BEWARE!! Online Scam

uspirate · #1 (**permalink**) 03-24-2008

As many of you may know, Nimfy and I recently visited Michigan two weeks ago. I purchased the Airline tickets online through cheap tickets or cheapoair(Spirit Air) via a credit card with a zero balance that i havent used in over a year. yesterday while checking my banking statement, i noticed a $12 charge from a company called Reservation Rewards. i did a little research and discovered that this company "LEGALLY" has many coops including Amazon.etc that when you purchase something from their site they automatically enroll you in this program. first they send you three emails disguised as spam. at the bottom of one of the emails their is a small cancel link. normally we just delete things we think are spam. then they automatically start charging your card $12 per month.this company has been getting away with this since 2004 due to the three emails they send. check your statements and be careful while shopping online. we were careful but it's a hidden link. for more info, click on the above link.

uspirate · #2 (**permalink**) 03-24-2008

I forgot to include this copy of a letter from a supposed reservation rewards Rep. i edited a word or two.
WLI Call Center Rep Jan 28

I’m a rep in the call center at Webloyalty. I have no pity for any of you people. You’re all suckers, plain and simple. Didn’t anybody ever teach you that nothing is free? When all of you idiots made your purchases on whatever website you did business on at the end of your transaction there was an offer asking if you wanted to save $10, or get award miles, or whatever. When you clicked on that link you were not automatically signed up. What happens is that you’re brought to the Reservations Rewards website. On that website it tells you that you are on the website for Reservations Rewards. You see, you can tell that because the banner at the top of the site says “Reservations Rewards”. Unfortunately you were too stupid to notice or remember. It then gives you instructions on how to redeem your “reward”. At that point you are instructed to enter you email address in twice and click accept. Now you have to manually type in the email twice in those boxes. No cut and paste is allowed. Then it tells you to click accept. Now, if you had any f---ing brains in your head you would have noticed that right above the box where you enter your email mail address its says, in regular sized type, in plain sight, right out in the open, that entering your email twice will act as an electronic signature and that by clicking accept you are accepting that the website you just made a purchase on can share the billing information with Reservation Rewards. Also in the big box next all of this it gives the exact details of what you are signing up for, again in regular sized print, in plain sight, right out in the open. If you are too stupid to take the time to notice all of that then you deserve what you got. which was a membership in a overpriced ******** ptogram.

Webloyalty depends on idiots like you to not notice this stuff. To be blinded by the idea that you are getting something for “free”. To not look at you credit card statement so charges go through every month. Its unbelievable the amount of dummies out there that fall for this stuff. Even if you do catch the charges eventually, and get a refund they still made money off of you by collecting interest on your money when they had possesion of it. Stay a member or cancel its win-win for webloyalty.

So, anyway I hope all you dummies learned a valuable lesson and wont fall for this again. I’m sure many of you will, though. You’d be shocked at how many people are repeat members where they canceled the service a while back but fell for the scam again a few months later.
and another letter

Webloyalty Consumer Affairs Mar 22

To All:
Through monitoring the blogosphere, we became aware of The Substantially Similar weblog. We’d like the opportunity to fully address your questions or concerns and encourage you to contact us. One of our customer service representatives will be very happy to assist you in answering your questions or cancelling your membership if you are unhappy. We can easily be reached by phone at the following toll-free numbers:
Reservation Rewards 1-800-732-7031
Shopper Discounts & Rewards: 1-800-889-8776
If you prefer, you can contact us via email at consumeraffairs@webloyalty.com.
Regards, Mary O’Reilly, Webloyalty Consumer Affairs

artbyjody · #3 (**permalink**) 03-25-2008

They have been doing this for years:

consumer watch

cbs video

consumer affairs

PROMO Magazine

etc... seems it just goes on....and on...good editing job

Rockter · #4 (**permalink**) 03-25-2008

No matter what they say, no matter how many times they say they have warned you, if it has been designed to trick and deceive, then it is a FRAUD.

From the Latin "fraudus", a trick (normally financial).

Check out 419eater.com (I will vouch for it) for fraud and its 20,001 variations. They are experienced counter-scammers.

I have run into a few of them, latterly ghost calls attempting to phish personal details.

Pls be careful.

Rockter · #5 (**permalink**) 03-25-2008

art...

None of your links work, for me, at least.

Freesail99 · #6 (**permalink**) 03-25-2008

I got similar charges when I ordered "free" business cards from vista print. I noticed I was being charge $14.95 a month but by then 3 months had gone by. I have had 2 removed from my credit card balance, still fighting about the last one.