In 2004, a Freedom of Information Act request turned up nearly 60 pages of complaints about Ideal Health filed with the Federal Trade Commission. “The consumer is complaining on Ideal Health,” reads one. “The consumer states that she was working for this company trying to sell their dietary supplement products. The consumer states that she paid the company $5,412.50 for promotional leads, and marketing programs. The consumer states that the company never did the promotional leads, and took the consumers [sic] money and ran.” That complaint was filed in 2001.

In 2002: “This company charges $499 to be a member and ask for more money to do advertising for the company. The company asks $5,000 per member for advertising. Consumer has spent a total of $10,000 for this advertising that has not b[r]ought in any money.”

And in 2004: “Consumer states that they have placed pressure on marketers to purchase all the companies [sic] tools in order to succeed. Consumer has purchased direct mail, leadership programs, business starter kits, tv tickets, drive time tapes and all together has invested $8,956.20 in this company.”

There are several other complaints about Ideal Health’s refusal to refund canceled orders.

And recall: This was all before Donald Trump bought the company, made its leaders executives in his own business (“terrific guys,” he called them in Miami; “they really want to make people be successful”), and sold its products under his own name.