Why I No Longer Use Your Company

[unholypet]

So, I was enrolled in a book club. Online and offline options for everyone.

For a long time, I used mail. Switched to online with a credit card for a free book. Didn't like it.

They would charge me for the month's Featured Selections, and then not give me the option of saying no to them before sending them, which caused me to pay shipping back, and anger. I naturally went back to paying by check.

So time goes on... I used it almost never, because I'm saving for a car.

And then, I get no mails or even email for the featured selections, get no mailed catalogue, nothing. Zero contact, so I figured they cancelled me.


Right?



No -_-


Last month, I got FOUR books I didn't order, charged to my credit card (which I set to do-not-bill-ever and had it removed so wtf), and wouldn't respond to emails.

So I call the customer service number, the lady was nice, but I got a little upset. Turns out these four books cost a total of SEVENTY DOLLARS.

SEVENTY DOLLARS.

When I didn't authorize the use of my card, isn't that illegal?

I got uber-upset when later in the day, I got a call from that same card company. Guess what?

The same hour I had hung up with the book club, cancelled my account, got return labels sent to me, etc. ... they charged me again for more books.



Yes, I did call them back, and raised my voice a bit, buuuutttt...

Me: No, I do. Not. Want. To. Re. Sub. Scribe.
Him: Well, it says here that you ordered these just a moment ago.
Me: Does it also say that I called, cancelled my account, cancelled the subscription, and wanted return labels sent to me after your company billed my blocked credit card?
Him: Yes, I see that here.
Me: ...okay, then do you see why I'm more than a little upset at the moment?
Him: There is no need for hostility, ma'am.

Seriously...

Anyway I got his supervisor, who let me know I had a trainee, and we got it taken care of before THOSE books were even processed.

GAH.

[smileyeagle1021]

Sounds a bit like my experience with Blockbuster (you're last part about getting charged for books you didn't order after you cancelled).
I had their online membership, I did an in store exchange and a few weeks after I returned that I saw a charge on my credit card for a lost DVD. I went in to the store to constest it... I was able to go back to the the shelves, find their one copy, had the manager open it up and found that there was the same scratch on the top of the DVD that was there when I rented it, meaning it was NOT a new copy. Manager agreed to waive the lost DVD charge but was still charging me late fees because there was no way to prove I turned it in on time
So after that I cancelled and sent back all my DVDs and they tried to charge me lost DVD fees on 2 of the 3 that I had.
Oh yeah, there is only one reason I'll step foot in a blockbuster now, and that's after they have been turned over to a merchandise liquidator.

Yeah, be greatful that you got a supervisor who knew what the hell they were doing and wasn't out to screw you so he could pad his revenue numbers.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

FYI, if you get things in the mail you did not order, you dont' have to pay and you don't have to send them back.

And you should call your credit card company and report them, too.

[Aethian]

FYI, if you get things in the mail you did not order, you dont' have to pay and you don't have to send them back.

That is only if they are unopened and that even includes any type of envelope thats on the package. Nothing can be opened to send it back without paying returned postage.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

No, I mean, if someone sends you crap out of the blue that you did not order, you don't have to send it back PERIOD. Unless the law changed in the last decade or so. And you don't have to pay. That has nothing to do with their return policy. That is (or at least was) a federal law.

Now, that does not include mis deliveries, obvously. This covers companies sending unsolicited merchandise. Remember when they used to send you books and magazines and then say "if you don't want it, return it. Othewise, we will bill you." They used to do that, knowing most people would not return it by their deadline.

They don't do that anymore. Because they cannot legally bill you for it now.

EDIT: Yeah, here is a link to that law.

[Aethian]

All I was talking about was returned postage. I'm not talking about one keeping the items in question and then not getting or getting charged.

[Hyndis]

All I was talking about was returned postage. I'm not talking about one keeping the items in question and then not getting or getting charged.

You can even keep the items.

Its a gift! Legally anyways. This is a great way to shoot down those office supplies scams as well. Someone ships you piles of paper or printer toner, then sends you an invoice later, but you never ordered it? Don't need to pay them either no matter how much they whine. Free paper and toner!

[Aethian]

The heck people? I was talking about postage. I don't care if you guys keep things or not. In the OP it was stated that they were paying returned postage. I said how they wouldn't have to pay returned postage.

[Kogarashi]

That's why when I get stuff like that from my book club that I didn't order, I take the unopened box to the post office and tell them that I didn't order it and want to ship it back. Usually it just involves some sort of Return to Sender notice rather than fresh shipping labels and postage.

Unless it's my mistake that I got it (like failing to say No to my "featured selections"), at which point I'll pay the return postage as my personal penalty fee.

[unholypet]

The credit card company has blocked them for me, and I did get my credit.

When I sent it back, I got a confirmation number to be SURE they recieved it. It was recieved, and I got a call just this morning to keep looking at my accounts to see if it was taken off. /crosses fingers

[bankworking]

FYI, if you get things in the mail you did not order, you dont' have to pay and you don't have to send them back.

And you should call your credit card company and report them, too.

I would be VERY careful with that.

If the merchant agrees to remove the charge, all well and good. However, if the merchant does not, you have to dispute the charge with the credit card company, and that can be made much more difficult if you've kept the merchandise.

The problem is, if the merchant states that you DID order the item, they can dispute your credit card dispute on the grounds that the merchandise was sent to your home and never returned. If the merchant disputes your dispute, any charge that was removed from your account goes right back on. (Ask your bank. That money they put back in your account is actually a PROVISIONAL credit, that can be taken away if the merchant has a statement to refute your dispute.) Now, you can respond to the merchant's claim and re-dispute the charge, but you have a very limited amount of time for doing that. Miss your window, and the bank is no longer able to complete the charge-back to the merchant and you eat the charge. (Or try taking the company to court.)

Point is, legally, you may be right, however it could be a red-tape nightmare for you actually getting the charge reversed. You'll make the bank's task of keeping that charge off your account a whole lot easier if you just send the merchandise back.

[Mystic]

Correct, that is why places like the House of Columbia never do the auto send out thing anymore that they did in the 90s. Too many people getting cds they didn't want to order and the company demanding payment for them only to be shafted with that law. However, the company in question is making you pay (unwillingly) for items even after you told them not to, so they already have your money.

If they don't fix the issue on their end, issue a charge back with your credit card company.

[PepperElf]

good luck!

i hope they leave your card alone.

and if they don't... it might be time to get a new card issued with a different number. kinda hard to charge a card that's no longer valid.

[Dreamstalker]

Changing the card might not always work. I had to do that for some shopping-savings crap that I had no clue where it came from and couldn't actually get ahold of anyone over the phone. The %$@! auto-billing carried over to the new card, it was then that I found the card company was in on it and actually passing any changes along to the "merchant". I had to play the state AG card to get them to take it off for good.