So this morning around 10:30am as I'm laying on the couch half asleep, I get a call on my cell phone from an UNAVAILABLE number. I'm curious to see who it is, so I answer. On the other end is the friendliest sounding boy. He tells me he's from Area Circulation, and that I've been entered into a sweepstakes to win several thousand dollars (i can't remember how much) and a Mercedes, a trip for 4 to Australia, and other appealing prizes.
Of course, I listen more because I'm excited. I'm 19 years old, and this is the first call I've received of this sort so I guess I didn't know what to expect. He started asking me what I liked to do, if I had a boyfriend (he then continued to ask WHY I didn't have a boyfriend, since I sounded like such a 'sweetheart') Nonetheless, the boy was charming... And he lured me in. He told me that if I agreed to order 3 magazines (Allure, Cosmo, Glamour, and Rolling Stone) for only $3.84 a week that I would be entered into the sweepstakes and recieve a free diamond watch. Who doesn't want a diamond watch? I listened more...
He told me that he would transport me to sales where they would finish my order. Then, a friendly sounding woman is on the other line. Her name is Jackie. She asks me for my credit card for VERIFICATION purposes. I guess I would have known that was a red flag if I was more informed of credit cards, and even asked me if I wanted a Men's or Ladie's diamond watch. Of course I chose Ladies, and I gave her my credit card number to verify my identity. (MISTAKE!) Then, Jackie begins to ask me about the college I attend, and says that since I'm a student she will only charge me $60/month. I told her I couldn't afford that. She said, you're right, you're a college student, let's make it $40/month. I became suspicious at this point and told her I wasn't interested and wanted to cancel my order.
This is when Jackie got rude. She told me that I provided my credit card information, and that I was well aware what I was ordering. She told me that I was getting a deal and that I was crazy not to take it. I kept telling her that I just wanted to cancel, so finally she told me to write down her ID and that she would mark me down as a family member or hers so that I could pay the price that 'she pays.' Only $19/month AND I get an extra magazine. NO, I told her, I WANT TO CANCEL. My phone then lost service, and Jackie was sure to call me right back, throwing figures at me and still convincing me to buy the magazines. I told her no. I didn't care if I could keep the diamond watch and cancel my order after a month, I didn't want it!
So finally she gets irritated and says that she'll transfer me so that I can cancel my order. She says "I don't want all your information to still be in the system so we'll be sure to cancel it out so you don't get charged."
I wait about 15 minutes and get transferred to a man who sounded like a broadcaster, or someone who does the voiceover for Reality TV shows. He tells me that he understands my concern and will charge me only 19/month and send me out an extra magazine. (This is the guy from canceling - and he's still trying to sell to me). I told him that I didn't want it, I wanted to cancel my order. He asks me why I provided my credit card information if I didn't want to order anything. His English is sloppy. After I tell him that I thought it was just for identity purposes he says, "No mam, a credit card don't identify NOBODY." And he starts to get rude too.
I ask him to please cancel my entire order and erase my information from the system. He says that it's too late for that, and my credit card will be charged $17 because I "verbally agreed" to my order. I told him that I didn't want my order anymore, and he told me that it's too late. I agreed to it, and I was well aware what I should be paying. I tell him that I don't want my order, and that I thought I was being scammed. He said, "Mam if you were being scammed they would have hung up on you as soon as they got your credit card information" and then my phone loses service again. I can't call him back, because they conveniently called me from an UNAVAILABLE number.
I'm terrified to see that charges that are going to be put onto my card. I'm a college student and I have my own apartment, I only keep the amount of money on my card that I need to pay my bills and such. I thought I could afford $3.84 a week, so I agreed to it. I didn't agree to pay $60/month, and who knows what other charges will be tacked on. If you get this phone call. Hang up! It's a scam!
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