Scam Company Messed with the Wrong People...

[Jay 2K Winger]

Scammers who take advantage of the elderly are indeed a class of scum above all other kinds of scum, and there's a special hell waiting for them.

And no, it's not the one reserved for child molesters and people who talk in the theater. (That one's too good for them.)

[Redbeard]

Scammers who take advantage of the elderly are indeed a class of scum above all other kinds of scum, and there's a special hell waiting for them.

that was one of the hardest types of calls to take back in my relay operator days....Many a day I had to go home and take a rape shower it left me feeling so dirty.

And no, it's not the one reserved for child molesters and people who talk in the theater. (That one's too good for them.)

I sense a Browncoat in our midst...

[ShadowBall]

I know I always felt like shit at the call center when I'd reach someone who would tell me they were semi-retired or totally retired and that the shitty newsletters I was peddling would be of no use to them. Or that they tried the scam once and they've been fighting to get the company to leave them alone for years and years. I've always said I wished I could have recorded all the addresses of people I sold to and those whom I really bothered so I could write them apology letters. Sadly, all I do now is I guess you could say promote awareness of the company's horrible tactics so people can avoid them.

And yes, scammers in general are pieces of shit, but those who scam vulnerable people like the elderly are a special kind of shit. I hope you can give these fuckers a good swift legal kick in the ass for what they've done.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Scammers are slime, but the ones who specifically target the elderly and especially the elderly who are alone often or on very limited incomes as is.........they are their own brand of gutter shit and slime.

I swear, if my grandmother ever falls victim to one of those phone or service scams, anyone involved, their ears will be worn on a necklace around my neck.

Same here. Try that crap with my Mom and you have not only her bitchy mouth to deal with, you've got mine (don't refer to us as Dual Air Bags . . . it's only funny when Jeff Foxworthy says it.)

My mom will ask for specifics before doing business with any company and she'll read any and all contracts (only when I'm present and can read them behind her to make sure we both understand what's going on.) She also knows not to give out checking account or SSN over the phone either.

We have to be careful - both of names are on the checking account and the last thing we want is to be financially ruined. We discuss between ourselves before we make any decision pertaining to contract work and then it's only payment after services are done and we are satisfied.

[csquared]

Sure thing!

Oh, and would you (or anyone reading this) happen to know of a way I could record the news report if it makes it on the nightly news? I'd love to upload it to Youtube so everyone could hear about this scammy company.

There is a good chance it will get posted to the stations web site. Good publicity for them.

[Moosenogger]

Update:

So apparently my mother filed a dispute with Visa, but told them she'd try handling it herself first. (A.k.a she'd talk to the scumbags who charged $1,500 to the card in the first place.)

Well, that didn't work. The company is completely ignoring us, and has yet to credit the money back to the card.

My grandmother got very upset this afternoon when she got a bill from Visa for $1,042.00, since that $1,500 they charged had put her over her credit limit. Apparently when that happens the credit card company demands the extra charges up front.

I knew this would be an easy thing to handle, but she was flipping out. I have to be honest here, it's getting on my nerves. Not only did she put herself in this situation by doing something we've told her not to do (open her damn door to solicitors - SERIOUSLY, THEY'RE ALL SCUMBAGS), but now due to her age, she can't even handle a simple phone call to a credit card company. She's treating this bill like it's the end of the world, and it's pissing me off.

Anyway, I did the good granddaughter thing and called up Visa to explain the situation, and told them to start the process of an official dispute. They'll send us the paperwork in the next few days so we can send the dispute in writing, along with our evidence of why the credit should be disputed in the first place. I also set it straight that the monthly payments on the card would not go up (so that $1,042.00 payment is out the window, thankfully), and my grandmother only had to pay $20 for this month's bill.

I swear to God, this situation is going to give me an ulcer.

[Jay 2K Winger]

Moosenogger, you're a saint for handling all this, even if it is stressful.

Good karma will be coming your way for doing this. Keep that in mind.

[Duncan MacLeod]

The Dispute with the CC company will do the trick, this was obviously a scam/fraud. The money will be credited back to the card, then it is up to VISA to pursue it. Trust me, however, provide as MUCH info and supporting evidence as you can.

[Sapphire Silk]

Moosenogger, hate to say it but your mom is naive if she thinks a scammer is going to give back money voluntarily.

You may need to contact the State Attorney General as well, for two reasons:

1) This company needs to get shut down
2) The company is breaking the law by refusing to refund the money since your grandmother a) can't sign a binding contract, and b) canceled it within the 3 day cooling off period anyway.

[Sarlon]

I handle disputes for a prepaid debit card company (not really the same thing), and a bank backed credit card(mostly the same thing).

I know our policy at least is legally we have 10 business days to provide a provisional credit if the dispute is not resolved within that time frame, but a dispute has to be no longer then 45 days to allow the merchant time to respond.

things to ask your visa company about the dispute.

1. do they issue provisional credits and if so how long of a time frame before one can expect to see it reflected in the balance.
2. what is the maximum allowable time frame they give the merchant to respond before they close the dispute, ruling in your favor due to non-repsonse from merchant.
3. can you fax in the information rather then mailing it in. I know in our dispute department, theres like one fax machine for 20 agents in the dispute department....just for our department, but sometimes mail can get lost or not delivered on time. This can close the dispute within I think 15 calander days if no response is heard.

[Teskeria]

The Credit Card Company I work for allows CM's (or their family) to open a dispute with us on the phone. The disputed amount is put in suspense while the dispute is ongoing. This means the CM (Card Member) does not need to pay it while it is in suspense and is not charged interest while it is being investigated. Disputes can take 6-8 weeks in some cases. This is because each party in a dispute has a legally mandated period of time to respond. for example if more info is needs, have to give cm 10 days. have to give merchants 30 days to respond before it can be closed as no response received. (I have noticed the best companies respond within 2 weeks, the worst either dont respond or respond on the 30th day).

[Moosenogger]

Update:

The fun continues.

We sent a packet of information to VISA so they could finally start the dispute. The package arrived and was signed for on 1/16/2012 (we had the package tracked). We haven't heard from VISA, and we haven't been able to contact the woman who is supposedly in charge of our dispute.

My grandmother apparently got a letter in the mail on 1/22/2012, saying that our time is running out to dispute the charge and if we don't give VISA some kind of response, then the dispute will be closed. My first thought upon hearing this was, "What the ****? No response? We sent you paperwork!" Not to mention we can't seem to get in touch with this mythical person in charge of our dispute. I'm wondering if she's constantly sick or away from her desk, because the woman NEVER ANSWERS HER PHONE.

I'm also wondering if perhaps my grandmother got something from VISA in the mail, and either ignored it or forgot about it (very plausible - she can't remember day-to-day events, so she sure as shit isn't going to remember getting something in the mail). VISA is actually starting to piss me off, because even though we've shown them that we have power of attorney and have told them countless times that my grandmother CAN'T HANDLE THIS ON HER OWN, they still send her all the damn correspondence. Hey VISA, she can't remember what she ate for lunch, let alone if you idiots called her with important information. TALK TO US, NOT HER.

So now I'm pissed. On Monday I have to try calling this woman again to see if she answers her phone. If she doesn't, I have to cart my grandmother over to the credit union and see if they can contact this woman from the inside (who knows? Maybe she'll answer her phone if they call her). If she doesn't, I might allow myself to lose my temper and call VISA myself, and flat out ask to speak to her supervisor. If her inability to do her damn job is going to cause our dispute to be closed, then I'm going to have words with her boss. Very angry words.

[csquared]

If you can not get a hold of the specific Visa rep, call customer service and ask for the fraud department. Then ask to escalate to a manager. From there, you should be able to find this woman's manager.

ETA: One more thing, Panacea is right. Contact the AG.

[Moosenogger]

I've filed a complaint with the Attorney General and gave a good description of what was going on. I'll tell you all if I hear back from them.

I will definitely talk to the Visa rep's manager if she doesn't answer her phone on Monday. I'm tired of people jerking me around.

[Sapphire Silk]

I've filed a complaint with the Attorney General and gave a good description of what was going on. I'll tell you all if I hear back from them.

I will definitely talk to the Visa rep's manager if she doesn't answer her phone on Monday. I'm tired of people jerking me around.

I hope you have been keeping documentation of your attempts to contact VISA as well as who you talked and what was said, especially about the POA. You may have to get a lawyer involved at some point if they try to close the case and not file the dispute.

VISA is jerking you around. They know they'll never get their money back from the scammer.