This may be a little long, but please read and offer feedback, as I need to know if this has happened to anyone else.
Yesterday I went online to view my credit card statement, as I typically do prior to its mailing each month. When I pulled up the information, I noticed a charge for $9.00 for "shopperdiscount.com" I have never heard of this company. I immediately called my card company and told the rep I believed the charge to be fraudulent. She immediately closed my account and transferred all my information to a new account number, as well as mailed me a new credit card overnight. I was also credited the $9.00. The rep also advised me to call the 800 number listed next to the charge.
I called this number and asked how they had obtained my credit card information, as I certainly had not signed up for this service. I was told the information was obtained through JC Whitney. The woman said it must have been either a link or a pop-up that I'd filled out. I am extremely diligent about my credit and would NEVER input my credit card info into an outlet like this.
Upon discovering the information came from the JC Whitney site, I immediately called them and asked to speak with a supervisor. (I had made a purchase back in late November, but never purchased this package shopperdiscounts.com had me registered for.). I told the supervisor of the information I'd discovered and told her I wanted to know EXACTLY how this information was released to the other site. She said she would research it and call me back. I demanded that she call me by the end of the day. When it became late afternoon and I hadn't received a response, I called again, only to be told they were still researching the claim. I called again 2 hours later and was told the same thing. After calling several times today, it is apparent I am just getting the run-around.
I've filed complaints with the FTC, my local bureau of the Consumer Protection Agency, as well as with the MA Attorney General and the MN Attorney General. I have filed with the MN Attorney General because back in Mike Hatch filed suit against Damark (now called Provell) for the same type of fraudulent activity. While doing some research online, I've found that in most cases, consumers claim their credit card information was given to Damark by JC Whitney.
I am trying to find out if other consumers have had these same problems, and maybe just haven't reported them. I will probably be filing a personal lawsuit against JC Whitney for engaging in negetive option marketing practices which led to my personal credit card information being released to a third party. Per the FTC, this practice is illegal, and if you go to the privacy statement at JC Whitney, they claim they do NOT give out this info to a third party. The Attorney General in MN was interested to hear my story, and if others have experienced the same fraudulent activity, we may have cause for a class-action suit against JC Whitney. Let me know if you have any info.
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