Last month I ordered some dress pants from Haband.com. I had received an ad in the mail, and so I decided to try out the company. I received the order in a timely manner.
As an added bonus I signed up for Reservation Rewards, expecting $10 off my next Haband purchase through coupons. However, instead of free coupons I received a $10 bill on my credit card from WLI Reservation Rewards.
I contacted the RR company, and customer service allowed me to cancel this membership. They also promised on the phone and in an email that they would refund me the $10. I thought that was unusual because companies don't normally refund members for accidentally signing up.
But then I read Haband's "No Privacy Policy." It's so nice to know (in fine print) that my name and address are being rented out... And that I can put a stop to the renting by telling Haband my personal information in an e-mail. Yes, these kids have made Daddy proud.
I believe these two companies are working together to obtain and sell personal information. Haband must have some incentive to help Reservation Rewards make sales. The Haband page looks like a front-end job meant to cover RR's questionable activity; nothing about RR is mentioned on Haband's website.
Once the user buys from Haband, the website redirects them to RR where he or she is offered a coupon for future Haband purchases. The RR offer seems to be a Haband customer service program, *not* a third-party membership with costs. The RR site doesn't mention costs, fees, or charges when a user is redirected there from a Haband purchase page.
Same old tricks, just rearranged...
Coupon-booking companies first acquire authorization from businesses to print coupons for them—with or without telling the businesses they intend to sell those coupons. The bookers may offer this service at little or no charge to businesses, but they sell access to these coupons at exorbitant prices. I know this because I have sold them.
Clark Howard said this company is facing 5,000 lawsuits.
If Reservation Rewards would like to restore its reputation, I suggest the following changes:
1. Don't hide your identity behind other businesses. Wal-Mart and Cici's greet their customers. If you were doing your business from behind one of their registers, customers would burn down the building. People buy beer hats, so you don't have to trick them into signing up for your service.
2. Put Jen in a customer service class. She responded like a 13 year old to complaints on this website, so I assume she's a part of your company. I recommend sending Jen to Sumter so she can get trained by Professor Foote at Trident Technical College.
3. Restore consumer confidence by telling customers while they are buying your products that you *will* rent out their information. Explain to your customers how this information can lower the overall cost of goods.
4. Even if your webpage hidden behind Haband's sales pages explains the membership service and fee, you can't assume that people want your services. You hid it behind another company's webpage, DUH! People do not like companies who take advantage of them in a mistake of fact, and most states will force you to refund them anyway.
5. Put a block in your systems so that Maddox never accidentally signs up with you. If you don't, then don't blame me for what happens.
Cheers and good riddance.
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