Online Ordering Scams

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Barbara L

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Apr 4, 2004
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Somewhere, US
Over the last few years we have bought a few products online, and until now we have never had a problem. Now, however, companies are pulling a huge scam and I just want to warn everyone before you get trapped too. I have heard that companies other than the one I am dealing with are doing the same thing, so we all need to be aware.

A few weeks ago we saw an ad for Insta Grip. I won't go into details on the product, but it looked cool and was made in America, so we decided to try it. I started the online process, but when I came to the end of the process our $20 order plus shipping and handling turned into a charge of $52.80! We decided against it. It said very clearly that your order was not complete until you clicked submit. I did not click submit, and I got off of the site.

They charged us anyway. I called the company today and was told that no matter what it said, they charge you as soon as you put your credit card information in. I told her that is a scam, and she said, in her placating way, "Yes ma'am," and went on to explain that that is just how it is.

She then said it had already shipped. She said that I can write "refused" on the package and send it back, BUT they would only send us the $20 for the product. I told her that would be pretty stupid of me, to pay all that shipping and not get the product. I let her know that I will contact the Better Business Bureau (I have had good luck with that once in the past) and I hung up.

Next, I called the bank. Unfortunately because it is New Year's Eve they are operating on a skeleton crew and the woman in charge of fraud isn't there, but the guy I talked to submitted a report.

My mom had an old saying (sister saying to the familiar, "A lesson earned is a lesson learned) which was, "A lesson bought is a lesson taught." When it costs us money, it teaches us pretty fast! If this is how businesses are dealing with people now, I am done buying online except from companies I already deal with.
 
If you call the credit card company, you can dispute the charge and they will take it off the bill until it's settled.
 
I usually do call them, and I don't know why I didn't think of that this time. However, the last time I called them they said to do the other things I did do this time, so hopefully the bank's action and the complaint I just filed with the BBB will take care of it. The card I use is a Visa check-card through my bank, not a credit card.

When I was searching for the address of the Insta Grip company (for the BBB report) I found a review done by someone who just had the same thing happen to him.
 
Geez...the shipping and handling is a breaker for sure. Sorry this happened, Barbara!
 
Barbara, I am glad this mess is getting cleared up for you. I have been fuming about it since you first told me. Having worked in the website industry for over 10 years we did everything we could to prevent fraud in the sites we set up. It is horrible to see it happen and for the people involved to be so nonchalant about it.

Keep us posted.

{{{{{{{{{{{{{Barbara and James}}}}}}}}}}}}}
 
barbara, i am sorry that you got conned in a way that plainly seems illegal. mad too! thanks for giving a heads up about a scheme that, from the sound of it, could easily have happened to me. i wonder if it would be any safer to use pay pal instead of a credit card. they might have more safeguards or security in place.
this season, since thanksgiving, my shopping has been done almost exclusively online. here is a practice i won't be repeating, after learning about barbara's misfortune: i had gotten in the habit of typing in my credit card information just in order to find out what shipping charges were going to cost for an item i was considering to buy. i did this because none of the shopping sites give you that information until you are toward the end of the checking out process. and, as i discovered in the course of my online shopping for christmas this year, s&h charges can vary substantially.

most likely i will be contacting customer service for shipping cost information in the future, though these kinds of calls tend to be irritating and time consuming in the extreme.
 
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