Adding items, upcharging for 'free' items

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Complaint

0
Sharon Valle
Country: United States
I ordered the chef basket advertised on televion, online. When asked if I wanted to upgrade to the higher quality basket I agreed.  I was to get a free upgrade basket and free knife with 1 additional ship/handle charge. The total should have been about $45.00.  When the final screen came up I was charged for 2 deluxe baskets, 1 knife set, 2 'free' knives, and the original basked that should have been removed when I upgraded to the deluxe basket.  The final total was $88.90, with no way of canceling the order, no telephone number or contact information, and the first time that a 3-6 week delivery time was outlined.  I called my bank to cancel, but since the charge hasn't hit yet I have to wait.  No telling what will be added on by the time the charge hits.

Comments

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  • 0
    tj
    The other thing to watch out when dealing with "advertised on TV" purchases is cramming of fraudulent "discount membership" charges.  Many of these telemarketers will pass off your account information to partners, either using deception to obtain what they claim is your "authorization" or doing so without any authorization, and the result may be small monthly charges that they hope will slip through to your account without you noticing for a while.

    You would be wise to never use your checking account number or debit card when making purchases from companies you do not know.  Credit cards are safer, sine their fraud protections are stronger and they are easier to block.  

    As long as your account information is in the hands of a company you have already learned you cannot trust, you would be wise to take action now to prevent possible future fraud.
  • 0
    Amy P
    Sharon,

    I am in the exact same boat as you are!!!  I could not believe the confusion when trying to order 1 basket (upgraded) and the free knife.  I too somehow ended up with two baskets and two knives and additional S&H in my order.  I immediately called my bank to put a stop to the charge, but it hadn't gone through.  I called the Customer Service number this morning (1-800-777-4034) and demanded my order to be canceled and to expect no charge.  Funny thing was, my order hadn't even gone through on their side...it would show up within 24-48 hours.  What a joke.

    I was livid when I saw the final order.  This is how they scam us!
  • 0
    Casey
    I had the same experience on 11/12.  I called that day to cancel and was told my order wasn't in the system yet but I could call back on the 15th to check to be sure the order had been canceled.  I did that and was told it was still on back order but I could cancel so I requested that and got a confirmation number.  The phone number I called was also 800-777-4034.
  • 0
    Dawn C.
    Please do not order a Chef Basket online!!! I too, was under the impression that I was getting a FREE upgrade for a deluxe chef basket, and my total should have been a little over 20 bucks. When I went to process my order, they automatically charged me, without giving me an option to confirm the amount and they didn't provide me with a customer service number or confirmation number for the order, which somehow came out to be 51.98. They charged me for 2 baskets!! I'm attempting to get through to their customer service...hopefullt this works!
  • 0
    Peg 1017
    All complaints ligitimate .  Need a lawyer to interpret.

    VERY MISLEADING         OVERCHARGE ALSO   POSTAGE OUTRAGEOUS MORE

    VALUABLE THAN  MERCHANDISE
  • 0
    Been There!
    I was thinking of ordering this product, but was suspicious of the website because it leaves out so much information, i.e. how long to receive it, what the "upgrade" basket is, etc.  Once against my better judgment, I ordered one set of those "cat scratcher" ramps you've all seen, and somehow ended up with four of them for $80+.  I tried to call and change the order immediately and got the "can't cancel it yet til it shows up" line, nothing but confusion.  Luckily, I sold the extras at reduced prices to friends with cats.  The kicker was my cat took one look at it and walked away.  BUT back to the Chef Basket -- the website looks as suspicious as the cat scratcher one, pretty much exactly like it, so I will NOT be ordering this.  Wait til it arrives in the stores, it's your best bet.  Give it some time, it'll show up at Amazon (they have an "As Seen on TV" department, and it'll be everywhere else too, with much less shipping.  You'll at least be able to see what you're paying for before you confirm your purchase.
  • 0
    Thank-you for comments
    Thank-you for these comments.  I was tempted to buy chef basket, but when I had to give my credit card number before seeing what the Delux chef basket was, I decided to check other locations for a description and found these comments.  Now I know not to buy on line and will wait for it to appear at Bed Bath and Beyond.
  • 0
    Varun
    | 2 replies
    I have ordered butterfly abs 1+1 offer. i did receive on one butterfly abs and that too with no machine in it. i did receive only pads of butterfly abs. when i call Customer care they hung up my call twice after a hold of 32mins and when I was able to get hold of  executive they told me that new pouch will de deleivered in 3 weeks. What a pain it was.
    • 0
      Varun replies to Varun
      | 1 reply
      I did order Butterfly Abs and i didn’t receive the machine of butterfly abs. I was told that new delivery will be made within 3 days however its been a year and i have not heard anything from them......
      • 0
        muniammal k replies to Varun
        Butterfly aps compailand
  • 0
    Monster
    When ordering online, make sure to choose "No Thanks" whenever they offer you something else. It's practically hidden underneath the big red button. The only offer I accepted was the deluxe version because it is the same exact price as the non-deluxe version since they drop the shipping price. They still tack on an extra basket and a knife for 4.99 no matter what you do, so it's still deceptive, but I only ended up paying 26 something for two baskets and the knife.
  • 0
    Mrs. B
    Found a good way around this; simply called the bank and cancelled the credit card since the order did not immediately post.  Also reported the fraud--my husband ordered two baskets (which were supposed to each come with a free basket), for $14.99 ea + $6.99 ea S&H, so the total should've been $22 x 2 or $44 + tax, roughly, and his final total was over $103, even though he said NO to every single other product or upgrade offered on the website.  Worse, he was never given the opportunity to confirm his order.  When he called, he was told he ordered FOUR baskets (no, he ordered two sets of buy-one-get-one-free, not pay for 4 orders), etc.  SCAM!!!!!  RUN, don't walk from this company.  Oh, and the kicker is that he was told to call back in 3 days to cancel, while I was told to call back tomorrow.  NOT--called the bank right away and stopped the madness in its tracks!!!
  • 0
    Shannon
    I also had issues with the deceptive practice outlined here. I ordered the ChefBasket online 11/28/10, DID NOT HAVE THE OPTION TO CANCEL MY ORDER after I entered my credit card info and saw the total of $50.95. I received a card from Telebrands yesterday stating my item is on backorder and anticipated to be shipped within the next 30 days. “Your card will not be charged until the merchandise is shipped.” “However; should you wish to cancel this item, simply sign the box below and return this postage paid card to us.” Fairfield, NJ address on card. I checked my online bank account today and the $50.95 was debited out of my account today! I called the number listed on my bank transaction: 800.777.4034, spoke with CSR that told me my order was in process but has not shipped and insisted she could not cancel the order and I would have to return item upon receipt for refund. I pulled up the IC3 internet crime complaint website while on the phone and started filling out the report while insisting that I speak to a supervisor. CSR repeatedly told me her super was on another call. I advised her of my IC3 Complaint process and would hold for the super. Finally spoke with supervisor and did get a verbal promise, with confirmation#, for a full refund to my account in 7-10 days. She was in their California office. I have copied my “cancel order” card and mailed it to Telebrands for safe measure! I will buy my ChefBasket at Walgreens once my refund is posted to my bank account
  • 0
    mary
    Sorry, not necessarily a complaint, BUT CERTAINLY WILL NOT ORDER ON LINE...TERRIBLE BUSINESS.

    Does anyone know where to buy them in a retail location?

    Thanks!
  • 0
    Mary
    Ah, just saw up above, Walgreens. GREAT!
  • 0
    Terry
    Saw an ad on tv late last evening and it looked so cool that I wanted to check it out on line.  I too found it weird when I started to fill out the info for just the one basket, one free one and the knife for supposedly $14.99 plus $6.99 shipping but couldn't see anywhere where the upgrade was before I put my credit card and important info in, so got suspicious and changed my mind.  I will check out Walgreens this weekend and if I cant find it, wait 'til it is on Amazon or EBay!  One more note, I can REALLY relate to the person who suggested NOT to check anything else while ordering on a website such as this, becasue unknowingly for about 6 months I was charged $38 a month on my American Express to belong to a coupon club after ordering business cards online!!!!!!!!!! BE CAREFUL!
  • 0
    kelly
    I too was under the impression I was getting a "free" additional Chef Basket! They are very misleading. They charged me the $28 for Chef Basket and shipping, plus an additional $14.99 for shipping the second supposedly "free" basket. Also, they ask you to put in all of your credit card information before telling you what your REAL total is. And then, it took 2 months for me to even get the product! So upset, I will never order another made for TV product online again.
  • 0
    steph-2-14-11
    This is a SCAM!!! Rude Customer Service!!!!ions they are reading from a script! They do not answer your quest This is very MISLEADING & NOTHING is FREE!!! my called 4 times and was fighting about different totals. I believe this could be some kind of law suit in the making.
  • 0
    Samantha
    I ordered the chef's basket about a month ago..they have not taken the money out of my account and I am terrified it is going to be a diffrent total then what they told me.  I am on hold now to talk to someone to try to cancel the order all together.  This was such a mistake on my part and I will never make it again.  You can get the basket at walmart now.  Do not make this mistake and order online.  THey are rude and they will not help you!
  • 0
    Marcia
    I dealt with the same type web site in 2008 when I bought the Awesome Auger.  It took me 2 1/2 years of complaining to BBB and finally the parent company located in NY called SAS Group had a complaint filed against them by the NY Attorney General's office and I just recouped my $33.80 in excess shipping and handling.  The point wasn't the money but that this scam needs to be stopped.  The sad point of this saga is that the Awesome Auger web site is still up and running.  Location of this portion of the company, I believe was in Wisconsin.  It does pay to complain, write to BBB and FTC and anyone who you can.  Keep your paperwork (when NY wrote me they were probably surprised that I still had my supportinf paperwork file my claim with them but I had it scanned to mmy system) and file complaints.  I would love to know if this is the SAS Group again as the web site is the same type where it doesn't give you a chance to review your order before the credit card goes through.  I never order from a site like this that up front asks for your credit card info first.  That is a hint in the future that something ain't legit here.
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