I got a phone call from a toll free phone number on my cell phone tonight; 11/14/06 with a voice-mail from some woman stating my name and saying that she had "good news" for me. From my past experiences from receiving toll free calls, I have never gotten a message before.
I decided to call the phone number back because I thought perhaps, I really won something since I enter contests all of the time. The woman whom I spoke with said they got my name from being a preferred customer from using my Visa and that I was entered into a $25,000 drawing. Then, she told me I was going to receive a "free" gift and she proceeded to transfer me to the "gifts department".
When I spoke to a second woman from the "gifts department", she told me that I could receive several magazines at very little cost for 24 months and that I would not have to pay for the magazines for 60 months after that (or so, I thought). I proceeded to tell the woman that I don't read that many magazines, but she persisted about how great the deal was and how I could change the types of magazines I want at any time. She wanted to verify my address and credit card number so, I gave that information to her thinking that they already had it on file.
The woman also told me I was entered to win a trip as well. Then, she put me on hold to connect me to a third person to verify my information as well. I hung up on the second woman and shortly, thereafter, they called back. After the second time that they called back, I picked up the phone.
I talked to the third woman who wanted to verify my information. I told her as well that I wouldn't read all of those magazines so, she told me she would cut the price in half for me. I was under the impression that I only had to pay a one time fee for the magazines and then, I would continue to get magazines for free. It was so quick on the phone that I really didn't have time to process all of the information that was coming at me.
The third woman recorded my answers to some questions about my address, telephone number and my understanding of the amount I would have to pay. At the end of the phone call, I was given a confirmation number and then the woman hung up.
I didn't even realize what I had gotten myself into by giving out my information like that until it was all over. My husband and I immediately called our bank and they told us we could cancel our card, but that we would still have to talk to the merchant to get credited our account. Of course, when I called back IRL of Georgia, they were conveniently closed for the evening. So, tomorrow, we plan on doing anything and everything we can to get our money back.
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