I signed up for "single use, one month only" membership on Angie's List. It was advertised at about $5 per month with an option for a single month use. On paying and agreeing with their terms however, paypal wanted to bill me $11.95. I was desperate with hot water leaking everywhere and no time to backtrack to see if they added tax or why it doubled - but I didn't care - I needed help fast so I paid it.
I created my account and was very careful to decline any recurring charge terms and options, and also declined to be on their email list for promo's etc (although I still get those nonstop! That doesn't bother me so much because its easy enough just to add them to my SPAM filter). What did bother me was getting a recurring bill through PayPal last night for $4.95 for another recurring monthly bill even though I didn't sign up for that.
I got on their site and found they require you to call, repeat all of your contact info and account info to them in email or call them on the phone - even though its all right there in your MY Account info with them already, with no option to simply CANCEL membership. I got through to someone on the number they provide to cancel who wanted to send me to an automated system to help me. I refused and insisted on having a human being help me since I already saw they don't provide you with an OUT button to cancel anywhere online. She did transfer me to someone who pretty promptly agreed to refund my paypal and take me off their list. I asked him why I got on there in the first place since I was careful not to sign up for recurring membership and he pretty much told me THEY DON'T PROVIDE that as an option.in the small print when you agree it says to opt out of recurring billing you have to contact them to cancel - EVEN THOUGH their initial sign up appears to offer a non recurring option. This is clearly bait-and-switch tactic preying on folks. Elderly and other folks would no doubt simply continue paying their $4.95 a month rather than take the time to find out how to discover their escape hatch.
I see this type of thing all too often with Internet companies - we all see the scams but you would think with the advertising this company does and its appearance of legitimacy they would not resort to such clear bait and switch tactics. Charlatans - no better than those infomercials offering useless crap on TV sold nowhere else.
Beware!
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