Grocery relief fund was advertised on a local radio station. I called the number, and had a very difficult conversation with the person who answered the phone. The recording and the man both promised 1000 dollars in vouchers for my local grocery store. All I have to do is pay 9.90 for the program... Oh and 5 bucks if I want it rushed in 3-5 days.
Well, I signed up; thinking gift cards/certificates. I also paid an additional 5 dollars for "Rush" shipping. He said in no uncertain terms that I would be recieving my vouchers in 3-5 business days. And to my eternal shame, he managed to brow-beat me into signing up for another membership, that had a good bonus (100 gift card to Target). I did go pretty long and far out of my way to ensure that there would be no charges to my credit card for that secondary offer until later on down the road.
Well, a week goes by; nothing. So I call, and they tell me to call their customer service number. I call and they tell me that my vouchers would be rushed from the time that it is shipped. And it was just shipped out "today" And that I would receive it in 3-5 more days.
In the mean time, I suddenly have 2 charges on my credit card for 1.99, from PassPort2Fun and another random company. Had to call the numbers, endure the dodging, shifty, and completely unwilling to allow me to cancel companies, and get them reversed and finished with.
Then I start getting calls from OTHER random offers, for memberships to magazine incentives, gift cards, identity theft protection. Here's the kicker, they quote my name, address, phone number and then my credit card number! Without even asking me, just to verify that they're going to be billing the correct card!
Finally after 4 weeks, I get the "vouchers". Nope. Not vouchers at all. It's a membership that you have go checking off what coupons you want to receive, send 2 more dollars each time, and they send you manufacturer's coupons. The dollar off 2 or 3 kind. Ummm? So I swore a few times and called the customer service number. Told them as kindly as possible that after all the trouble, I'd just like my money back, and I"ll send their little pamphlet back to them. Rush shipping of course.
Their response, "Well, it's a free membership sir, you technically didn't pay for anything. The 9.90 and the rush shipping covers the cost of processing and shipping for this wonderful offer. If you don't want to use it, don't use it, but you won't get your money back." Then she hung up on me.
Well, that was 2 days ago, and I'm still getting more and more calls from random companies that have my credit card info. So I called back again, about them giving my information away. They told me that they don't do that, so I grilled them about it. Their ultimate answer was that these are companies that I've signed up for. I said "No I didn't" And we went back and forth.
Ultimately, I lost the childish back and forth. I continue to receive calls about "my membership, and that we just want to remind you that you'll be billed 12 payments of 34.99 for you identity theft protection/magazine subscription/travel assistance/breakdown protection..." Grocery Savers won't do anything about it because "I signed up for it"... And there's no way to cancel these memberships until they bill my credit card and I manage to catch it.
Bottom Line: This is a scam that uses sleight of hand, bullish insistence, and mangling of words to wrap you into a web of fees, charges, and downright theft. And Grocery Savers is just soaking it up, not willing to do anything about it. Now I"m stuck in it, and have to get a new credit card, and most likely have to change my phone number. Don't get sweet talked into it...
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