charged my credit card without my ordering
Complaint
Marie
Country: United States
I would like to know how they got my credit card information. I never heard of this company nor did I order from them, yet, when I e-mailed them they threatened me with fraud. Stay away from speedyhealthsupplements it's nothing but trouble.
Comments
A number of companies engaged in this type of scam have been shut down and/or fined by FTC or various Attorneys General.
Since these operations were intended for the purposes of defrauding consumers is not surprising that they might charge consumers who never even ordered anything from them, either due to a "clerical error", or as has been reported in some cases that FTC went after, by buying account and card numbers from other shady merchants.
They are set up for the purpose of obtaining and charging consumer checking accounts or credit cards for amounts way beyond what consumers would likely agree to for the products involved. That's why they use the trial offers to get initial sales. The products typically don't cost anywhere near the amount they cram onto consumer accounts, but they are not in the business of selling products to actual repeat customers. The "products" exist to create the appearance of a "legitimate" business transaction, rather than just taking the consumer's money without delivering anything.
Companies engaged in this sort of operation expect calls from consumers disputing unauthorized charges. They use various ploys to deflect such disputes, whether through false promises to "investigate", requiring that the consumer request some refund form and send it it, claiming they will send a refund, which "can take 6 to 10 weeks", to claiming they have proof or a recording of the consumer "agreeing" to the offer, to threats like you received, claiming YOU are the one trying to commit fraud. All of these tactics have been reported in connection with "health product" scams.
The most effective way to handle any unauthorized charge, whether you ever agreed to a "trial offer" or not, is to dispute all fraudulent or unauthorized charges through your bank. Your bank can just yank back the charge, under FCBA for disputed credit card charges, or FRB Reg. E for checking account charges, but only if you dispute within 60 days of the statement date of the statement showing the disputed charge.
Regardless of what their response to your dispute was, their goal is generally the same: to try to delay you from disputing through your bank until it is too late. Most consumers don't know this, so they try to handle it themselves, by calling the merchant directly, like they would any legitimate business they have dealt with. But once 60 days runs out, the scammer wins. They are also likely to keep piling on additional charges as long as the account is active, even if they have promised to "cancel", since that was the goal.
Immediately contact your bank to dispute fraudulent charges, and block the card number to prevent additional fraudulent charges. Follow up with a written dispute or fraud affidavit sent to your bank, to their address for disputes, and make sure they receive it within 60 days of the statement date of the statement showing the disputed charge to preserve you federal dispute rights.
You know you never ordered from them, you know they never sent anything, ordered or not, and you know the charge is fraudulent, yet they threatened you, trying to con you anyway. Don't let them get away with it.
Other complaints.
http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/speedy-health-supplements-c267723.html
http://www.ripoffreport.com/Miscellaneous-Companies/Michael-Vincent-Heal/michael-vincent-healthy4life-cea8f.htm
It is a violation of the credit card merchant agreements to charge against the card number before the product is actually shipped.
Since they have not shipped 30 days after charging your card, it is time to file a dispute of their charge with your credit card company for their failure to deliver.
You only have 60 days from the statement date of the statement showing the disputed charge to dispute under the federal Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA). Your bank or credit card company can reverse charges disputed due to failure to deliver or fraud.
Failing to dispute in a timely manner may leave you with no effective recourse to recover your money.
Any merchant that has obtained your card information to make a charge has all it would take to pass that information to another merchant to do the same.
Crazed vitamin addicts, no doubt.
Excuses don't explain complaints, they only show you are used to giving them.
Legitimate merchants will not charge your card or checking account until they ship.
Make sure that if you get screwed, the merchant starts building a record of comcplaints with authorities.
http://www.bbb.org/eastern-michigan/business- ... ts-mi-90008950/
"Business Name: Speedy Health Supplements
Bariatric One
Business Address: 39390 Atkinson Drive
Sterling Heights , MI 48313
...
Phone Number: (580) 586-7004
BBB Accreditation: This business is not a BBB Accredited Business
Website Address:
http://speedyhealthsupplements.com
bariatricone.com
..."
https://complaintwire.org/Complaint.aspx/J9awRxe37wDW-AjJyDcD7A
http://www.bbb.org/eastern-michigan/business- ... ts-mi-53000095/
"Business Name: Healthy4Life.com
Business Address: 44290 Delco Boulevard
Sterling Heights, MI 48313
See the location on a Mapquest Map
See the location on a Google Map
Principal: Mike Vincent
Phone Number: (586) 997-0670
BBB Accreditation: This business is not a BBB Accredited Business
Type of Business: HEALTH & DIET PRODUCTS-RETAIL
..."
http://www.bbb.org/eastern-michigan/business- ... hts-mi-6029896/
Business Name: Thin America/Healthy4Life
Thin America, Inc.
Business Address: 33176 Ryan
Sterling Heights, MI 48310
See the location on a Mapquest Map
See the location on a Google Map
Phone Number: (586) 268-9341
(586) 268-9313
BBB Accreditation: This business is not a BBB Accredited Business
Type of Business: HEALTH & DIET FOOD PRODUCTS-WHOLESALE/MANUFACTURING
WEIGHT CONTROL SERVICES
..."
"