This is a summary of how I was scammed:
I received an unsolicited email from Charles Daugherty on 10/14/10 on how to make money from home. They must have accessed my email froman employment websitewhere I have resumes posted because they reference my job search in the email. On 10/14/10, I clicked on the link titled the newspaper article. The newspaper articlesaid it was only $2.97 S&H Fee to find out about the business. I was under the impression the company was going to mail me info (since they used the initials S&H like shipping and handling), and this $2.97 was postage. On 10/14/10, I entered my credit card number and was very careful to make sure I didn't see any other information on the screen that would imply that I was agreeing to any more than the $2.97. A few minutes later (still on 10/14/10), I received a phone call from someone at the internet company who wanted to verify that I placed the order. I asked him if I was only going to be charged the $2.97 and nothing else. (I asked him this question twice.) He promised I was only being charged $2.97, so I authorized him to take payment from my credit card.instead of something in the mail, I was sent an email with access to a website. I half-heartedly looked at the email, but didn't spend too much time on the website because I still figured they were sending me something in the mail. A few weeks later on 10/28/10, I got my credit card bill and saw I was charged $2.97 on Oct 15 plus $138.67 on Oct 20. I went to the website that was listed on my credit card bill next to the charge (www.dcabiz.com). The website said "We assume you are enjoying the program since your 5-day trial has expired, and per the online agreement in our terms and conditions when you signed up, you have now been billed $138.67." (By the way, I typed in this address again today so that I could print out a copy and found that the website no longer exists.) I had no idea what trial offer it was talking about, so on 10/28/10, I called the 1-800-381-1681 number on the screen. I spoke to one representative who told me that I should have known it was only a 5-day trial. I asked her to show me the website that told me I would later be charged $138.67. She told me a website to go to, which was a website I have never seen before. I told her this, and she said it must have been some other website I was on, but it was the same idea. I again insisted that I see whatever agreement it was that I supposedly agreed to, but again she directed me to some website I had never seen before. I then explained to her that money is tight, and thus I would have never agreed to anything that involved $138.67. The representative then told me she would give me back half of the money. I explained I wasn't negotiating and needed all of the money back. She put me on hold to speak to a manager. She came back on the line and told me she could give me back $100. I again told her I needed all of the money back and asked to speak to her manager. The manager (a lady, maybe named Brooke?) got on the line. I explained the same things to her about the fact that I didn't agree to the $138.67 charge. She interrupted me, told me there was nothing she could do, and hung up on me in the middle of me talking. I then called back (moments later), asked for the original representative, and was told I could not talk to her. I asked this new representative if I could at least have the $100 back that the first representative offered. She said per the notes in my file, I had turned down their offer of $100, and therefore would not get back a penny. I asked to speak to another manager. I was not allowed to speak to another manager and was told a second manager denied giving me any money. At this point, I was crying and ended the phone conversation. I received an email later that day (10/28/10) from the direct commerce academy saying that my account was cancelled." Because I have heard horror stories of things happening just like this, I am so careful to read everything on a screen before I give my credit card number to any company. I would have definitely noticed a "prominent" (as they claim) sign on the screen saying I was entering into a 5-day trial and would later be charged an additional $138.67. This company is pulling a scam, and unfortunately, I was a victim. Please help.
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