Like everybody else, I recieved a phone call from Global Benefits asking if I was interested in a unsecured visa. They said it was a promotional offer of 5% interest with a credit line of $2500.
Not yet having a credit card, and just recently applying online for one, I was all for it. The customer service rep asked me for all of my information, and I bought right into it.
Then, after I have given this rep. From global benefits all of my information, she informed me that there would be a $299 start up fee on my account. Well, I did the math in my head and since I didn't have any credit cards yet and was eager to get one, I thought that loosing $299 to gain $2500 in credit seemed reasonable.
Then a few weeks later I decided to try and find this credit card company online so that I could check out their site. When I did a search, I didn't find anything. That kind of worried me so I decided to go to usacomplaints.com because it came up when I typed in Global Benefits on my search engine.
On usacomplaints.com, I read many testimonials about how global benefits is a fradulant company. I wasn't sure if I had too fallen prey to this scam until I read the phone number from another victim that matched the one I was given to contact customer service.
I called the 800 number attatched to the transaction on my bank account to try and figure out what was going on. The customer service rep. I got in contact with was from the company that did the billing/collection for Global benefits. She told me that the card was late and to just wait a few more days. Luckily I had already read the many testimonials of people being put off and put off so I decided not to leave it at that.
I told the customer service rep. That Global Benefits was a fradulant company and that I knew that I wasn't really going to recieve a credit card and that I just wanted a refund and to please leave it at that. She tried to argue a few times but I answered her arguments with "That doesn't change the fact that Global Benefits is a fradulant company and that I'm not going to actually recieve a credit card."
Finally the customer service rep. Agreed to give me a refund within five business days. Unfortunetly, instead of a refund, a week later I got another call from Global benefits asking me if I was still interested in getting a credit card. I just told them that I wasn't interested (Though I was very tempted to give them a piece of my mind, but I thought my refund was coming and case closed so I didn't bother).
Five business days later, I still didn't recieve a refund so I have decided to file a dispute with the bank and see what that gets me. I'm still out $299.00 and that is frusterating.
I have learned not to give my information over the phone and I'm sharing my experience and lessons with everybody I possibly can to help stop this from happening again.
My hope is to one day be watching a news report and seeing the masterminds behind Global Benefits scam being hauled away in a police car and getting life in prison like all those enron people. At this point, a refund would be the least they could do.
Thanks for reading and good luck to everybody who has fallen victim to this scam on getting a refund.
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