Is balance of nature a scam
Executive summary
Balance of Nature is not a simple "no-product" hoax — it is a real company that manufactures and sells capsule supplements — but multiple government actions, consumer complaints, and court orders document sustained deceptive advertising, manufacturing violations, and refund/renewal practices that have led regulators and prosecutors to treat the business as legally and ethically problematic .
1. The product exists, but regulators found it misbranded and adulterated
Balance of Nature’s Fruit and Veggies supplements were manufactured and sold as dietary supplements, yet FDA enforcement found the manufacturing failed current good manufacturing practices (CGMPs) and deemed products adulterated and misbranded, culminating in court action that ordered a stop to manufacturing and sales .
2. False and medical claims triggered civil enforcement and a $1.1M settlement
State prosecutors in California alleged the company made unlawful claims that its products could prevent, treat, or cure serious diseases and that promotional messages recommended extreme dosing for life‑threatening illness; those claims produced a $1.1 million settlement (including $250,000 restitution) and prohibitions on the advertising conduct, although the company did not admit liability .
3. Federal action went beyond advertising to blocks on sales and production
The Department of Justice sued on behalf of the FDA and a federal judge entered consent decrees that ordered a halt to sales and manufacturing; the FDA concluded Balance of Nature had labeled products in ways that effectively presented them as unapproved drugs and lacked required ingredient and finished‑product specifications .
4. Customers report recurring business‑practice complaints that resemble bait‑and‑switch and subscription traps
Large numbers of complaints on review platforms and the BBB document difficulties cancelling subscriptions, unwanted auto‑shipments, and refund disputes; watchdogs and local prosecutors also flagged allegedly inadequate disclosure and automatic renewal practices that contributed to the consumer‑protection actions [1].
5. Some reviewers and reviewers’ sites still treat it as a legitimate supplement company
Not every critic calls it an outright scam; several reviews and analysis pieces note the company does manufacture and ship products, framing the problem as overstated claims and poor manufacturing rather than complete fraud — a distinction regulators used in some public descriptions .
6. Evidence of harm comes from documented enforcement, not just unhappy buyers
The weight of official findings—FDA warning letters and consent decrees, California district attorney litigation and settlement, plus court orders to stop manufacturing—elevates concerns beyond isolated bad reviews: regulators found the firm made unsubstantiated health claims, violated labeling and CGMP rules, and engaged in questionable automatic‑renewal practices .
7. How to interpret “scam” given the record
If “scam” implies an empty storefront that takes money and ships nothing, the record does not uniformly support that label — Balance of Nature sold physical product and fulfilled many orders . If “scam” is understood broadly to mean deceptive business practices that mislead consumers about efficacy, safety, or billing, the company’s recorded conduct, penalties, and regulatory orders fit that characterization: false disease‑treatment claims, manufacturing failures, and subscription disputes led to legal sanctions .
8. Bottom line judgment with caveats
Balance of Nature cannot be absolved as merely a legitimate health brand: authoritative government actions, consumer enforcement settlements, and persistent complaint patterns establish a record of deceptive advertising and inadequate manufacturing controls that materially harmed consumers; however, some third‑party commentators argue the company did produce actual supplements, so the situation is properly classified as legally sanctioned deceptive practices rather than a simple mail‑fraud “no‑product” hoax .