Close Combat Training Non response to repeated inquiries, repeatedly charging credit card after being told not to. Ramsey New Jersey
On May 2, in response to a "Special Weekend Sale" email, I ordered a $19.95 ebook from Close Combat. As there was trouble with the confirmation process, I sent a follow-up email. I got no response. The only "response" I got was an automated email that said "Ebook is dead".
On May 17, my credit card statement showed $19.95, I had still received nothing, and I again forwarded my May 2 email, asking if I should get a refund. I got two automated emails saying "congratulations you are a member", but no response.
On May 18, I faxed a letter with all details, saying that before I downloaded anything I wanted to make sure I was getting what I ordered, and nothing else. When I clicked on the original link, it now went to a $19.95 test drive and then a $297 charge after 30 days -- absolutely not what I had ordered.
I wrote that I would refuse any package that showed up, and that we needed to resolve this, or I should get a refund? Again, no response, although I sent a number of emails, not only to Chris, but also to TGatling, who finally responded and helped me find the link for the ebook.
I have still yet to get a response to numerous communications, I have now been charged $19.95 on June 1, July 1, and August 1. I have disputed this with my credit card company, who tells me the number they have for Close Combat is a non-working number.
I found a number and called, and was originally told that I had made a recurring order for supplements. I probably take notes as well as anybody, and am VERY careful about recurring charges. (My planner has forward notations of when to call to cancel if there are any possibilities of this happening. There were none).
After a while, the girl on the phone told me that, rather than supplements, I had signed up for a monthly "Combat Adventures", which could be accessed via their website. This is clearly not what I had understood, and had tried repeatedly to clear up with them since May. When I told her it was an unauthorized charge for which I had not received anything (so their cost was zero), I was told that they would stop charging me now, but NOT undo the previous three unauthorized charges, since she claims I had agreed to them.
When I asked her to show me where, she told me their website was down. When I told her I was looking at it, she claimed they were having technical difficulties. (I'm not sure that honest customer service is a technical difficulty.)
She says she'll have someone from billing call me. It is yet to be determined how they will deal with full documentation of their misdeeds.
Tim
Corona, California
U.S.A.
4 Updates & Rebuttals
Tim
Corona,California,
U.S.A.
case resolved
#5Author of original report
Wed, August 13, 2008
On August 12, Close Combat agreed to refund first $19.95, and then, all three disputed $19.95 charges, thus resolving this issue. They also sent me what they say is a link to the original offer (which I could not access immediately after I made the purchase of the $19.95 e-book), and when I paged through it to confirm the information, the final page came up with "Oops, we have a little problem" -- and could not be accessed.
While in the end they refunded my money, they continue to have problems with their marketing web sites, and need to do a much better job of customer service, which they claim is outstanding. Failing to respond to repeated communications over a period of fourteen weeks while continuing to charge for something that was never wanted, then repeatedly changing their story about what was supposedly ordered (first supplements, then a publication from their web site, then supplements again, then a publication) is not an indication of good customer service.
In the end, they refunded my money. Now I'm looking for a way to get back the several hours I had to spend to undo this, which should have been over with back in May when I sent my first fax, which they responded to without taking care of the problem.
Tim
Corona,California,
U.S.A.
case resolved
#5Author of original report
Wed, August 13, 2008
On August 12, Close Combat agreed to refund first $19.95, and then, all three disputed $19.95 charges, thus resolving this issue. They also sent me what they say is a link to the original offer (which I could not access immediately after I made the purchase of the $19.95 e-book), and when I paged through it to confirm the information, the final page came up with "Oops, we have a little problem" -- and could not be accessed.
While in the end they refunded my money, they continue to have problems with their marketing web sites, and need to do a much better job of customer service, which they claim is outstanding. Failing to respond to repeated communications over a period of fourteen weeks while continuing to charge for something that was never wanted, then repeatedly changing their story about what was supposedly ordered (first supplements, then a publication from their web site, then supplements again, then a publication) is not an indication of good customer service.
In the end, they refunded my money. Now I'm looking for a way to get back the several hours I had to spend to undo this, which should have been over with back in May when I sent my first fax, which they responded to without taking care of the problem.
Tim
Corona,California,
U.S.A.
case resolved
#5Author of original report
Wed, August 13, 2008
On August 12, Close Combat agreed to refund first $19.95, and then, all three disputed $19.95 charges, thus resolving this issue. They also sent me what they say is a link to the original offer (which I could not access immediately after I made the purchase of the $19.95 e-book), and when I paged through it to confirm the information, the final page came up with "Oops, we have a little problem" -- and could not be accessed.
While in the end they refunded my money, they continue to have problems with their marketing web sites, and need to do a much better job of customer service, which they claim is outstanding. Failing to respond to repeated communications over a period of fourteen weeks while continuing to charge for something that was never wanted, then repeatedly changing their story about what was supposedly ordered (first supplements, then a publication from their web site, then supplements again, then a publication) is not an indication of good customer service.
In the end, they refunded my money. Now I'm looking for a way to get back the several hours I had to spend to undo this, which should have been over with back in May when I sent my first fax, which they responded to without taking care of the problem.
Tim
Corona,California,
U.S.A.
case resolved
#5Author of original report
Wed, August 13, 2008
On August 12, Close Combat agreed to refund first $19.95, and then, all three disputed $19.95 charges, thus resolving this issue. They also sent me what they say is a link to the original offer (which I could not access immediately after I made the purchase of the $19.95 e-book), and when I paged through it to confirm the information, the final page came up with "Oops, we have a little problem" -- and could not be accessed.
While in the end they refunded my money, they continue to have problems with their marketing web sites, and need to do a much better job of customer service, which they claim is outstanding. Failing to respond to repeated communications over a period of fourteen weeks while continuing to charge for something that was never wanted, then repeatedly changing their story about what was supposedly ordered (first supplements, then a publication from their web site, then supplements again, then a publication) is not an indication of good customer service.
In the end, they refunded my money. Now I'm looking for a way to get back the several hours I had to spend to undo this, which should have been over with back in May when I sent my first fax, which they responded to without taking care of the problem.