Pick-Red (Plumbing, Electrical, Heating, Air Conditioning) did three jobs in our house in the past few years. The most recent one was on February 26. I had always paid by check before, but on this day I paid with my Visa card. ($75).
For months since that day I would come across a charge to my Visa card for $6.95, but I kept forgetting to check my monthly bank account statement to find out who was charging this amount. I finally went to my bank and found out for how many months this had been going on. It turned out it went almost a year. (Lesson # 1: Always check and double check your statements)
I called the company. I left several messages with customer care. Called back. Finally got hold of a Olivia De Rossa who promised to straighten things out and send a refund check for all the times I had been charged $6.95, which she said amounted to about $84. Weeks passed, no check in the mail. I called again. She said things were backed up in accounting. (Sounds like they need a plumbing job to clear the jam!) Promised me the check would arrive. I have still not recieved it and doubt I ever will.
Here's the thing: On the receipt I signed when the job was done and I paid the plumber in person with my Visa card was a little box where the customer can check a No box if they don't wish to sign up to become a Gold Member, which supposedly will save you some money on future repair. Well, the guy never explained about the membership, never pointed out that I would have to check a No box.
You usually check a Yes box, not a No Box, right? It's like asking someone to check No, I don't want to be ripped off. No check mark, and the company goes ahead and charges the sucker. It takes advantage of someone who is signing a receipt and is giving them a Visa card number. Heaven knows how many more Pick-Red customers never checked that No Box and is being charged $6.95 every month, not even aware of it.
Yes, I was naive. Yes, I should have read the receipt with a magnifying glass. Yes, I was a sucker. And some businesses will charge a sucker and hope the sucker never discovers the sham. A good and honest business would never have a No box like that, would not ignore phone calls, would not promise a check and not send it. Imagine if say, Amazon.com did business that way? They would have been bust in less than 60 seconds!
I kept telling myself I should just let it go, it was a small thing, but I have a small budget and $84 is not small change to me. But what's more: it's the idea of fraud and lousy customer so-called care that gets my goat even more than the money.
I've given them plenty of time to do good on their promise, but they obviously have no intention of sending that check. So now I've done what I feel I have to do to try and make sure other customers don't get ripped off in the same manner. And talk about plumbers butt.
Sharon
Seal Beach, California
U.S.A.
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