A fellow freelancer gave me this phone number (888) 726 9440 for a company offering cheap health benefits. I do not know where he got the number, but I am aware that this company publicized by bombarding offices across the US with unsolicited faxes.
When I called & subscribed I knew it was too good to be true. The phone sales person (Fred at extension #121) quoted the me the following features of the plan which turned out to be completely false:
1) He told me my plan would be under AIG for health & Aetna for dental. When I finally received my plan literature I apparently had signed up for a TransAmerica LIFE Insurance plan!
2) He told me my membership card & information packet would arrive mid-November and my coverage would begin Dec. 1st. P.S. Two weeks into December I finally received the BS TransAmerica LIFE Insurance liturature with my name mispelled on the membership card.By this time I had already cancelled or tried to cancel, knowing this was a scam. But for all I know they're still trying to deduct money from my checking even though I had my bank block them... Which brings me to...
3) Fred said that the the first payment would be via electronic deduction on Nov. 1 from my checking account, $199.00 for the first month plus a $125.00 startup fee. From then on I would pay directly to AIG any way I chose. But when I called National Alliance wondering where my packet was on Dec. 1st, they told me that EVERY payment was to be an electronic deduction from here on in.
4) Fred promised me a 1-month trial with money-back guarantee.indeed they did deduct $324.00 from my checking account on Nov. 1st, and although I went through the cancellation procedure & requested a full refund, I have yet to see it, although it has not yet been 4-6 weeks. But I'm not crossing my fingers & waiting that long. Thankfully my bank is a good one and they will attempt to retrieve it for me. We'll see how that goes.
I should also mention that at no point did Fred or any of the sales people give me the name, phone number, or website for the National Alliance of Associations. I had to ask for the name, which they breezed over (they talk really fast those sales people). The only website they gave me was for the company Beechstreet which offers a list of doctors, but for all I know isn't even aware of this operation. The phone number I found by looking at my bank statement and dialing the 10-digit number above the $324.00 debit. Miraculously that's the first time I ever reached the NAA! Essentially I was wary on Day 1 when I gave them my checking account info and I should have just hung up. I don't know how this whole sham is still in existence.
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