Saw an ad on Craigslist, no text, just a picture with a good deal. I called inquiring about it and the customer service, Nadia, said that it was a pre-foreclosure company that saved people because they couldn't make payments. After initially calling, she said she would call me back in 10 minutes... 50 minutes later, I get a call. She said her script, poorly at that, didn't even remember that I was in San Diego and barely remembered my name, TERRIBLE RAPPORT. The Craigslist ad was later forcibly removed due to being flagged numerous times.
After consulting with someone else who had known a little bit about the pre-foreclosure process, but by no means an expert, I decided to pay $199 to get the info I requested for this particular house and access to a list of others. Well, the house I wanted, the only one I was really interested in, was not for sale. After doing some research, apparently there are a number of houses that were never for sale in the first place. You cannot access the site unless you pay the $199 and once entering the site and reading the terms and conditions, this is the first line, "By visiting or using the www.AmericanStandardOnline.com Web site (the "Web site") the user ("User") agrees to be bound by these Terms and Conditions and that such agreement constitutes a binding contract between User and www.AmericanStandardOnline.com. If User does not wish to be bound by these Terms and Conditions, the User should not visit or use the wwww. AmericanStandardOnline.com Web site."
This is clearly a bind because you cannot find out its a rip-off until you've already been ripped off. The refund policy, as promised by Nadia as "no questions asked" is not by any means "no questions asked". Within 30 days, you must submit a written USPS certified mail request with 5 denial letters. Getting these letters is going to take more than 30 days from the people who ARE NOT SELLING THEIR HOME. If I don't want a home that they have listed, I'm not going to write proposal letter saying I'm interesting in buying it. Another bind. This company is a big network of loops and binds getting people to pay $199 and give up getting it back out of frustration. Hands down one of the WORST customer experiences I have EVER had. I'm posting this around on multiple sites, reporting the charge as fraud to my bank, and reporting them to the FTC as well. These are disgusting business practices and the owners should be shut down and more.
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