I didn't authorize this company to take any money out of my account

ComplaintsScamssem value plus

Complaint

0
Patsy
Country: United States
Since June 2009 this company started taking out 24.95 out of my checking account without my authorization. That adds up to right at 500.00. I want my money back!

Comments

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  • 0
    Patsy
    I would greatly appreciate any help on this ASAP!
  • 0
    Rusty
    | 1 reply
    There are two separate entities, though related, doing this.  The literature they provide is exactly the same.  One company is called Value Plus, and the other is FunSource.  The address for both is Membership Services, P. O. Box 5265, Hopkins, MN 55343.  For Value Plus:  Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-11 p.m. EST, call 1-800/475-1942 to change to another card to make payments, to cancel, or for any other customer service issues; or go to www. programstop.com.  For FunSource:  The info is the same as for Value Plus, except the telephone number is 1-888-836-6877.  Hope this helps.
    • 0
      troop will replies to Rusty
      I am a disable veteran on a fixed income. We need every penny that we get each month. I did not authorize 24.95 to be debited from my account. I am trying to get my money back.
  • 0
    Michelle
    They will tell you that you accepted these membership services when ordering other merchandise. One recording said that I received a $50.00 Walmart gift certificate for joining this service, I never receved a certificate. My husband and I were bilked out of over a thousand dollars before finally figuring out this was not my book of the month club or QVC shopping or his knife buying. It is a shame in America there are such bottom feeders out there whose business of making money is tricking people out of it through these scams. We need to be more diligent as do the credit card companies. I know many have fraud departments for I have been called by them when I charged a large amount of merchandise during a remodel, but it's small amounts of money like these people charged to use each month that ends up to quite alot of money. I noticed that two of them have the same address so it's two entities forming an LLC making it more difficult to sue them. There is no telling how much money they make annually. It's just a shame.
  • 0
    jackibell
    i too have been scammed and i called the number and was given the programstop.com site and it says no further charges will be billed to my card - is this sufficient???  and yes it IS A SHAME!!  damned criminals!!!
  • 0
    tj
    Immediately contact your bank to dispute fraudulent charges, and close the account due to fraud to prevent additional fraudulent charges.  Follow up with a written dispute or fraud affidavit sent to your bank's dispute address from your statement.

    File fraud complaints with FTC, your state Attorney General, and at www.ic3.gov

    Do NOT trust any cancellation or refund promises, as such scams will say anything to delay you past the 60 day FRB Reg. E or FCBA dispute periods during which your bank can just yank back their stolen money.  Dispute with your bank, and follow up with a written dispute or fraud affidavit sent to your bank's dispute address from your statement.

    Do NOT use checking accounts, debit cards, or check cards  for any payments to anyone you do not know and trust.  Limit their use to payments to trusted creditors such as rent, mortgage, utilities, etc.  Use only credit cards for retail or online payments, as the fraud protections are stronger and it is less disruptive to block credit card numbers when fraud occurs.
  • 0
    DJH
    I noticed the two 1.95 charges on my CC then the letters came. I decided to read the letters the next day. My wife got to them before I did.  I knew I didn't charge anything on Jan. 6. This is another scam. I called 8004751942 they directed me to this webcite  www.programstop.com.
  • 0
    Paying it forward
    contact BBB and file a complaint. contact bank put a stop payment or close out acct and open new acct.
  • 0
    DH
    We got these charges also and last November when I called my bank and asked them to investigate they said it was a valid charge and so I got a fee from the bank for this as well. We got another one, this time I called the 8oo number and told them if I did not have the credit on my account in 24 hours I would call the Attorney General's office. They said it would take 5 days so I told them I would give them until close of banking business today (Friday) and I found the credit on my account this morning. They have not returned the  three 19.99 charges previously billed, so there will be another phone call tonight, as well as to the bank that said these were valid charges. Supposedly it is a discount club, but we never got anything from them.

    For those of us that do order things from the TV or magazines, I suggest a pre-paid debit card. I keep one and when I buy something, will only put what I need on it. I use it for anything online, even Amazon and iTunes. This happened because my husband made the purchases with his bank card. I don't know how these people get away with it, I heard my husband specifically say he wanted nothing else when he was phoning in his order so I don't understand how they get away with this deception.
  • 0
    Sharlayne Soles
    I did not agree for you sem value plus to take money
    out of my account so put it back. At lest we know how
    all the fraud starts by company,s like yours.  Just get a card
    number and start charging on it $24.95 everyday. So please stop
    because your company just made it so I can't pay my other bill or
    Bills to be paid.  So please put the money back.
  • 0
    Sharlayne Soles
    This is the truth the money was taking off my walmart money card.
    I didn,t order this!  Where ever you got the card # at I Don<t know
    unless Provent gave it to you and I told the I didn< want any of the
    offers except the one for Provent.
  • 0
    Sharlayne Soles
    Your computer has only one message. There was nothing wrong with the
    language. Plus you are not responding to the message I want this Item
    cancelled so Please do so
  • 0
    Sharlayne Soles
    Thank you for you contribution! Please watch your language and post only truthful information.  Does not apply to what I am saying so please resond
    your self truthful and cancel this order that I did not place out
  • 0
    ronald  sanford
    i did not authorize withdraws from my accountY
  • 0
    JIM
    THEY TOOK 24.95 OUT BUT I STOP IT RIGHT AWAY CAUSE I CHECK MY ACC FROM SCAMS LIKE THIS EVERY DAY
  • 0
    Peggy
    I didn't understand what I was saying "yes" to when I did this. I called the next day to cancel and was given a canallation #. Is this enough or do I need to do something else. I have called a second time, and was told the membership was cancelled, and there would not be any charge put on my cc.
  • 0
    princess32
    I was not given a cancelation number, how did you get one? I called my bank right away and had them post a block on my account from them and i am disputing it right now. I am trying to get a lawyer and sue the hell out of them.
  • 0
    emelita
    Today is June 8, 2011 and I am looking at my account a while ago and I saw this SEM Value and I am wondering what I bought for $24.95, so I look at all my receipt and make sure I bought a charge of $24.95 on my checking account.  Did not find anything so today I called my bank and ask where is this charges coming from as the telephone number on the bills statement is not complete and they also have no idea because the telephone # too is not complete, it is just a name called SEM Value.  So I did the internet and all I found are complaints from this SEM Value and so I try to find a tel # and guess what when they answer they just say my name and said what can they do to me and so I said who are you and why are you charging me $24.95 on my account and how did you get into my account and I did not even buy anything from you guys. This guy try to make the phone like it is not working good and totally go offline.  Well I call back and this time a woman answer the phone and she just go straight that she will refund me my money. I told them they better do or I will make sure they will have a big law suit on their side after reading all this complaint before finding this scam.  
    Note: Question is "How did they get into my checking account number"???
  • 0
    StopIt!
    I think these companies are able to get your cc or debit account info based on the information you provided to their distribution partner (in my case it was with the genie bra tv offer).  I called to order their tv product and was bombarded with the "free offers to try a free 30 day trial via value plus or fun source" I declined almost ever offer except one (I regret).  From  what I understood- at the end of the transaction, the genie bra rep asked if I agreed to the charges and that my verbal agreement would act as the authiorization for them to debit payment from my account. I think this is how they are getting away with charging your accounts esp. when you make orders from a distribution company. After reading the above complaints I decided not to wait for the 30 days to begin and called the customer service.  I explained that  I had only started in the free 30day trial and did not have a member # in order to cancel their membership, the rep told me he could do it for me over the phone. I asked if I also had to do a cancellation on the website, he said no so to just in case- I asked him for a confirmation number regarding the cancellation along with his name and got both. I can only hope that this will prevent the above issues from occurring to me.  Thank you to all the contributors for your advice and testimonies.  Hope I also added to the "help".
  • 0
    keith
    wow what a great company i called them and they knew who i was from my phone number and it took less than a minute to cancel. great service
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