These unfortunate events began when my 10 year old son some how triggered a pop up window that informed him
he'd won a laptop computer, and all that was needed was to consider a few free trial offers.
I knew of course that it was a questionable offer and told him so, but he was so disappointed and unwilling to accept that he didn't really win anything, I decided to show him what would happen if we proceeded with trying to get the "free" laptop. Haha. The teacher almost got schooled in this case.
The Ultima patch was one of the "free trial" offer hurdles. So I submitted to the offer, noted the sneaky terms: 7.95 shipping, 12 days from date free trial product was shipped, auto shipments of product would be shipped and 129.95 would be billed to charge card if I didn't cancel before the 12 days was up.
Order was made 4/2/06 (a sunday) 7.95 was billed to my check card 4/4/06.
No 'free trial' received as of 4/14/06, but
account activity at my bank shows a pending charge of 129.95 for ultima patch on this date.
Called bank, they said as long as it was only pending they couldn't do anything with it yet.
Called ultima patch, surprise, they keep banker's hours, even for phone service.
Without having received any product, I
canceled at the ultima group web site via the form about midnight which made the date of cancel 4/15/06, as I figure it, the 12th day from "shipping" of the free trial (I don't think anything was really shipped, just a hunch) whew, close one.
Also after midnight 4/15/06 sent an email to ultima group demanding a refund and stating that I was treating both the 7.95 and the 129.95 as fraudulent charges and would be disputing them with my bank immediately.
4/15/06,11 am, logged into my bank account online and the pending 129.95 had disappeared. Called bank customer service, she said the charge was no longer there (they couldn't/wouldn't explain whether it was a refund or what) but that ultima group still had authorization to charge my account via my check card for recurring charges. I said I wanted to cancel that authorization. Banker said no, can't do that.
Finally banker agreed that I could cancel my check card and get a new one with a new number there by locking out ultima patch. I later found out that according to 'regulation E' you CAN cancel auhorization on recuring charges., but not one time charges to your check card. You cannot stop payment on your check card like a check.
I can only conclude that Ultima patch or group or whatever is a complete scam of an operation. Fake, right down to the rash producing non adhering product. I feel lucky to have gotten out of the 129.95 ripoff. I'm pretty sure they would have tried to charge again later when they thought I wasn't looking if I hadn't voided my check card and got a new number.
Still no refund for the 7.95 shipping, but I can live with that.
Thanks to usacomplaints.com, I got a heads up in time. I did an internet search for 'ultima patch' while considering what to do about the fraudulent charge to my check card, and ripoff report was one of the top 2 results.
I think with the increasing number of electronic transactions, the issue of being able to cancel authorization to credit cards and bank accounts/check cards needs to be seriously addressed.
It's silly to think that a charge is so easily authorized but like pulling teeth to cancel authorization. We need the power to stop these scam artists from just ignoring communication and continuing to take money from people as long as they please.
0 comments