Bargain Network And Vertrue Bargain Netowrk and its owner Vertrue is runnign a scam and knows it.. Goleta California
I have worked at Bargain Network as a TSR (telephone sales rep) for 10 months and quit just a few days ago. While working there I have learned a few things about being charged money when it is unauthorized.
If you EVER have a charge that you did not authorize simply call the company and let them know you will be contacting the Attorney General as well as the Better Business Bureau to report their activity. I guarantee the company will refund your money. While working at bargain I found out that if any customer mentions the AG or BBB to immediately get a supervisor and do not go any further with the customer.
Bargain network knows what they are doing, we do tell customers that if they do not cancel they will be charged $39.80 for the Bargain program as well as $19.80 for any additional programs they have authorized. The problem is that they do not say "this is the date, cancel by then" they quickly say "The $9.95 per week will be charged to the debit card at the monthly total of $39.80 on (date) unless you cancel by the end of the trial period". People generally don't listen, we are also told to speed up through the script. We will slow down at some points like when we tell you about a free gift card but when talking charges we would speed right through it.
Now, on to the up sells, before we give you a user ID or password for the web site we jump into another program you can join for a free 30 day trial where you can CLAIM a free gift card. That is the keyword folks.... CLAIM.... if you do not send in the coupon you will not receive the card. They also do not tell you a date to cancel at all, only " cancel within the trial and you are under no further obligation", almost all the people I signed up agreed to these programs as well. Not because they want them because we are tricking them into signing up, they don't know what they are getting themselves into.
In my opinion and through what I learned from working there for 10 months, Bargain Network and its subsidiaries will charge your credit card whether you cancel the programs or not. You see, the member support people get paid for saving a membership, so lets say you call and tell Joe Blow you want to cancel your membership, he will pull up your account, ask you to hold and never get back on the phone with you. This way he took the call, logged it as you want to cancel and then simply logs it as a save, he gets paid.
Basically stay away from this company, they have old outdated listings that you can get anywhere on the Internet. The vehicle listings are crap too, they send you the listings of auctions in your area and if there are no auctions in your area they wont tell you and still sign you up with a friendly " we should be able to help you out" Its a SCAM.
And by the way... there was a shooting at the Houston Texas office where two workers were killed by a disgruntled employee, remember that when you call, and realize its a wonderful place to work.... NOT
Will
Santa Barbara, California
U.S.A.
4 Updates & Rebuttals
Michael Corel
Los Angeles,California,
U.S.A.
Not the first time!!!
#5Consumer Suggestion
Mon, August 27, 2007
Hello Will,
Sorry you had to work for such a scandalous company for so many months. Good to see your moral compass found its way and you have left that situation. This company has been around for a long time and this is not the first time the have been accused of this type of unfair business practices.
Actually in 1999 the company was temporarily shut down by the FTC for fraudulent advertising and deceptive telemarketing practices under the name Century Direct Marketing. The owners of the company were almost permanently banned from telemarketing but instead were forced to post a 1,000,000 bond and were allowed to resume business under FTC supervision.
They seemed to have cleaned up there act for awhile but recently it seems that they have regressed back to there old tricks of misleading customers, sending out old or bad information and not issuing refunds properly. For the last few months I have been working with a local consumer advocacy group as well as the AG office of Florida and the BBB to try and have there bond revoked and this company shut down permanently.
So if you or anyone else has any information such as sales scripts, rebuttals, company memo's promoting deceptive behavior, training info, copies of advertisements or any other information that could help us put these criminals out of business then please email it. (((ROR removed for security purposes)))
CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.
Kind Regards,
Justin
Michael Corel
Los Angeles,California,
U.S.A.
Not the first time!!!
#5Consumer Suggestion
Mon, August 27, 2007
Hello Will,
Sorry you had to work for such a scandalous company for so many months. Good to see your moral compass found its way and you have left that situation. This company has been around for a long time and this is not the first time the have been accused of this type of unfair business practices.
Actually in 1999 the company was temporarily shut down by the FTC for fraudulent advertising and deceptive telemarketing practices under the name Century Direct Marketing. The owners of the company were almost permanently banned from telemarketing but instead were forced to post a 1,000,000 bond and were allowed to resume business under FTC supervision.
They seemed to have cleaned up there act for awhile but recently it seems that they have regressed back to there old tricks of misleading customers, sending out old or bad information and not issuing refunds properly. For the last few months I have been working with a local consumer advocacy group as well as the AG office of Florida and the BBB to try and have there bond revoked and this company shut down permanently.
So if you or anyone else has any information such as sales scripts, rebuttals, company memo's promoting deceptive behavior, training info, copies of advertisements or any other information that could help us put these criminals out of business then please email it. (((ROR removed for security purposes)))
CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.
Kind Regards,
Justin
Michael Corel
Los Angeles,California,
U.S.A.
Not the first time!!!
#5Consumer Suggestion
Mon, August 27, 2007
Hello Will,
Sorry you had to work for such a scandalous company for so many months. Good to see your moral compass found its way and you have left that situation. This company has been around for a long time and this is not the first time the have been accused of this type of unfair business practices.
Actually in 1999 the company was temporarily shut down by the FTC for fraudulent advertising and deceptive telemarketing practices under the name Century Direct Marketing. The owners of the company were almost permanently banned from telemarketing but instead were forced to post a 1,000,000 bond and were allowed to resume business under FTC supervision.
They seemed to have cleaned up there act for awhile but recently it seems that they have regressed back to there old tricks of misleading customers, sending out old or bad information and not issuing refunds properly. For the last few months I have been working with a local consumer advocacy group as well as the AG office of Florida and the BBB to try and have there bond revoked and this company shut down permanently.
So if you or anyone else has any information such as sales scripts, rebuttals, company memo's promoting deceptive behavior, training info, copies of advertisements or any other information that could help us put these criminals out of business then please email it. (((ROR removed for security purposes)))
CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.
Kind Regards,
Justin
Michael Corel
Los Angeles,California,
U.S.A.
Not the first time!!!
#5Consumer Suggestion
Mon, August 27, 2007
Hello Will,
Sorry you had to work for such a scandalous company for so many months. Good to see your moral compass found its way and you have left that situation. This company has been around for a long time and this is not the first time the have been accused of this type of unfair business practices.
Actually in 1999 the company was temporarily shut down by the FTC for fraudulent advertising and deceptive telemarketing practices under the name Century Direct Marketing. The owners of the company were almost permanently banned from telemarketing but instead were forced to post a 1,000,000 bond and were allowed to resume business under FTC supervision.
They seemed to have cleaned up there act for awhile but recently it seems that they have regressed back to there old tricks of misleading customers, sending out old or bad information and not issuing refunds properly. For the last few months I have been working with a local consumer advocacy group as well as the AG office of Florida and the BBB to try and have there bond revoked and this company shut down permanently.
So if you or anyone else has any information such as sales scripts, rebuttals, company memo's promoting deceptive behavior, training info, copies of advertisements or any other information that could help us put these criminals out of business then please email it. (((ROR removed for security purposes)))
CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.
Kind Regards,
Justin