need help with a letter..

[thatguy]

My credit card is being charged monthly by MNICreditReport.com for service I have not signed up for.. I disputed the charges with the CC but the MNICreditReport.com provided them 'proof' that I actually signed up for their services and the CC reinstalled the charges..

The CC is going to mail me the 'proof' they were sent and advised me to contact them to have the charges stopped.. As of right now I do not have an account number or anything to reference - except name, dob, cc #, etc and I dont want to give them that info..

I want to write MNICreditReport.com a stern letter saying cancel the services I supposedely signed up and (hopefully) refund my money. I NEED suggestions for some good strong verbage to use in my letter (ie cease and desist , etc etc) to get my point across. Got any?

Would it do any good to ask for the IP address used to sign up for their services?

Any other suggestions?

Brian

 

[WTA]

A lot of these companies get your information through things you sign up for on line. Like signing up for some forum like this one just for example. This one in particular doesn't do it though.

When you click through the user agreement without actually reading through it and click to agree they got you.

My suggestion if you really feel that you were scammed and being charged for something that you did not ask for and receiving noting in return for is to go file a police report and then take that back to your credit card company. Do this after you tell the company charging your card to stop in writing. They are required by law to give you their mailing address if they are zapping your card. If they don't then that is a violation of law. Also if you did not physicaly sign something authorizing the charge you can get your money back. I don't like giving that info out because I had a scam artist last year that was ticked off at me for exposing him, convince a bunch of my other customers that I was going bankrupt and that they were not going to receive what they paid me for. It was totaly false but many of them charged back their purchases on me believing it and used the excuse that they didn't authorize the charge with a signature. Most credit card companies buy that one for online purchases. It almost ruined us.

If you are really being scammed though file a police report. It's what I did when someone in Canada bought 1200 dollars worth of gas on my debit card last christmas. I know how they got my card number now and I can't do anything about him but the police report made the credit card company get off their butt and take care of it.

 

[turbo36]

Did you sign up for one of those "free credit report" offers ? If so that may be what the charge is for, most of them give you a "free" 30 day trial that you have to cancel within the first 30 days or you will be charge a monthly subscription fee until you do cancel.

 

[blueriver]

I think just a simple letter. "Please discontinue my service's and cancell any reacuring charges"

Good Luck!

 

[ultrarunner]

I find that paying extra for "Proof of Mailing" from the Post Office is money well spent when sending a letter like this.

 

[MikePA]

A lot of these companies get your information through things you sign up for on line. Like signing up for some forum like this one just for example. This one in particular doesn't do it though.

Huh? Since when can web sites sell your credit card number?

 

[thatguy]

Did you sign up for one of those "free credit report" offers ? If so that may be what the charge is for, most of them give you a "free" 30 day trial that you have to cancel within the first 30 days or you will be charge a monthly subscription fee until you do cancel.

I had no contact with them in any way shape or form in the past.. I even went back through all the CC charges since Oct (first charge was 11/5) to see if I could spot any place we used the card that may have given them the info and couldnt find anything out of line with normal charges..

I am hoping the 'proof' they sent the CC will give me some details about how i was signed up (name/address/IP address etc) ..

thanks for the suggestions.. I will send the letter 'return receipt requested' and a regular envelope as well just in case they wont pick up the mail..

I thought mailing them would be a better way than calling, just to have it as proof..

Should I mention filing a police report in my letter? or hold that until they dont stop charging me?

thanks

Brian

 

[tallyho8]

First, you can't do anything until you have received the "proof". Then, depending on what the proof is, will determine what you can do. It could be something as simple as checking a box, or not unchecking a box, on your credit card payment statement that authorized this charge. If you find out that you did accidently authorize it, you will not get a refund of past charges. But in any case, you can cancel your contract with MNICreditReport.com and incur no more future charges.

By the way, MNICreditReport.com is not a "real" web site.

 

[ultrarunner]

In my city it is the District Attorney's office and the Postal Inspector for Mail Fraud...

I would mention it... at least they know you're not going away...

 

[blueriver]

First, you can't do anything until you have received the "proof". Then, depending on what the proof is, will determine what you can do. It could be something as simple as checking a box, or not unchecking a box, on your credit card payment statement that authorized this charge. If you find out that you did accidently authorize it, you will not get a refund of past charges. But in any case, you can cancel your contract with MNICreditReport.com and incur no more future charges.

By the way, MNICreditReport.com is not a "real" web site.

I found this copied and pasted:

I went to MNI Credit Report Services to check my credit report. I agreed to have my credit checked by this company.The next thing I know my credit card is be charged for $11.95 for something I did not agree to.
They claim they cannot refund my money.

Rip-off Report: MNI Credit Report Service Credit Report SCAM Internet

 

[Chuck52]

I believe I would press my credit card company for more action if that happened to me. It's now so easy to get a new card, I'd threaten to close my account with them if they didn't at least stop any future payments.

Chuck

 

[zeuspaul]

If its only ten bucks or so and the credit card company isn't helping I would close the account which will stop new charges. I try to use my AMEX card online as they back up the consumer well in my experience. There are others that offer good consumer support as well...some don't so don't use them.

Zeuspaul

 

[Bird]

It may be a completely different kind of deal, but it sounds like some of the things I get in the mail; a valid check for various amounts, always less than $10, for being a good customer. And the fine print on the back says that by endorsing and cashing this check, you agree to sign up for some kind of service that will charged to your credit card. I always run them through my shredder but I've wondered how many people fair to notice that fine print and cash those checks.

 

[Red55]

Free money isn't so free. Also remember the slamming the phone companys were doing same deal sign something and the fine print authorizes transfer. Also stopped filling out those free chances to win something same deal with fine print or at the least you end up a WINNER on someone's mailing list. -Ed

 

[thatguy]

I do not ever remember getting a 'fake check' or signing up for anything related to this company.. It will be very interesting to see the 'proof', the CC only said it was submitted electronically..

thanks for all the advise. Ill keep you informed as this unfolds..

Brian

 

[RonMar]

Call your credit card company and report the card on that account stolen, then destroy that(those) cards. This will stop/cancell any future recurring automatic payments linked to that credit card number. The lost/stolen report should also trigger a new card issue request at your credit company and they will automatically send new cards to you with a new number.

If you can refute their so-called "proof", this associated with a police report to your credit card company should ultimately get your money back. You may be asked by your credit card company to provide a notorized statement that you in no way shape or form authorized this expenditure nor did you receive in any way shape or form the services that were billed. They need this from you to back up the re-collection of the money based on a fraudulent claim.

Good luck

 

[tallyho8]

Call your credit card company and report the card on that account stolen, then destroy that(those) cards. This will stop/cancell any future recurring automatic payments linked to that credit card number. The lost/stolen report should also trigger a new card issue request at your credit company and they will automatically send new cards to you with a new number. If you can refute their so-called "proof", this associated with a police report to your credit card company should ultimately get your money back. You may be asked by your credit card company to provide a notorized statement that you in no way shape or form authorized this expenditure nor did you receive in any way shape or form the services that were billed. They need this from you to back up the re-collection of the money based on a fraudulent claim. Good luck

I disagree. Using fraudulent means to try to recover your money, that may or may not have been obtained by fraudulent methods, is not the way to go.

First, wait for your "proof". This will determine whether or not they used fraudulent methods or whether you made an accidental error by agreeing to it without reading all the fine print somewhere.

All credit card companies usually have the instruments in place for you to receive a refund in the event of fraud. You can not claim your card was stolen with a clear conscience and especially not if you made any legitimate purchases with it after the date of this infraction.

 

[RonMar]

I disagree. Using fraudulent means to try to recover your money, that may or may not have been obtained by fraudulent methods, is not the way to go.

First, wait for your "proof". This will determine whether or not they used fraudulent methods or whether you made an accidental error by agreeing to it without reading all the fine print somewhere.

All credit card companies usually have the instruments in place for you to receive a refund in the event of fraud. You can not claim your card was stolen with a clear conscience and especially not if you made any legitimate purchases with it after the date of this infraction.

How is this fradulent? He said he did not authorize this charge, so therfore his credit card information must have been comprimised. Calling and reporting the card lost/stolen(card information stolen...) will halt any further charges on that card. This is a perfectly legitimate thing to do, and is suggested by every card company I have ever had dealings with, if you suspect/as soon as you detect, that your card information is out there and no longer under your control.

Now when the "proof" arrives, you will need to determine if you indeed unintentionally signed up for this service. If so, get it cacelled. This can probably be accomplished over the phone with that service provider. If you owe them any further money, they will bill you for it. If it was a legitimate charge though, you should have received an invoice in some fashion, either as an E-mail or via snail male. I have done quite a lot of business online over the past few years, and I have yet to NOT receive an invoice when I have billed services to my creditcards. Even my autopay activity results in a monthly E-mail reminding me that my card #xxx will be billed for X ammount on a particular date.

If the "proof" is bogus, file a police report and contact your credit card company with this information. But with the card number now invalid, they at least won't be charging any further on your account.

 

[ultrarunner]

Just say your card has been compromised.

They will immediately cancel the card and issue a new one... the only potential problem will sorting out the legitimate charges you've made this month.

 

[EddieWalker]

I had the same thing happen to me about 8 years ago. I was new to the internet and signed up for something that I forget what it was. I was joining places like Ebay, Amazon and Yahoo, plus a bunch of other sites. Somewhere along the line, I bought an 800 number. I never did find out from what site is was and didn't know it until the charge showed up on my credit card bill.

I called my credit card company to find out who the charge was from, which they gave me the contact information. I called them several times without being able to get anybody. It would put me on hold and I never had the patience to wait them out. I forget who, but somebody told me that the phone company had some influence over those 800 number charges, so I called them and got somebody to help me out. I told them the number and who was charging me. They called it and got somebody to answer the phone on the first ring. Imagine that?

The phone company verified that I did indeed sign up for that service online at some website, but I forget which one. I admitted to it since that was true, but told them I didn't want the service and wanted to cancel it. The phone company person told them that and it all went away. I lost out on a little money, allot of frustration and learned a lesson.

Good luck, those things are super easy to join without your knowledge, but very dificult to make go away. Luckily for me the one I joined was regulated by the phone company. You might want to find out who regulates the company that is charging you. Government regulatory offices do have allot of power over those they control, and just threatening to call them will get results most of the time. It works great for the phone company, cable tv and the other utilities.

Good luck,
Eddie