vb.org Archive - I got ripped off - check your transactions.

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I got ripped off - check your transactions.

I recently noticed charges on my credit/bank card. I have not traced yet what site stuck it to me yet. I contacted Citibank and they helped me out. They informed me that they will refund the charges and kill my bankcard. They will re-issue a new card (3-5 days). If the problem still happens after the new card is issued. They plan to close the account and open another one. I hope this info help others.

Code:

05-02                    DEBIT CARD PURCHASE                                                  

                    WLI*RESERVATIONREWARDS 800-73                   $ 9.00           



03-31                    DEBIT CARD PURCHASE                                                  

                    WLI*RESERVATIONREWARDS 800-73                   $ 9.00 



03-03                    DEBIT CARD PURCHASE                                                  

                    WLI*RESERVATIONREWARDS 800-73                   $ 9.00 



01-31                    DEBIT CARD PURCHASE                                                  

                    WLI*RESERVATIONREWARDS 800-73                   $ 9.00



01-5                    DEBIT CARD PURCHASE                                                  

                    WLI*RESERVATIONREWARDS 800-73                   $ 9.00

Many on-line places have problems w/ this. Below is a post I copy / paste from "Adam Rosi-Kessel's Fair and Balanced Weblog" that best explains what's up.

Quote:

This is what we found out. We were scammed as well. This e-mail from another source helped us understand exactly what happened. Hope this helps you.

Hi... I recently encountered a problem with this company but I got to the bottom of it, and thought I'd share what I found out.

I'm actually on the other end of things... I have a web store, and one of my customers saw this $9 charge on her credit card statement. When she called to find out what it was, they told her she'd signed up for this rewards program via MY website. I, of course, was appalled, could not imagine how that could be true (thought maybe they had hacked into my servers??) and so I called the folks who provide our secure credit card processing (www.virtualcart.com) to see if they could shed any light. Turns out, they were 100% aware of the stupid thing... in fact, they signed up for it.

Here's how it works - shopping cart providers (like VirtualCart) have an agreement with this company (Webloyalty, aka WLI Reservations Rewards) whereby when a customer gets to the confirmation page of a transaction in a store that uses a VirtualCart shopping cart, they see a little box saying: "Your purchase is complete. Click here to claim your $10 Cash Back Reward on your next purchase!"

It looks, for all intents and purposes, as though it's part of the store that you're on but underneath the "Continue" button that you can click, in small print, it says "By clicking above, you can claim your reward from the reward provider, Reservation Rewards." It basically banks on the assumption that customers trust the site they're on, THINK they're getting $10 back from that store, and so they click on it. Once you click on it, it pulls your credit card information from the site you just used, and signs you up for this "Rewards" program. It's the most godawful scam I've ever heard of, but as I said, the people providing cart services to vendors have CHOSEN to be part of it (although, in my case, as I suspect in many, without the vendor even knowing!!). When I spoke to my shopping cart provider, they were quick to tell me that they thoroughly researched this program, that places like Yahoo and Expedia all use it, etc etc. I then had to formally submit a request for them to DISABLE this stupid thing on my web store (I couldn't even do it myself through my control panel).

It's a pretty hideous scam, but that's how it works. Hope this is helpful...
Kerry

Here's a list of some of the companies that people have purchased from which have passed cc info to WLI:

fandango.com
movietickets.com
ebay.com
wdrake.com (Walter Drake)
classmates.com
amazon.com
joann.com
jessicalondon.com
travelvalue.com (WLI aka)
travelvalueplus.com (WLI aka)
buyerassurance.com (WLI aka)
reservationrewards.com (WLI aka)
chadwicks.com
orbitz.com
jyfonline
columbiahouse.com
lillianvernon.com
skinstore.com
deepdvddiscount.com
accstation.com
virtualcart.com (shoppingcart - beware of any purchases made through online stores using this shoppingcart)
yahoo stores
expedia.com
priceline.com
ubid.com
onetravel.com
sprint.com
bidz.com
buy.com
1800flowers.com
charlotteflowers.com
priceline.com
mypoints.com
webloyalty.com (WLI)
restaurant.com
dvdplanet.com
cooking.com
allposters.com
musicspace.com
aetv.com
half.com
drugstore.com
jcwhitney.com
hotelreservations.com
lanebryant.com
ccnow.com (shoppingcart - beware of any purchases made through online stores using this shoppingcart)
lernercatalog.com
americangreetings.com
vistaprints.com
gifttree.com
ebags.com
electronicsplus.com

Below is more info on the Web I found on this issue.

Adam Rosi-Kessel's Fair and Balanced Weblog
WebLoyalty.com aka WLI*ReservationRewards Is A Scam
http://adam.rosi-kessel.org/weblog/t...is_a_scam.html

WLI ReservationR - reservationrewards.com - Webloyalty.com - Time Life Use Online Businesses to Rip You Off Norwalk Connecticut
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff151827.htm

WLI* TRAVELVALUESPLUS.COM - WLI*RESERVATIONREWARDS.COM - unauthorized $ 7 charge from each
http://www.complaints.com/directory/2004/march/28/2.htm

WLI Travelvalueplus.com - WLI Reservationrewards.com unauthorized credit card charges Shelton Connecticut
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff154355.htm

File a chargeback with your bank or your credit card company and have them replace your credit card as soon as possible.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Psionic Vision

File a chargeback with your bank or your credit card company and have them replace your credit card as soon as possible.

Ya I got that covered.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zachariah

I contacted Citibank and they helped me out. They informed me that they will refund the charges and kill my bankcard. They will re-issue a new card (3-5 days). If the problem still happens after the new card is issued. They plan to close the account and open another one. I hope this info help others.

Just as a BTW, from my background in Finance, cancelling the card and replacing it with a new one will not stop these payments. The only ways to do it successfully are to either:

close the account and open a new one; or
contact the company concerned and get them to stop taking the charges by cancelling your subscription with them

If you are contacting the company, ensure that you do it via snail mail, and keep copies of all correspondance in case you need to refer to it.

There is no responce to e-mails / website / phone calls.

Looking at tons of posts across the web I have seen this has been happening since 2004.

Small transactions; effective technique to stay under the radar.

It looks like you got things covered, Zachariah. I hope it goes well for you. :)

It should stop it if the information they have on record is the credit card number - I hardly think the bank are stupid enough to supply a replacement card with the exact same credit card number on it :p

Chris

Zach what site did you made your transactions with ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris M

Ditto...how can they charge you again when your number changes? The only time it says the same from card to card is when it automatically renews itself. When I reported mine as stolen as a precaution, the last four digits changed.

Pretty interesting reading about how credit card numbers work if you get around to it. There's built-in error protection, country information, etc.

I'm suprised your bank so willingly accepted those charges weren't yours.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris M

Quote:

Originally Posted by filburt1

The only thing that the last four numbers on a card refer to is the issue number. The part that is essential for a transaction to complete is the first 12 numbers.

Three years working for a major high street bank in their busy call centres teach you these things.

It's a well known problem with people who use AOL internet. They cancel their internet, go to another provider, and as it is paid by a direct debit on their bank card (like the afore mentioned subscription) then they are powerless to stop the charges and it is up to the company to stop them, so it is a lot of hassle.

Most people think, like Chris and filbert, that cancelling the card and having a new one which has a different last 4 numbers stop these transactions as the card number is different, but they don't. So people who did this then rang back again the following month complaining that the charges had still been taken even though they had cancelled their card.

If it wasn't for the fact that I don't work there anymore, I'd copy the info from the customer service FAQ's and paste it here for you to see for yourselves.

Some further information from an assortment of websites. Note the second one from the British Bankers Association:

Coventry Building Society

Quote:

Debit cards also allow you to make recurring transactions. These are regular payments (not a Direct Debit or standing order) collected from your account by a retailer or other supplier in line with your instructions. They are not covered by the Direct Debit guarantee. If you wish to cancel a recurring transaction you must tell the originator. We recommend that you keep proof of cancellation in case a query arises. It may not be possible to cancel payments if you do not give enough notice.

British Bankers Association

Quote:

3.1.8 Recurring transaction authorities
There would appear to be a growing problem when customers use their credit cards to set up recurring transaction authorities - for example giving an authority to an internet provider to process monthly transactions for the service they provide. Unlike direct debit authorities, these arrangements are solely between the merchant and the customer. The card issuer is not involved in the same way as providers of current accounts are for direct debits. Problems can arise when the customer writes to the merchant to cancel the recurring transaction but the request is ignored. This is a particular problem where transactions fall below the merchants floor limit (often ?50 - ?100) as these do not require authorisation by the card issuer. Paragraph 9.5 of the Code already includes a commitment to tell consumers how to cancel recurring transactions and the APACS Code of Best Practice includes a requirement for merchants to ensure that instructions to cancel recurrent transaction authorities are carried out immediately. Despite this problems continue to arise and, as things stand, it is difficult for lenders to deal with them - even if the customer returns their card to the card issuer indicating that they wish to close the account and open a new one.

I therefore recommend that Code sponsors investigate ways of dealing with situations where merchants fail to act on requests to cancel recurring transactions. This should be completed by the time of the next Code review, at the latest. Code Guidance should include reference to the provisions on recurring transactions in the APACS Code of Best Practice on merchant responsibilities.

There is also clearly a need for consumer organisations to promote this advice to consumers.

This Is Money

Quote:

Permission to make recurring transactions on a credit card is different to allowing direct debits to come out of your bank account.
A direct debit is a contract between you and your bank to allow a third party to collect payments. If something goes amiss your bank must put it right and you can tell your bank to cancel the agreement at any time, preventing access to your money.
But a recurring transaction is a contract struck between you and the merchant, not your credit card company. You have to tell the merchant who holds your card details to stop it - and hope they do so.
'You do not have the same level of consumer protection and regulation as you do with a direct debit,' says Sandra Quinn at banking trade body Apacs.
'As your relationship is with the provider of the service and not your bank, your bank does not have to help you.'

Well you learn something new every day :eek:

Banks should make sure that more than the last 4 digits change then :)

Chris

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris M

Well you learn something new every day :eek:

Banks should make sure that more than the last 4 digits change then :)

Chris

The problem with that is that if you do want a recurring transaction on your card, then this would not be available any longer. It's become a well known feature that a lot of companies use for various reasons, and so would become a set back instead of a step forward.

Going back to the AOL example I mentioned, if you use AOL as your ISP then your bank card expires so you are sent a new one, you would need to give AOL your updated details, otherwise your service would be disconnected due to non-payment.

The last 4 digits change every time a new card is issued regardless of the reason, apart from UK credit cards where renewals generally maintain the entire 16 digits.

You can add GameStop to your list of online merchants that give your info to this crap company.

I just called WLI to find out why I have this charge. Well, it wasn't my charge, but the result of my husband buying something online from GameStop.

So I asked for the "membership" to be cancelled and a refund of the $10.00. Here is the e-mail I received immediately after the phone call:

Dear Jose:

We hope you're enjoying your Reservation Rewards benefits.

For your records, this is the contact information you updated or confirmed on the Reservation Rewards site:

Profile Information:
Name: Husband's Name
Address: Our Address

Phone Number:

Credit Card Type: Visa
Credit Card Number: ***************
Expiration Date: */****

Email: husband@whateverprovider.com
Password: Not shown for your protection

If any of the profile information is incorrect, you can change it by going to the Reservation Rewards website and logging in. Once you're logged in, select the 'Member Profile' choice on the left hand navigation bar and you may make the appropriate changes.

If you have any questions or need to contact customer service, please feel free to send us an email at customerservice@reservationrewards.com or review other contact methods on the site. For your convenience, we've also posted a number of commonly asked questions under the heading 'FAQ', also available on the site.

Thanks again for being a Reservation Rewards member. We look forward to providing you more valuable benefits in the future.

Sincerely,

Reservation Rewards Customer Service

ACK! So I wrote back to say I wanted a confirmation of the refund and cancellation. So far I've received two auto-generated responses that have nothing to do with what I sent.

I'll let you know if they actually take care of the problem. I'm not holding my breath.

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