Internet Order LLC Stroll, Pimsleur Suddenly card hit with unexpected charges! Internet
Delightful compelling online sales presentation regarding their product, a $9.95 Pimsleur language program. I bought 2 languages on September 9, 2012 which I received within a reasonable time. Nothing presented had led me to believe it was anything other than a one-time purchase.
Suddenly November 15th my card was charged with two charges of $64.00 each and I found there were two packages waiting for me.
I called them, waited on hold for just under ten minutes, then after an hour of talking with a rep, then more hold time, then a supervisor, then more hold time, then back to the rep, they assured me they would credit my card for a total of $147.90 (64.00 + 64.00 + 9.95 + 9.95) immediately (but they said it usually takes 3 days to show up in my account, but possibly up to 30 days).
They then gave me information to return just the two $64 programs, offering to have me keep the two $9.95 programs in lieu of their paying the return shipping expenses.
I will return the two $64 programs to them when next the post office is open via USPS Media Mail as they suggested (this is Saturday afternoon, or I'd do it today).
At this point I'm willing to see if the credit is indeed applied to my card and that future billings have indeed been averted, before I request that the BBB become involved. I'll update this post with a status report next week.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
HonestyIstheBestPolicy
United States of AmericaUpdate
#2Author of original report
Wed, November 28, 2012
I shipped out the returns yesterday via USPS Media Mail as they'd suggested; by last night I had confirmation that they had indeed credited me back. I'm glad they kept their word.
To return these un-ordered items cost me $8.32. They felt that making a gift to me of the two $9.95 programs was adequate compensation for this expense. It's good but there's more to it than the dollar figures.
What they don't consider is the time and effort to complete the return process: the time and inconvenience of making the return labels, carting the returns to my car, driving to the post office, driving around waiting for a parking space, carting the returns from my car to the post office, waiting on line at the post office and follow up tracking until it arrives at their facility, then wondering if they did fix the problem or if there's another surprise charge lurking in my future. All this in addition to the hour on the phone with them to get them to agree to fix the problem.
I'd always thought highly of Pimsleur and found their advertising fun and compelling. The price for the Gold course was less than half of Rosetta Stone's program. They have a lot going for them; it's a shame they're using this tactic.