900 Profits - FutureQuest Marketing Obvious spyware or adware click internet page, be billed for 900 number on phone bill. ripoff Boca Raton Florida
I saved a charge on my bill many months ago after visiting this site and finding the "real" story on an unexplained charge on our phone bill.
We know now to read our phone bill carefully for any, especially 900 numbers, charges that we could not account for or even knew what it was.
Well, this phone bill came with two charges for a 900 number called on 12/28/2004. The name just stated, DATELINE and the number was 900-988-1648 and made to during the day. One was for 5 minutes and the second for 4 minutes. Both totaling $11.96 each, for a grand total of $23.92.
Now, we know that no one in our house would call such a number. We discussed this openly with our kids and told them that it would appear on the phone bill, so don't try anything sneaky, (not that we even thought they would, but just in case they might be tricked).
I know now that calling your phone company and denying the charges is an easy task. They will not play collector for a third party and easily agreed that the company, if legitimate, would have to come after us for the amount. Of course, they never did.
I am doing this same for this charge, but I wanted to warn everyone about this new scheme because I found no posts on here about this company. I did an search and found their site with their own selling propaganda, just it out:
"Your Own 900-Line Turnkey Business! Jump on the road to riches using our simple, step-by-step, effortless 900-line programs! We offer 900-lines with proven, workable packages that will have you earning $1.00 per minute, 365 days of every year for life!
"How YOU Can Set Up and Launch Your Very Own, Fully Automated, Sizzling-Hot Moneymaking Venture With a 1-900 Line That Earns You Cash on Demand, 24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week, 365 Days a Year Without Barely Lifting a Finger..."
"...And In Only 24 Hours or Less!"
Imagine! Proven, Fully Packaged 900 Lines With 24-Hour Support, Promotional Tips and Access to Statistics,
All Backed by 1,200 Agents!"
"We Arm You With Everything You Need! Here's What You Get When You Order Your Very Own 900 Line Before"
"900 Lines are 'Cash Cows' on Autopilot!"
"Can Anything Go Wrong For You? Or say You Order
Your 900 Line, Try it and Hate it... What's Next?
Chargebacks (when people dispute a charge) are a big worry for most. Say you get a complaint that a large call was made from a house number. They claim it was without permission. If they ask for a chargeback, it won't affect you!
If a chargeback is requested and authorized, it is paid by us and handled by us. It no way affects your payments. If anyone loses out, it's us, NOT you!
We take the risk for you! Operating your line is risk-FREE!"
Well, that's only a small bit of the advertising that found on the website, so much more. I am taking care of this with the phone company and see how much of a RISK they are taking for their 'customers'. It could've have been any website visited or any "freeware' "trialware" downloaded by us, but we didn't ask to be charged for a 900 call.
CHECK THAT PHONEBILL EVERY MONTH!
Christopher
Xenia, Ohio
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Christopher
Xenia,Ohio,
U.S.A.
Impossibility, Dishonesty and Nonsense?
#4Consumer Comment
Mon, February 07, 2005
Dear Sarah; Customer Service Manager,
Thank you for responding to my report on 900DATELINE.
I must say however, as Paul has pointed out, that your response did nothing to legitimately argue your case against the charges filed on our phone bill.
First of all, I mentioned nothing about MCI, although checking I did see however that 900PROFITS (the core company using dateline, psychic lines and adult lines as business ventures for quick cash) are an affiliation of MCI. I said nothing about MCI billing our household, SBC is our carrier and had the '900' number listed as a third party billing. I received no bill from MCI, which if my family is dishonest and actually dialed the number why wouldn't MCI just send us the bill? Because, most people don't take the time to thoroughly read through the entire phone bill, especially the small charges which appear mainly toward the end for '900' calls.
As for impossible, simply read through any posted messages hear about billed calls that appear on phone bills at times when it was impossible for anyone to have used the phone...vacations, at work/school...don't live there anymore. It is not "impossible" to send third party bills to someone's phone company, I know, I had a long discussion with SBC about the first bill from INTEGRETEL and the details of the bill could not be given to me because they appear as computer symbols to the SBC operator or customer service person. They will provide billing of third parties on a person's phone bill, but will not enforce the charges if disputed by their customners. If this is such a legitimate charge, why would SBC have no problem removing the charge? Why would your legitimate company post 'disputed charges' as the one main worry of potential '900' line business operators?
I note that you gave a web address to prove your legitimacy, but you failed to list your own business sites address. Well, that's one aspect of my letter I forgot; so anyone wishing to view the wholesome business practice that Sarah is defending, please visit, www.900profits.com/3.html and just for yourself.
My favorite part of your letter is; "If they don't pay the bill, that's fine..." I don't know of any company who offers a legitimate service who would let people not pay. Why don't you just make if free if your billing practices are so accomodating and saintly? In fact, your billing department is the nicest one I've ever heard of for any company.
As for myself, I do know what I'm talking about and could list facts, figures and computer scams that would build a website as large, well, as large as RipOffReport.com. I just wouldn't be able to offer the webspace to let people write their own warnings of bad business.
And lastly, Sarah, I still haven't received my bill for your number that we picked up the phone and dialed. I'm waiting.
Paul
Anaheim,California,
U.S.A.
I love it when a fraud comes here and tries to lie their way out.
#4Consumer Suggestion
Mon, February 07, 2005
Customer Service Manager, since you claim your company is strictly legit, tell us, what exactly are you selling that is worth $24 for 9 minutes?
Is it the secret of life itself? Perhaps the recording you're hustling is the answer to everyone's prayers. Or, maybe it's everything you ever needed to know, condensed down into 9 minutes?
If you had something like that, it might actually be worth $24. However, it's far more likely that the recording is mostly nonsense. Worthless information.
Of course, the money charged is certainly real, isn't it? Your company would run screaming to the authorities if someone sent in Monopoly money, for example.
Please, tell us what you're selling. Then, we can judge for ourselves whether it has any value or merit.
You see, it's not that people don't believe you. It's just that we think you're lying.
And, as for billing without actually calling, well, it's a phone company. What can you expect? Isn't that how they all operate these days?
Can you really blame people for feeling this way? Phone companies are guilty of slamming, cramming, and jamming. Then they commit toll fraud, make obscene rate hikes, and assist modem hijackers in cheating Americans every chance they can.
Don't even get me started on the Quest or Worldcom accounting fraud. You're with Mci, Sarah? Why am I not surprised? Mci was Worldcom. Now, they're running a multi-billion-dollar tax cancellation scam.
Save your breath. You have zero credibility, here or anywhere else.
Sarah Patrus
Boca Raton,Florida,
U.S.A.
We don't charge unless caller dials number
#4UPDATE Employee
Sun, February 06, 2005
This rip of report filled against us is non-sense. Our industry is under FCC regulation - we follow the law 100%. Our company is an extremely honest company and running for many years without any complaints:
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/900Fact.html
MCI doesn't bill people's phone bills unless they call the number, or someone from their home calls the number.
Their is no way MCI can bill a home without someone actually calling the 900 number. To say that our company is a ripoff and to make thes claims that we billed them for no reason is totally not the case.
Someone at their household is not being honest. 900 calls don't just appear on people's bill. That' impossible. Someone dials the number, and they are told of the fee. They can hang up before being billed. Our company follows the law exactly and we have been doing so for many years. If they don't want to pay the bill, that's fine - but to say that we just put charges on their bill for no reaon is completely not the case.
Also, please note that this website (ripoffreport.com) doesn't paint a full picture since many of the people filing these reports obviously don't always know what they are talking about.
Sincerely,
Customer Service Manager