from Spectral (Divine Skin Care) - pretty much every company I have dealt with, seems to be hit and miss on packaging. DS are the biggest purveyors of snake oil BTW. Their packaging rocks. Space age, Jean Luc Picard level stuff with fancy logos etc.

Next, OP claims the Folexen rep made contradictory claims. Where exactly? Now, I recall having asked him questions, got polite replies and an excel showing that after some 2-3 months of use, people on the reccomended dose of Folexen got just maintenance and slight regrowth. Where were the hyped claims made?

We went into this with our eyes open, no extra high expectations..

As regards 2.5mg - or whether it contains equol or not. It clearly contains a DHT blocker/reducing agent (keeping semantics about its method of operation/binding apart). The sides I have experienced are real & mirror my finasteride experience (but are much milder in comparison, and have been shorter lived when I discontinued - matching all the reports of Equols linear dose rate response and its short half life).

The OP seems to have some unrealistic expectations, and is clearly not even moderately informed about the product, and is on a bit of a rant.

To say the company should improve is valid - better packaging and shipping would help those who complain about it (I didnt have issues with shipping, received it quickly and exchanged mails with them as well). But to dismiss the company as a scam because of this?

Thats a bit ridiculous.

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Don't think those 4 issues really prove that it's a scam.

1. Packaging is okay, not great.
2. No tracking doesn't = scam.
3. I thought the research had been done by third parties? If the blue caps contain equol then what primary research do you need to do? Dosage perhaps?
4. I'm no scientist but I'm not sure that measuring DHT would prove anything regard equol as its not supposed to inhibit DHT production?

Also, the website doesn't claim they have people working on research, just a fairly generic picture of a lab. It just says they manufacture the stuff.

I'd recommend contacting them directly with your concerns and see what they say- they've always been prompt in responding to my emails. You could bring up the things you found vague or contradictory directly maybe? You're a customer so he should provide you with information.

I'd be very grateful if you could share any response you get - would be v interesting.

Exactly. I agree with all points 1-3.

My experience with them has been nothing short of professional.

They responded to my emails about their product, told me when I'd get it, answered all my queries with whatever info they had and didn't give me any BS claims (DS in contrast made a lot of claims).

Measuring DHT- thats a tricky one. Equol is supposed to bind DHT. So will the tests distinguisn between bound DHT and free DHT - I am not sure.

What I do know is, there is less free DHT in my system now than there was before Equol came along based on my sides.

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I still fail to understand the rush to buy S-equol from this company. Their non-responses and raggedy website were reason enough to wait until better known supplement companies (e.g. Nature Made, Swanson) concluded their trials, and put a product on the market.

Perhaps because a lot of us don't have the luxury of time to wait for the better/best options to become available. If I was a NW2, I'd play the waiting game too, but I crossed that bridge seven years back without even realizing it at the time..

 

[LawOfThelema]

It could contain real s-equol, that I don't doubt, but yes they should have done a study on DHT. But it would have been pointless (or even damaging) because 10 mg equol isn't going bind enough DHT where it matters a damn anyhow. This is probably why they didn't do a study. Website is bull****ty, packaging was meh, shipping and lack of tracking was bad, absolutely no advertising aside from his post in this forum. It does smell scammy.

But you can source equol in group buys for cheap. These companies are marking these products up by a lot.

 

[Aks20]

My big problem with all those group buys is the China angle - how is it different from the complaints with Folexen? I don't know why we give packaging such a big +, if its a scam company, they can claim anything they want (take a look at my Rhodanide-Activance thread for how a company with mild results can claim the sun and the sky) and we can't verify it anyhow. At least here we have some science behind the mechanisms of equol.

Anyways, the amount of stuff I have read about China and chemicals is enough to make me "shiver me timbers"..

FWIW, I didnt get any tracking information for my orders with Activance either. Unlike equol, they didnt have any public studies backing them up either. Only their own claims. Its at best a mild product effective on early NWs..

10 mg equol @ 1 go should bind a lot of DHT.

Now when I asked Folexen about ingreds, they clearly told me all the ingreds - agreed they should put it on the label...so my experience with them has been ok. I really can't grudge them that, prompt replies by an "Andrew"..

I have dealt with start ups in the past. They take time to ramp up and are very focused on getting the basics right and rushing out of the door with a product. Only after customers come back with feedback do they look at making the basics more than basic, if you get what I mean.

Its a common failing, but also taught in B-school as a means (valid one) of keeping costs low. Business is replete with stories of guys who went for the best possible answer and got broke even as they were introducing the product to market.

Coming back to the group buy thing ...my problem is that its hard for us to know what exactly is the level of purity and whats in the product apart from the purity....I really have to question the thought process of some of the guys (not you) who are mixing and matching multiple experimental drugs...they are even scarier than the others who claim "its natural so its fine" (As if, bioactives from natural sources are magically safe)

On HLH, I recently saw a post from one of the most active users stating (Warning?) folks that his fertility tests had come back all screwed up and he was worried he'd never have kids. He was using a bunch of these chems from group buys.

My "hope" is that being an Aussie firm, there is somewhat more honesty/transparency thanks to rule of law, when it comes to buying stuff from registered firms in the US/UK/Europe/Australia than a reseller of chemicals located out of China, operating under a pseudonym (as is mostly the case..).

 

[ifeelgood]

I requested a visit of their Lab facility before I bought their product. The rep did not decline but wanted me to visit it on a weekday....if i remember right...

I dropped it as I work full time and can't take a day off to visit their Lab. I ended up buying their product and am testing it for about 2 mths now. As with any treatment I will give it 6 mths to see if there's any difference.

ATM, the difference is nil. I am diffused thinner and loose hair all over and the shedding has'nt stopped with finasteride, min, Spectral or Folexen.

Atleast its better than the TB4 treatment hype on the other forums where ppl gave ended up spending hundred of dollars only because a few members reported seeing "positive" results. The users of folexen should in my opinion have more reasonable expectations.

S-Equol is proven to bind to DHT and thats what I need at the moment as I am on topicals only. I don't see why the big fuss about this company, if you are interested in trialling S-equol and do not trust this company then try some other.

The only issue I have right now with S-equol is the dosage, hopefully someone can suggest the right dose here...

 

[Jasperdje]

I requested a visit of their Lab facility before I bought their product. The rep did not decline but wanted me to visit it on a weekday....if i remember right...

I dropped it as I work full time and can't take a day off to visit their Lab. I ended up buying their product and am testing it for about 2 mths now. As with any treatment I will give it 6 mths to see if there's any difference.

ATM, the difference is nil. I am diffused thinner and loose hair all over and the shedding has'nt stopped with finasteride, min, Spectral or Folexen.

Atleast its better than the TB4 treatment hype on the other forums where ppl gave ended up spending hundred of dollars only because a few members reported seeing "positive" results. The users of folexen should in my opinion have more reasonable expectations.

S-Equol is proven to bind to DHT and thats what I need at the moment as I am on topicals only. I don't see why the big fuss about this company, if you are interested in trialling S-equol and do not trust this company then try some other.

The only issue I have right now with S-equol is the dosage, hopefully someone can suggest the right dose here...

I've read a study about injecting equol in rats. With enlarged prostates. The amount of dosage was 0,25mg a kilo, the prostate improved but not significant as if i may remember. The DHT-levels where rising, T & E kept the same. The DHT-levels where rising because it can't bind with the receptor.

I thought that Diffuse-hairloss/Telogen Effluvium has nothing to do with DHT, and quiting finasteride/minoxidil/spectral(minoxidil/nanox) can cause hair loss. Stick to one product for at least a year, hair grows slowly so don't make to fast decisions.


Question:
My grandfather always had a full head of maybe nw1 (nw1,5) but that was it. He was always eating soya, does this says he is a equol producer? I've never eat soya, because i live in Europe and soya isn't that populair because of the "feminine side" At least that's what they told me here. I'm half Asian and half western, i've the eyes and nose from my grandfather (LOL) and i'm wondering how big are the changes i'm a equol producer to? How can i find this out?