auto debit to cking acct.
Complaint
Lana Konrad
Country: United States
This company (thru their processing company, Altcharge) debited my elderly mother's checking acct. for $396.38 for a medical discount service on 10/6/10 w/ a bogus check. My mother did not authorize this phone solicitor to debit her ck. acct. nor does she want this service. I have tried to called this toll free 1-888-778-6987 for several days - ALWAYS BUSY SIGNAL. The processing company "red flag" this merchant but this does NOT get my mother's acct. credited for a service she does not want nor authorize.
Comments
Who can we call about these companies scamming our elderly people? This is not the first time this has happened to her by other companies. I check her account every day and there is a bank location close to where I work so I can stop this non-sense. I have had to change her checking account 3 times already. When they call up they pretend they are the bank calling and ask her to confirm her checking account and get all the information from her. Then yeah it's processed through a third party payment center! I am turning them into the credit bureau and my local D/A's office as well.
Do not depend on just a "stop payment", as this type of scam often resubmits charges under different names or in different amounts.
You must close the account due to fraud (and have her bank block ALL charges) to prevent additional fraudulent charges at some unexpected time in the future.
You may need to take control of your mother's check book to protect her from such scammers, who are apparently targetting her repeatedly. "Sucker lists" are often used in multiple scams, or sold among scammers.
The payment processors that handle these scammers are also partly responsible, since they generally turn a blind eye to high rates of disputes in return for chargeback fees to keep the merchant accounts open. Contact FTC.
These scams try to run out the 60 day dispute window, using false promises of "refunds" that will never come.
You can dispute fraudulent charges through your bank, and get the charges reversed under FRB Reg. E, if you do so within 60 days of the statement date of the statement showing the disputed charges. Do NOT let them run out this dipsute period without filing a bank fraud dispute.
In addition, close the account to block additional fraudulent charges.
File a fraud dispute with your bank under FRB Reg. E, and close your account to prevent additional fraud.
FTC recently settled with a payment processor, Landmark Clearing, caught aiding and abetting these schemes.
https://complaintwire.org/Complaint.aspx/PLhoHHSPzQCJOgjN4GUuQQ
Immediately dispute fraudulent charges directly with your bank, and close the account to block additional fraud. Follow up with a fraud affidavit.
File fraud complaints with FTC and OCC (Office of the Comptroller of the Currency).
Approximately three weeks ago, AltCharge advised me by phone that they would process a refund to me, and to call back in a week to check on the status. Since that time, I have called more than 40 times, but have been unable to get through to a CSR.
After varying times on hold, I eventually get to "First in Line," and then hear a recording that the person at that the "person at extension 1101 is unavailable." Personally, I think they're just blackholing my phone number when I call, and that they have no intention of processing the refund.
AltCharge is the processor of last resort for scumbag merchants that no reputable processor will deal with. If the merchant doesn't deliver, AltCharge will do NOTHING to help you get your money back.
Do yourself a favor: If a merchant wants you to pay them through AltCharge, RUN as fast as you can.