We had a very similar experience. Although we were on the no-call list, we got a call from a woman at Crystal Vision promising a one month membership for $19.99 (free when used with coupon on website). As I recall she said that when I had previously ordered some software on the internet I had requested additional information on software deals. I had no recollection of such a request but she sold me on the cheap ink cartridges. I signed up though I had almost no interest in the software. About three weeks later I got on the internet to buy my cartridges.
Guess what, you can't use the coupon when buying the cartridges. But the prices seemed like such a good deal that my husband and I decided to just keep the membership (about $50 for a lifetime).
The next thing we know is that we are getting computer disks sent to us everymonth. On them, they say "membership services" and on the back they list the contents of the disk—which appears to be a promotional disk with their software catalog. It also came with a newsletter which I skimed over and saw nothing that interested me. At the bottom of the first page, it read in red ink "Please See Insert for Important Membership Information"—but there was NO insert.
In the meantime, the company is charging us $20 a month—which my husband thought (for the first three months) was related to the ink cartridges I had ordered.
I never ordered the computer disk and so I never once opened it up on my computer. I just kept the disk on the pile of mail on my dining room table.
All of which means that for four months we were paying $20 a pop for software that we had never ordered. They claim that there is ample notification that the software is not free and must be returned or else we are charged. Granted, my husband and I were not being very alert over the moths but I maintain that 1) the phone sales person NEVER mentioned that we were signing up for a service that could total $240/year; 2) that none of the written material that arrived at my house, CLEARLY notified me that I was being charged for products that I had NOT specifically ordered. 3) I am concerned about the quality of the ink cartridges; they seem to run out unusually quickly.
I contacted the membership office and they agreed to only accept two of the five returned disks. I returned four anyway and they only reimbursed $15.00 for two not the $19.99 they had charged me.
Needless to say, I learned a big lesson in all of this. Don't fall for Crystal Visions scams.
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