I am so outraged, I can hardly write this report. Thinking I was signing up for a $3.95 CD on grant researcching, I gave my account info online. Next thing I knew I had been charged $49.95 for three months in a row for WHAT??? I had never gone to their site once after ordering the CD, which I did get. I should have been more vigilant and have noticed the charges on my bank account, but I got busy and did not check.
I first emailed the company with the email below written below:
I just noticed that you have been charging my bank account for three months now for $49.95!!! FOR WHAT???
I ABSOLUTELY DID NOT authorize you to do so and the only charge I authorized was the ONE TIME charge for $3.95 on April 3. There are no words to express how angry I am. This is a scam of the worst kind. HOW DARE YOU???
This is to inform you that I am giving you ONE (1) day to respond to this email and credit back to my bank account the THREE UNAUTHORIZED amounts of $49.95 before I turn your company in to:
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Onguard Online
Better Business Bureau Online
Internet Crime Complaint Center
National Fraud Information Center
consumer complaints Corporate Advocacy, Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program
Consumer Sentinel
Econsumer. Gov and my state attorney general
You have all the information you need to credit my account. DO IT NOW!
I recieved this email in response:
I'm sorry; but we are unable to process cancellations or refunds online. If you wish to do any of the above, please call our Customer Service at 1-866-370-7270.
Business Hours are Monday - Friday from 7:00am - 6:00pm Mountain Standard Time (GMT -7 hours.)
Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
The Grant Search Assistant E-Mail Support Team
~ If you need further clarification, please don't hesitate to ask.
When I called the number they gave, I had to wait 22 minutes on hold, but finally got through to a real person. She informed me that I had agreed to the terms which were at the bottom of the page on the site (they were not - at least not when I made my CD purchase. I noticed that they had been revised the month after I had bought the CD)
I got a little loud and informed the woman that I was NOT stupid and would never agree to $49.95 being taken out of my account for three months for something I do not, nor would never, use. She said she was sorry, but I had agreed to the terms.
I then informed her that I would be turning the company in to:
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Onguard Online
Better Business Bureau Online
Internet Crime Complaint Center
National Fraud Information Center
consumer complaints Corporate Advocacy, Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program
Consumer Sentinel
Econsumer. Gov
and my state attorney general
She asked me to wait on hold for a moment. When she came back she said that her supervisor had refunded three payments of $49.95 back to my bank account. She gave me a confirmation number and now we shall wait and see!!!
Karen
Birmingham, Alabama
U.S.A.
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