On 7/24/07 I got a call which came up as "Five-9" on caller ID. It was from Ameritrust Financial offering a "great deal" to help me improve my credit. After listening to them & agreeing to the card, I proceeded with the "sign up process". I set a date to withdraw the $200 needed to "activate" the account & told that after the money was withdrawn from my acc't, it would place the order & then they'd send my welcome package & purchasing card. I was told by "Kevin" that if I changed my mind, all I had to do was call them & cancel before the order was completed & they'd cancel.
After thinking it over that weekend, I decided against it. Starting Monday morning I tried calling the 866 # provided by Kevin. I finally got through & was rushed off the phone being told that "it's still in processing. You'll have to call back tomorrow after 12:00". The woman answering all but hung up on me. I called back the next day, and the next day... Each time being told it was still "processing". By ther 5th day of calling & either getting disconnected & hung up on or rushed off the phone, I finally spoke to a woman (who wouldn't give me her name) who told me she could cancel the deduction of the $200, but COULDN'T cancel the $35 "early termination fee". By this point I had already researched this company & knew this was a scam. I told the woman I had no desire to deal with a scam company & did not authorize an "early termination fee" withdrawl from my bank. Especially since I had been told by Kevin that this wasn't an active order until AFTER the money was deducted from my account. She told me that was a lie & I was subject to a $35.00 termination fee. She then proceeded to argue with me that I agreed to it & that I had an "open account with them". I demanded a cancellation confimation # & she finally said "Fine! I'll do it!"
Since I already knew this company was up to shady actions, after speaking to thiw woman I immediately contacted my bank & told them that they are NOT to process any payments to Ameritrust. This is going to cost me money to issue "stop payments" to this company, but I figure it's less to do a stop pmt than to fight a scam artist for my money back.
If you get a call from ANYONE who states they are with Ameritrust, or who shows up on caller ID as "Five-9", tell them you are not interested & to take you off of their calling list. Also make sure you tell them that if they don't take you off of their calling list & call you again, you will report them to the National Do Not Call Registry & they will be fined.
0 comments