Repeated Credit Card Charging
Complaint
Alan
Country: Australia
My partner used my credit card to purchase Sheer Cover products through Guthy-Renker Australia several months ago. Shortly after this purchase we found that they keep sending the products each month or two and charging again for them. We had moved house so did not receive the goods and was not aware of the additional charge until I noticed it on my credit card statement.
We contacted Guthie-Renker and they agreed to stop all further charges but would not refund the one already send (which we never received).
A month or so later I was charged by them again and again we contacted them only this time they agreed to refund the charge (less the postage fee which they would not refund).
A Month or so latter they charged my credit card again and this time we had moved overseas for work. I called them on an international call and again they agreed to remove all record of my credit card however refused to refund the credit card charge or tell me where they were sending these packages as I was not the person who originally ordered the goods, I was just the person whose credit card details they were holding, resurecting each month and charging.
I have emailed them several times trying to get a refund however they do not answer any of my emails.
I am now waiting to see if they will resurect my credit card for a third time and falsely charge it again. I guess we will have to wait to see if their sales figures are down again this month and they need more money.
We contacted Guthie-Renker and they agreed to stop all further charges but would not refund the one already send (which we never received).
A month or so later I was charged by them again and again we contacted them only this time they agreed to refund the charge (less the postage fee which they would not refund).
A Month or so latter they charged my credit card again and this time we had moved overseas for work. I called them on an international call and again they agreed to remove all record of my credit card however refused to refund the credit card charge or tell me where they were sending these packages as I was not the person who originally ordered the goods, I was just the person whose credit card details they were holding, resurecting each month and charging.
I have emailed them several times trying to get a refund however they do not answer any of my emails.
I am now waiting to see if they will resurect my credit card for a third time and falsely charge it again. I guess we will have to wait to see if their sales figures are down again this month and they need more money.
Comments
Even though "cramming" originally referred to unauthorized charges to phone bills, the principal is the same and can be applied to any account a scammer has enough information to charge against. They basically keep taking money, then put barriers in the way of cancelling or getting your money back until the bank dispute periods have passed.
Whenever you are dealing with a merchant making unauthorized charges, immediately contact your bank to dispute the charges, and close the account or block the card number to prevent additional fraud. Follow up with your bank dispute by sending a fraud affidavit to your bank's fraud department.
If you leave open their access to your money, these scammers will just wait and try again when you are not on your guard, even if you originally got the charges to cease. The numerous similar complaints indicate this is their intentional business model.