I recently received an email about receiving a free $25 gift card for KMart. Thought I would check it out, found I needed to join some company for a 30 day trial period at the cost of $1 so I thought what the heck.
After signing up they inform me that the gift card will be mailed but that I must still be a member otherwise no card. That was the first red flag, but since I had not been to their official website I could not cancel the subscription. According to them I would receive an email with my access code and password so I could take advantage of my membership.
Seven days later I had still not received an email and of course I forgot the name of the company that had the membership. Thankfully for me I checked my bank statement via the internet and found the dollar fee had been taken so I was able to find the company name. I went to their website only to find out I could not access the website because I did not have a member id#, they then directed me to their 800# to call.
Second red flag! I called the company and was greeted by Lashonda who I immediately told to cancel my membership. She of course read me the benefits to the membership, again I said cancel. She then informed me that all I had to do to gain access to the site was to call them and they would have given me my membership ID #.
I was infuriated, the thought that had I waited until my bank statement came in I would not have been able to cancel this membership and would have been charged $140. I told her that according to their own membership application I was to receive the ID# via email. I told her I was not interested in membership and to cancel, she continued you with the scripted speach and I hung up.
I immediately sent them an email telling them who I spoke with, what time and date and advised them that if any charges are incurred on my credit card that I would charge them with theft. I also told them I would report them to the BBB, which I did. Now I find out this company has a parent company Memberworks and it has been cited on several occasions for fraud. I only hope that at some point the government and the BBB will help to shut down companies like these, until then I guess the old adage still applies buyer beware.
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