I've been a member of Shoppers Advnatage since the mid 1980s, and used the service for phone/mail orders ocassionally over the years. Since the arrival of Internet shopping in the late 1990s, I've used the internet based Shoppers Advantage (Netmarket.com) very little, while the annual membership fee has steadily increased and the level of services have drastically decreased.
For my last two orders in January and February I ordered 3-year replacement warranties for the electronics items. I received the items, but I received nothing indicating I had the warranties. I notified Netmarket of the problem via email, and their response was that the warranties had shipped at a date following my inquiries. However, I received nothing further for Netmarket. So in essence, I have no written rights if I needed warranty service and they refused to provide it.
After noting that Netmarket (Trilegiant) had charged my credit card for annual membership fees in May I called and tried to cancel my membership. I provided all the information from my credit card statement which included a 7-digit member number I was given many years ago, but rarely have to use. However, the rep could not find any record of my membership, using this number and all the addresses I've had over the last 10 years. Being very busy at the time, I didn't follow up.
Then about two weeks ago, my credit card statement showed the new $69 annual membership charge. This time I was determined to cancel the account and get the card charges reversed. I called Netmarket and the same story continues. The rep clained she couldn't find any record of my membership, and that my 7-digit member number was not a valid member number because their member numbers are 8-digit numbers. Even with my name, address and phone number still on the netmarket.com website, and with my credit card number, the rep claims to be unable to link me as a member. The rep asked me to send a copy of the credit card statement, though I had provided verbally all the items of information on the statement. It was as if my claim to have been charged for membership fees were bogus charges, and that Netmarker.com would not do any further checking of their records unless I sent the written materials.
I had spent nearly an hour on the phone with two levels of reps, and I felt that if they could not find any information on me as a member, considering the information they already have, they were simply buying time, hoping I would forget as I did before. So, I am in the process of having the credit card company to reverse the charges, and expected no problems.
After searching the internet for Trilegiant, I now realize that my credit card is in the hands of someone who has accumulated a mass of complaints, including making it difficult for customers to cancel memberships, and continuing to charge credit cards after memberships were supposed to be closed.
Thomas
Auburn, Alabama
U.S.A.
0 comments