I was charged by American Values/Wellnet for something I did not know about. About 4 months ago, my daughter and her boyfriend (who lives with us) asked if they could use my credit/debit card to order one of those Ab-Force electronic exercisers from the TV ad. I said it was okay, but I sat close by and listened to the conversation as it was ordered.
My daughter's boyfriend ordered the Ab-Force product in his name using my card. I guess American Values/WellNet got our number from them and called him offering him discounts on prescriptions, gas, vacations, magazines, etc.
He said he agreed to a "free 14 day trial" of the "membership", but understood them to say that he would receive an information packet in the mail.
He also got a call from a discount vacation telemarketer named Leisuretivity with the same offer, and he said that he told them to send him the information.
I knew nothing of these calls until I looked up my bank account online on May 1st. I saw charges that I didn't recognize. I asked my husband if he had used our card for something, he said he hadn't.
By May 2nd, there were charges of $70 from American Values/WellNet, and $45 from Leisuretivity. There were also $150 in overdraft charges because we only had about $5 in the bank at the time.
There were phone numbers beside the charges on my online banking report so I started calling. Leisuretivity told me that it was my daughter's boyfriend that agreed to their "membership", but after I explained what happened, that he didn't know what he was doing, they agreed to refund my money no problem, but not the overdraft charges.
American Values/WellNet is a different story. I called them the same day, May 2nd, and read the charges off to them, all of the charges from both companies. They said they would cancel, and would refund my money but it would take a billing cycle.
By May 5th, I got back online and looked at my account, there were more charges from American Values/WellNet. I called them, and they said that I cancelled only the WellNet account not the American Values account. When you call these people, you get an on hold speil about American Values, they never mention WellNet, so I was led to believe that I was calling American Values.
I had told them to cancel everything in my daughter's boyfriend's name, and called off all of the charges from both companies, but they still insisted that I didn't cancel. All in all, there were over $400 in charges and overdrafts to my account. Leisuretivity has refunded the charges, and my daughter's boyfriend has paid me for the overdraft, but I have yet to see anything from American Values/WellNet.
They did send me a generic form with no mention of the company name, and only a P.O. Box in Las Vegas. The form says I have to send them my bank statement, they don't mention that I could send a copy, and they will consider refunding my money.
The questions are, do I really want to send my bank statement to a P.O. Box in Las Vegas, when I have their physical address?
And why can't they just refund my money electronically like Leisuretivity did???
This company is full of extremely rude telemarketers, and anyone who gets a call from them should be aware that a lot of other companies have your billing information. I have cancelled my card, but cannot close my account until these charges are cleared up.
Teresa
San Antonio, Texas
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