This is a common scam, and the Senate Commerce Committee actually held hearings on these fraudulent "discount membership" scams about a year ago, and the New York Attorney General went after several last spring.
There are a number of companies engaged in "selling" these worthless "discount memberships", splitting the take with other merchants or telemarketers. Consumer fraud losses due to this "industry" are in the hundreds of millions of dollars per year.
Have you received any recent telemarketing calls? Have you called any company to place an order, possibly purchase of a product advertised on TV in an infomercial? Have you made any online purchases, and if so, were there any pop-up "discount" offers? Has anyone offered you some "free trial" offer, supposedly for some "discount"? These are the usual ways these scams try to slip through a deceptively "authorized" charge.
If so, what merchant, product, phone numbers, website (URL)?
Dispute fraudulent charges through your bank, and close the account or block the card number due to fraud, to prevent additional fraudulent charges. Your bank can reverse the charges if you dispute promptly. Follow up with a written dispute or fraud affidavit to preserve your FRB Reg. E or FCBA dispute rights.
Be sure to have your bank block the card number or close the account, since such scams often attempt to cram charges under different names, or sometimes "cancel", then start charging again months later, trying to slip more charges through.
Numerous complaints against these scams report that attempts to cancel or get refunds through calling such scams usually result in deceptive attempts to string consumers along and delay fraud disputes past the 60 day dispute window allowed by FCBA or FRB Reg. E. Some investigations have found that over 90% of their "customer service" calls are dealing with "cancellations", trying to resell angry "customers", or delay refunds.
You should also report this to FTC, your state Attorney General, the Minnesota Attorney General, and at www.ic3.gov.
You might also call the offices of Sen. Jay Rockefeller, who conducted the hearings, just to let them know these scams are still in operation.
Administrative Contact, Technical Contact: Sempris response.center@sempris.com 11100 Wayzata Blvd. Suite 680 Minneapolis, MN 55305 US 9522582000 fax: 9522582100 i ran a whois this site is connected to sempris.com
I have a chaarge of 24.95 on myStein Mart bill and it was not authorized. Thgius is the secoond time tghis has happened and I want the charge rmoved immediately.
This is a bunch of cow pucky. that they get away with this dodo.THREE TIMES IS TO MANY.ONE IS TO MANY. WYOMING
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David W. Graves
This is a bunch of [***]. They got me since Oct. 2010 and I dont like it
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David W. Graves
This is a bunch of [***]. They got me since Oct. 2010 and I dont like it
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Ron Corcoran
Someone sould go to jail they have got me since Oct 2010 and I am PISSED
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RR
There was a discount SEM VALUE PLUS charge on my credit card for $16.95 since 2008. I do a lot of online shopping and did not catch this until recently when I called the number to inquire about what it was. For 3 years they have been stealing money from my credit card. It is a substantial amount when I added it up and boy was I furious.I requested a immediate refund and got a letter from their "consumer affairs" saying I was not eligible for a refund because someone authorized the use of my card. I am now in the process of filing a claim but not sure how to proceed.
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Mike Henry
Would like to cancel my monthly; no more charges thank you
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Alicia Everhart
| 1 reply
I just saw this evening in my credit card statement a $24.95 charge from SEM VALUE and I do not even know what this company sells. There is also a $99.00 charge from Bray Technologies and $50 from CFARES, INC. Why are these companies allowed to do this? Where could we file a complaint against them so they will be prosecuted. This is terrible.
Back in June I ordered a styler off of the Tv that I havent received as of yet I received my Bank statement for this Month and TY\here is a charge of 24.95 for Sem Value Plus On it . I have not received the styler yet. Is This a Scam?
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Alicia E.
I called SEM VALUE PLUS and they are Savings Membership type of organization according to the rep who answered the phone, like a coupon, but I do not know how they could provide savings from my purchases. Anyway, they agreed to refund the charges and cancel my membership (which I do not remember having joined. I found out that the other two charges are legit.
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John E. Smith
The firm "SEM VALUE PLUS", 800-475-1942, MN., has made three debit charges on my bank statements dated: 2-23/3-25-2011, 3-26/4-25-2011, & 4-26/5-24-2011 in the amount of $24.95 each. I contacted SEM VALUE PLUS at the above number on 6-13-2011 and they advised I would receive a form in 10 days to fill out and return to them to receive a refund. I requested the account be cancelled on 6-13-2011.
The lady I spoke to would not give her name or who authorized the charges. She said we requested their service on 2-8-2011, which is not correct, we never contacted them and know nothing about their so called company.
I am contacting Bank of America on 6-14-2011 to correct the false charges. I know they will handle this in a quick and professional manner as they have done in a previous matter.
It appears that SEMS VALUE PLUS is a sham operation. Hopefully you will be able to prevent this type of thing from happening to other consumers. A copy of this message will be sent to the state attorney generals of SC & MN.
Sincerely,
John E. Smith 214 Convair Dr. Spartanburg, SC 29301-2814 864-574-2219
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Carla Griffin
I checked my bank account this morning & found 2 charges of $24.95 ea. - 1 to SEM Home Play, 1 to SEM Value Plus. I have no idea who this is & I am pissed, too! I am about to call my bank & see if they can get my money back.
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.
Yea money i was depending on in my bank is now gone. If they only knew it was for daipers and baby food for my eight month old son! [***] [***]!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Raynette Rorie
The same thing happened to me. I also contacted this company as my bank had instructd me to and they told me that I had purchased something that I was not aware of. I was refunded my money back, but I had to cancel my Atm card. What a headache. This company needs to be stopped.
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LOUISE LEMONS
this company has been charging me 24.95 for 4 mo. i did not authuruze you to do so. i wont my mony back NOW
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aquad
Got the same "you are not eligible" letter. Now digging deeper.
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Debbie Roberts-17 Dec 2011
I had the same problem. I saw a $1.95 charge twice on my account from September month and from then on a $24.95 was taken twice a month from my account. I realize that something was wrong so I contacted my bank and they stop all transactions and reissue a new bank card. My problem is how are these people getting access to your account. I am getting ready to write a letter to the president of the United States about this issue. Someone has to do something about this.
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LINDA STANTON
They are still charging me $24.95, what a nerve even after they were told not to by my bank. Can anyone stop them? Help!!!!!!!!!
Comments
There are a number of companies engaged in "selling" these worthless "discount memberships", splitting the take with other merchants or telemarketers. Consumer fraud losses due to this "industry" are in the hundreds of millions of dollars per year.
Have you received any recent telemarketing calls?
Have you called any company to place an order, possibly purchase of a product advertised on TV in an infomercial?
Have you made any online purchases, and if so, were there any pop-up "discount" offers?
Has anyone offered you some "free trial" offer, supposedly for some "discount"?
These are the usual ways these scams try to slip through a deceptively "authorized" charge.
If so, what merchant, product, phone numbers, website (URL)?
Dispute fraudulent charges through your bank, and close the account or block the card number due to fraud, to prevent additional fraudulent charges. Your bank can reverse the charges if you dispute promptly. Follow up with a written dispute or fraud affidavit to preserve your FRB Reg. E or FCBA dispute rights.
Be sure to have your bank block the card number or close the account, since such scams often attempt to cram charges under different names, or sometimes "cancel", then start charging again months later, trying to slip more charges through.
Numerous complaints against these scams report that attempts to cancel or get refunds through calling such scams usually result in deceptive attempts to string consumers along and delay fraud disputes past the 60 day dispute window allowed by FCBA or FRB Reg. E. Some investigations have found that over 90% of their "customer service" calls are dealing with "cancellations", trying to resell angry "customers", or delay refunds.
You should also report this to FTC, your state Attorney General, the Minnesota Attorney General, and at www.ic3.gov.
You might also call the offices of Sen. Jay Rockefeller, who conducted the hearings, just to let them know these scams are still in operation.
Sempris response.center@sempris.com
11100 Wayzata Blvd.
Suite 680
Minneapolis, MN 55305
US
9522582000 fax: 9522582100
i ran a whois this site is connected to sempris.com
2-23/3-25-2011, 3-26/4-25-2011, & 4-26/5-24-2011 in the amount of $24.95 each. I contacted SEM VALUE PLUS at the above number on 6-13-2011 and they advised I would receive a form in 10 days to fill out and return to them to receive a refund. I requested the account be cancelled on 6-13-2011.
The lady I spoke to would not give her name or who authorized the charges. She said we requested their service on 2-8-2011, which is not correct, we never contacted them and know nothing about their so called company.
I am contacting Bank of America on 6-14-2011 to correct the false charges. I know they will handle this in a quick and professional manner as they have done in a previous matter.
It appears that SEMS VALUE PLUS is a sham operation. Hopefully you will be able to prevent this type of thing from happening to other consumers. A copy of this message will be sent to the state attorney generals of SC & MN.
Sincerely,
John E. Smith
214 Convair Dr.
Spartanburg, SC 29301-2814
864-574-2219