(Product Name: Distinct Advantage) I received a phone call telling me I was eligible for various free offers, including $400 in airfare, which as someone who will be visiting Canada soon and is on a very low budget, interested me but also made me a bit suspicious.
The salesperson was extremely pushy and wouldn't take no for an answer. They told me there was an ongoing commitment ($150 up front plus $50 a month, or something) and that made me uncomfortable, but I was assured that, once I received their package in the mail, I could cancel easily and keep the free offers.
Moreover, I was not supposed to be charged until two weeks after receiving the package. So I shrugged and said yes, as the salesperson made this the path of least resistance; I figured maybe there'd be a coupon or two I could use.
I have not received the package, and in fact it's only been about two weeks since I got this call. Yet this week they billed me for $60 I never agreed to at all, and attempted to bill me the $150 in addition, but were thwarted because their first charge had reduced my bank balance to zero. (They had also made a long-distance offer I should mention. I received a calling card, and called to cancel that service, without incident... So far).
It turns out this is a well-known scam. There are many different names this company goes by, all of which are traceable to a small telemarketing office in Florida going by the above Suntasia name. I am not the first person to not receive the package (in fact, I now suspect it doesn't exist) nor the first person to be charged for something over and above what he agreed to. This is a scam, pure and simple.
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