They took $69.95 out of my account without my permission.
Complaint
William A. Falconer
Country: United States
I had ordered a CD for $1.98 for U.S. Grants which were free to the public. Thats what the add said. So I gave them my debit card number. Then a week later they charge me $69.95. I call the number thats posted here on the net and the gentleman said I would get my refund in 2 to 3 days. And he gave me a confirmation number. Well that was the 6th of March. I didn't hear from the refund so I called the number that the bank gave me that showed up in their records. I called and they denied that they ever gave me a refund and that this is the first time they heard of me. The fellow kept disputing me. So I asked for a supevisor and he denied me one. He said that he does all the talking. And he wouldn't give me his name either. I was furious. He said that I was not entitled to a refund since I waited 7 days to claim for one. I was not told that they would take that amount from me at all. Please help me. Thank-you, respectfully yours, William A. Falconer
Comments
The "CD" offer is to get your account information so they can charge you the later fee. They will promise anything, just to string you along, both so they can keep making charges, and hoping you wait over the 60 days from the statement date showing the first unauthorized charge, after which your bank will probably not reverse it.
They probably hide some disclosure of the additionl charges somewhere on their website, possibly in fine print at the bottom of a long page, or through a link to another page, or maybe they just include notification of additional charges in some insert with your initial order. You are not intended to actually know you are "agreeing" to this charge in time to cancel. It is a common scam tactic.
Contact your bank immediately to dispute all unauthorized or fraudulent charges, and close the account to prevent additional fraud. Follow up in writing with a dispute to your bank, and make sure they get it earlier than 60 days from the statement date showing the disputed charge, to preserve your FRB Reg. E dispute rights.