Mountain Area Communications They ripped me off Sneedville, Tennessee
This company called me and told me I had won a $500 online shopping spree. Went through all the details of it. Then told me they were offering me 6 magazines at $3.85 a week for 60 months.
I admit I did listen to what they had to say about the magazine deal. I have done the discount magazine trial before with no problem. They said they would send out the package information to me in the morning.
They said they could setup my payments in a 20 month payment schedule instead of paying 3.85 a week. So I was to pay $49.90 a month for 20 months. They told me that they ask that the first payment be made electronically. I told them I did not want anything taken out of my account until I read the agreement they are sending me in the mail.
They assured me the first payment would not be taken out for 2 weeks. I spoke with 3 different people and I asked all 3 of them the same question. The person I talked to had a automated tape of questions that I had to answer. The last question was something like "Do we have permission to authorized withdrawl from your account" I said "NO" then the lady gets back on and offers me a cheaper monthly payment and I told her no I was not comfortable with this deal.
She continues to try and get me to authorize apyment and I point blank told her I do not want anything from them and they do not have my authorization to withdrawl any money from my account. She thanked me and told me to have a good evening then hung up.
I go online to check my bank account today and there it is they have taken $49.90 out of my account. I immediately tried to call the company and I can't get an answer. I have tried all the numbers they called me from. Only 1 of them rings and when it picks up nothing happens.
I hope they get the people who are doing this. It's a low down dirty shame that someone would pull this.
Pam
Asheboro, North Carolina
U.S.A.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Ccp-mnh
Whitesburg,Tennessee,
U.S.A.
Hope this helps
#3UPDATE Employee
Tue, February 03, 2009
I work for this company. If you said "no" then they did not charge your account. When you spoke with the first person, they got your credit card information and verify that it is an open and valid account. When they run the card in the computer as stars, it comes back as valid or invalid. During this process, a hold gets put on the amount they check for. This is a 24 hour hold on that money. It is still in your account and within 24 hours the hold will drop off and the funds will be available. This happens with each and every customer. I know this for a fact. I've had numerous customers call back with that same complaint. I always tell them the same thing I just wrote here and I always get their phone number and call them back the next day and ask if the hold was dropped. Every single one of them, whether they agreed to the terms or not, have always said that it did drop off.
Gina
Gypsum,Kansas,
U.S.A.
maybe some help
#3Consumer Suggestion
Tue, January 13, 2009
Go to the Knoxville, TN Better Business Bureau site you will find Mountain Area Communications listed. You can file a complaint there. Also if you scroll down it says that this is a pay during service program and it can be cancelled in writing. I know you didn't authorize them to take money from your account but while you are fighting them on it you can send them a certified letter stating you want to cancel this service. You might also put something in the letter saying you never authorized the service to start with. They have to stop charging you as of the date they receive your certified letter. You would be smart to try to get your bank to block any withdrawals from this company since you didn't agree to have them taken from your account. This company operates under many different names in a lot of different states with different people running them but the scam they pull is the same everywhere. Good luck