I signed up for a member listing in the Cambridge Who's Who Registry under the impression that I would get some good PR from it. I wasn't positive of the value and the price was a bit steep (around $700) but I thought I give it a try and see. Then about 3 months later the business model and tactics of Cambridge Registry becomes clear after a guy named Roger calls me on my cell phone and identifies himself as a representative of Cambridge and wants to "go over one quick thing". I will relate the content of the call as it was played back to me when I called Cambridge to complain about $897 in unauthorized charges to my credit card. As the conversation progresses (over 7- 8 minutes) I'm led to believe that Roger is confirming the accuracy of the information that the registry will have about me and my business. At about the 8-9 minute mark he mentions a cost of $897 (he talks very quickly) then asks to verify the last 4 of my credit card for security reasons. I say, " Say that again, I missed that", because I didn't hear what he said. He then repeats only the part about the security verification (leaving out any mention of the $897) and I assume that he wants to verify that I am really me since I know that they used my credit card to process my original membership so I confirm the last 4 of my credit card. Then he goes into a 2-3 minute rant about all the great stuff that Cambridge has to offer at which point I am paged to a meeting and I tell him I have to cut him short because I have to go. I say OK, bye and the call ends.
2 Weeks later I get my credit card bill and see this $897 charge from Cambridge so I call them and leave a message to call me back. A few hours later a girl named Jennifer Jacobs calls me and I explain that I have these charges on my credit card and don't know what they are for. She looks it up and then tells me in great detail that Roger called me and I bought some additional products from him.
I say no I did not. She plays the tape of the phone call to me and says in her opinion I gave authorization to use the card because I verified the card number. I tell her that was not the case and she holds here ground but offer to credit me $189 for something that wasn't done yet. I say that's not enough and I don't want anything they have to sell me. She says she can't do anything about it and will email me something to sign to get the $189 back. Later I get the email and it's a document that basically says if I take the $189 I agree that the transaction is to my complete satisfaction. Wooah! What a well crafted SCAM! Anyway, I sign the doc so I can at least get the $189 back and minimize my losses.
I can't believe that a high profile guy like Donald Trump Jr would lend his name to a company that depends on crafty telemarketers who use deception and diversion to trick people into authorizing payment for things of no real value.
If you get a call or email or direct mail from these snakes - throw it on the trash.
Don't be a victim like me.
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