When phoned by Consolidated Media Services they were very helpful when I asked the questions to verify their validity. And on the surface of everything the "deal" they offer is very good.
However, I was informed on the phone and even in writing that I have 10 days from the date of original agreement or 3 days from the date that I receive my confirmation package. I did not receive the confirmation package until nearly a month later.
Of course by this time I had already been charged two payments. I decided then to exercise my option to cancel within the three days of receiving the confirmation package.
I sent the cancellation notice in but received a phone call wnating to "work out an equally beneficial solution". To make a long story short, they refused to honor the three day option because I hadn't done so within the 10 day period.By their waiting to send out the confirmation package with all the information I needed to cancel the subcriptions, they were able to avoid my being able to cancel the subscriptions in full accordance with their terms of agreement.
After two or three phone calls in which I refused to make any further payment on the grounds that I had complied with the three day option, I finally gave in only because I don't want to harm my current credit rating. I agreed, finally, to a reduction in the length of the service in return for a significant reduction in the amount and that in the future my name would remain on their do-not-call list, not even for renewal. I made arrangements for automatic payments to be made against my credit card.
One would think that this would have been the end of it. But that was not to be the case. About two weeks later I received a phone call from a CMS rep claiming that my account is overdue. He further attempted to get me to agree to pay the account in full for an additional 10% off the total.
Needless to say, this made me quite furious. I angrilly informed the rep that if CMS hadn't gotten their payment then it was bloody well their fault since I had made arrangements for the payments to be automatically charged to my card each month and he would see that if he cared to take a look at the notes I know must be in their records. He said, "Yes I see that right here in front of me, but I just wanted to let you know that if you pay off the entire balance I can save you 10% of the balance..."
That's where I cut him short by telling him he had a lot of nerve telling me my account is overdue if he already knew I was set up for automatic payments. I further expressed my anger by expressing to him the fact that I was already extremely dissatisfied with their cancellation practices and policies and advising him to make further annotation in his notes that nobody from CMS is ever to call me again for any reason nor are they to send me any mail other than my monthly statements.
I don't know as yet if Consolidated Media Services has violated any FCC rules. However, I am making this reports in hopes that it will at least make others think before they commit themselves to anything without it being in writing first.
Waleed
Annandale, Virginia
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