Back in January 6th I was contacted by phone by a foreign-sounding woman, who offered me a MasterCard credit card with a $5000.00 limit, for a fee of $279.00. I thought it would be a good way to rebuild our credit, so after I confirmed SEVERAL times, that "yes, this is a MasterCard, and yes I will be able to use it to make purchases immediately after I receive it" I agreed to have the money taken out of my checking account.
The promise that was made guaranteed that I would receive my card within four weeks. My first phone call to the company was in February of because 4 weeks had passes and we had not received the card. After being on "hold" for over 30 minutes, I was told that the card would be mailed the following Friday, and I should receive it the following week. The card never came, so I phoned again. The same voice answered the phone as previously, and I again asked for a delivery date for my card. Again, I was put off to the following week, and again I accepted their excuse.
When I finally received my "card" (February 16), I was surprised to find a full-blown package in the mail, and when I opened it, was even further surprised to find not a MasterCard, but a packet of information with instructions on how to GET a MasterCard with a $5000.00 credit limit! I immediately came home, called the toll-free number, and expressed my dissatisfaction with the package, I was advised (again by the same voice) to simply return the package for a full refund.
I felt a little relieved at this and immediately went back to the post office, packaged the information, and returned it to the address on the box, but I also sent it with a tracking number from the post office, so I would be able to know when it was received.
After three days, I checked on the USPS website to find that the package had reached its destination safely, and I phoned Imperial benefits again, asking when I would be able to receive my refund. I was told that they had received my package, and would process my refund in two weeks.
I made a note to phone them after two weeks, which I did. The same voice expressed that there was difficulty with the refund, and that it would be deposited back into my account by midnight, March 5. When my account did not reflect a deposit on the following Monday morning, I phoned back, and was told some other excuse, and that I should receive my deposit by midnight March 12.
Again, no deposit the following Monday, so when I phoned back, I asked for the name of the person I was speaking with, (Jim Butah) as well as any other pertinent information I could think of, trying to give him the impression that I was serious about collecting my money. He responded with the post office box, and toll-free number that I already knew, and supplemented that info with "we are only a third-party customer service, so, that is all I know, He indicated that I would receive my refund by midnight, Friday March 19.
You guessed it, no refund when I checked my account, so another call to Mr. Jimmy Butah. I expressed my doubts, which he tried to allay with the following excuse: "I see the problem, we have so many people with your last name, it was simply deposited to the wrong account, and it has taken some time to get it back before we can put into your account. You should receive your refund by" (guess) "Friday Midnight which would have been March 26.
No deposit was posted to my account, and by this time, I am feeling awfully stupid, and just praying that I did not throw away $279.00, while knowing deep within my soul that I have. Another phone call to Mr. Butah, and another excuse and reassurance that it would be deposited by midnight on Friday, I knew that I would not see it posted the following Monday (today).
I called, and asked about the money. Mr. Butah said that the reason I had not received my refund was because I had allowed the 30-day money-back guaranty period to expire. I was flabbergasted! I explained about all of my phone calls, and he said that he is not in control of this, because he is just a "third party customer service person" for Imperial Benefits.
I asked what I should do. He said that he had no control over this situation. He said he would submit a request that imperial benefits phone me, and that I should hear from them within 48 hours. I asked him for the Federal Tax ID Number (didn't know what else to ask for) and he said, "It doesn't matter because I am only a third party customer service".
I still have not received my refund nor a call from either a manager or the refund department as promissed. Every time I as for a manager, he is either too busy, or he is in a meeting.
Jeremy
Clarksville, Tennessee
U.S.A.
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