Several years ago, I got burned. I thought I was smarter than to allow it to happen but I was taken in by a seductive email solicitation from a company whose name I no longer even remember. I sent them my credit card information and, within a couple of weeks as I recall, was sent a product that didn’t live up to its hype. They had also enrolled me in a program to receive the product monthly. I hadn’t signed up for that, or at least didn’t think I had when I responded to their initial solicitation. I was pretty pissed off and sent the product back long before the company’s deadline to do so in order to receive a full refund. I also asked that they cancel my enrollment in their monthly program. I forgot about it and went on with my life. The credit card bill came and I paid it, having forgotten about the membership into which I’d been enrolled. I remained blissfully (and stupidly) unaware of the fact that the company not only didn’t refund my money but they continued to bill me month after month. Why didn’t I check the credit card bill more closely? I have no excuse. It was stupid. When I realized that I was still being billed and had never received a refund, my level of pissed off became unquantifiable. I called the company repeatedly but no one answered. I sent emails in vain. I finally called American Express. They removed the charges, flagged my account for future charges and assured me it would be fine. And it was. But now I’m wary.
A friend of mine just told me a similar story and I’m guessing it happens all the time. It sucks. I felt foolish, stupid and gullible – but I learned a few things, which I’m about to share, to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.
1. This seems obvious but if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Beware of solicitations that promise to grow hair, dramatically and quickly reduce your weight, eliminate wrinkles, increase your sex drive and/or anatomical size and any number of other things that play on your insecurities. If someone had actually found a way to do these things, you’d know. It’d be covered on the news and not relegated to email solicitations that make huge promises on which they can’t deliver.
2. If you believe in a company’s promise or are willing to shell out the initial fee to find out if it works, read the fine print, all of it, before giving up your credit card number. The fact that the company may enroll you in a “membership program” is often hidden and it’s the same with refunds. It’s boring to wade through the company’s guarantees and refund policies, but do it or run the risk of getting burned.
3. There are tons of scammy companies out there. Before you plunk down your money, make sure you’re not dealing with one of them. Do a thorough Google search by typing the company’s name into your browser followed by the word “scam.” And then read the search results. If nothing comes up, try typing in the company’s name followed by the word “reviews” or “complaints.”
4. Search for the company on the Better Business Bureau’s website. Sometimes this can be tricky because scammy companies often have several names under which they operate. It’s worth the trouble to do this though because, if there are complaints against the company, they will be accessible for you to read.
5. Contact your credit card company. I’m wary and I’m smart but I’m human and, several weeks ago when I received an email solicitation to join a new site that promised huge discounts on designer brands, I was tempted. I found nothing on the internet when I did the above searches. The company is quite new and, yup, I signed up. I entered my contact info and as I was putting in my credit card info, the wariness kicked in as I was about to hit enter. My internet failed at the same exact moment and I went into a panic. I knew the information didn’t send but later, when my internet connection resumed, I received an email from the company confirming my interest. I called American Express to see if they had received a charge to my card. They hadn’t but the representative I spoke with was aware of the company in question and said he’d received several complaints from them. I felt like an idiot and told him that and he calmly talked me down.
6. If you do get into a situation where you feel you’re being taken, contact the company immediately. Cancel your membership if you are able. (Scammy companies can make this difficult.) If unwanted charges appear on your credit card, call your credit card company and explain. They’re used to dealing with fraud and will reverse the charges. You may have to fill out some paperwork but the credit card company will protect you.
7. Fill out an online complaint form with the Better Business Bureau. To reiterate, check with them before giving a company your credit card info to ensure that the company is legit, but if you’re unhappy with the product, customer service, return policy and certainly if you’re the victim of fraud, file a complaint with the BBB. They will contact the company for you and try to resolve your issue. Plus, there will be a public record of your complaint for others to see.
8. If you are the subject of fraud, file a complaint with your state’s Attorney General’s office. They may contact the company if it is within their jurisdiction. In addition, they can offer other avenues of recourse to help solve your problem. I have found that the Attorney General’s office holds a lot of sway with companies and I’ve often had resolutions to problems simply by invoking their name and saying that I was going to file a formal complaint.
9. Visit http://www.stopfraud.gov for additional tips.
Have horror stories of your own? Please share them – and the resolution by writing in the comments below. Thanks! Melody
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