Complaint Review: Homeswork / MWI Essentials

Here is a little thing I got off their website. I had to laugh. OK so maybe some of these principles work IF YOU CATCH THE CHARGES. But what percentage of people do catch the charges? 10%? 20%? That is why these sleazoids have a $425 million ANNUAL income!! Also I tried contacting the numbers on the bottom, but the names were different. Enjoy!

MemberWorks Incorporated (ticker: MBRS, exchange: NASDAQ) News Release - 8/20/2001

MemberWorks Unveils Unprecedented Consumer Advisory Board

New Board is latest step in ongoing commitment to
improving member satisfaction

MemberWorks Incorporated, the leader in bringing value to
consumers through innovative membership programs, today announced that, as part of its overall campaign to focus on consumer issues, it has created a Consumer Advisory Board.

Consisting of Chairperson Patricia Royer, former Michigan
Attorney General Frank J. Kelley, Mary Heslin, Nicholas Willard, Dianne Goss and Robert Marotta, the board will help guide the company as it works to further improve marketing practices and customer service. Combined, the
board members bring over a century of experience in consumer advocacy, public service and industry leadership.

"This is a consumer 'dream team' we have been fortunate
enough to put together," said Gary Johnson, president and CEO of MemberWorks. "These individuals have been at the forefront of the consumer movement for decades. Their focus and experience will provide a unique and healthy balance to MemberWorks' marketing initiatives, taking our ongoing efforts to improve customer service to a higher level."

The Consumer Advisory Board will work with MemberWorks'
newly created Office of Consumer Affairs to advise senior management on a host of consumer-related issues, including improving customer service and ensuring that the company's policies are consistent with both legal and
industry standards. In addition, the Consumer Advisory Board will advise the company on its implementation of its national Best Marketing Practices.

"We applaud the formation of an advisory board as a
positive step toward enhancing the business-customer experience," said Marzia Puccioni Jones, president of the Better Business Bureau of the Heartland. "The Better Business Bureau hopes the Consumer Advisory Board
will assist the company in further responding to consumer-related issues and the ever-changing concerns of the marketplace."

Chairperson Pat Royer has a rich history as a consumer
advocate in both the public and private sectors, having served as the Vice President of Consumer Affairs for leading healthcare company Merck Medco and as the Director of Consumer Affairs for the State of New Jersey. Frank Kelley served as Attorney General for the State of Michigan for over 37 years. During his tenure, he developed an aggressive consumer protection program, which included the creation of the nation's first Consumer
Protection Division within an Attorney General's office. The board's other members have served in various leadership roles protecting consumers in the states of Ohio and Connecticut and for such organizations as the AARP.

In addition to their professional experience, the members
serve in leadership positions in a variety of national, state and local consumer organizations, including the National Consumers League, the National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators, the New Jersey Consumer League, the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, and the National Association of Food and Drug Officials. Many additional national, state and local organizations have also recognized the members for their devotion to serving consumer interests through the years.

Recently, MemberWorks became the first company of its kind
to implement a national Best Marketing Practices. The four point set of standards is aimed at ensuring that all of its customers: (1) are informed of the full terms and benefits of the programs; (2) are aware of the programs' cancellation and payment terms; (3) understand and consent to the terms of the program before being enrolled; and (4) can receive a no-questions-asked refund for any unauthorized charges.

MemberWorks already contracts with independent research
firms to determine how well consumers understand the terms of MemberWorks' programs and its sales scripts, but will employ the expertise of its board to further ensure that its consumer outreach and written materials are as
clear as possible.

"The establishment of this board clearly shows just how
serious MemberWorks is about protecting and serving consumers," said Consumer Advisory Board Chairperson Patricia Royer. "The proactive steps they have taken to improve customer service put them at the forefront of the
membership services industry. We on the board are encouraged by this pioneering spirit and look forward to helping propel the company's consumer efforts even farther ahead. And while we are confident that the Board will positively influence MemberWorks, we hope that our work will bring about change in the entire industry."

Once they have become familiar with the operations of
MemberWorks, the board's six members will select one additional member, bringing the ultimate total to seven.

About MemberWorks

Headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, MemberWorks is a
leader in bringing value to consumers by designing innovative membership programs that offer services and discounts on everyday needs in healthcare, personal finance, insurance, travel, entertainment, computing, fashion, and personal security. As of June 30, 2001, 7.9 million members are enrolled in MemberWorks programs, gaining convenient access to thousands of service
providers and vendors. MemberWorks is a trusted marketing partner of leading consumer-driven organizations, and offers them effective tools to enhance their market presence, to strengthen customer affinity and to generate
additional revenue.

Any statements herein regarding the business of
MemberWorks Incorporated that are not historical are "forward looking statements" that are intended to qualify for the safe harbor provisions from liability provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

For a discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those intended by any forward looking statement, see "Forward-Looking Information" in the Company's most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the SEC.

MemberWorks National Best Marketing Practices

MemberWorks Incorporated constantly strives to provide our
members with the best possible membership value and experience. Our continued commitment to the highest marketing and service standards include the following best practices for MemberWorks' marketing nationwide.

1. Full Disclosure of Membership Benefit Terms.
MemberWorks, in each of its marketing channels, will clearly explain the benefit terms of the membership program to consumers, including:

-- who is making the offer
-- all material benefit limitations
-- the methods used to obtain the benefits (e.g., coupon,
certificate or in-store purchase)
-- any other specific benefit disclosures required by
applicable laws
-- all of the above disclosures will be repeated in both
the initial and renewal membership materials sent to consumers in advance of any initial and renewal membership charge

2. Full Disclosure of Payment and Cancellation/Refund
Terms. MemberWorks, in each of its marketing channels, will clearly explain the membership fee cancellation and refund terms of the membership program to consumers, including:

-- the amount of the initial membership charge and how and
when it will be charged (e.g. charged to a specified credit card at the end of a trial period)

-- where applicable, that a consumer need not provide
MemberWorks his or her billing information in order to be charged a membership fee

-- in the case of trial membership offers, the duration of
the trial period and that, if the consumer does not cancel within the trial period, he or she will automatically be charged the specific amount of the
membership fee

-- in the case of memberships that automatically renew
after a specified period (e.g., annually), that, if the member does not cancel within the existing membership term, his or her membership will be automatically renewed each new period and he or she will be automatically
charged a renewal membership fee (to the same billing source (i.e., credit card) charged for the prior membership period)

-- how the consumer may cancel (during each of the trial,
initial and renewal periods) by calling a specified toll-free number and/or
other convenient and readily accessible methods

-- the applicable membership fee refund policy

-- any other specific payment and cancellation/refund
disclosures required by applicable laws

-- all of the above disclosures will be repeated in both
the initial and renewal membership materials sent to consumers in advance of
any initial and renewal membership charge

3. Verification of Membership Acceptance. MemberWorks, in
each of its marketing channels, will obtain and verify consumers' unambiguous and express consent to a membership charge, including:

-- where a consumer receives a telephone solicitation
offering a membership program, MemberWorks will verify the consumer's acceptance of the offer by creating, with the consumer's permission, a recording of that portion of the call where the consumer provides his or her
unambiguous express affirmative consent to the payment, cancellation, and refund terms described in section 2

-- where non-telemarketing channels are employed,
verification of the consumer's acceptance will be obtained in the best available manner for those channels

-- other or additional specific verification procedures
will be employed where required by applicable law

-- in all marketing channels, the disclosures contained in
the initial and renewal membership materials serve as an additional method of verifying consumer acceptance to the initial and renewal membership and the associated membership charge

4. "NO QUESTIONS ASKED" Full Refund Policy for
Unauthorized Charge Complaints. MemberWorks will provide a full and prompt credit or refund to any consumer who is charged a membership fee, but claims that he or she did not authorize that charge.

CONTACT:
Jamie Moore, 202/777-3518
or
MemberWorks, Washington, D.C.,
Sandy Nelson, 202/543-8071

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Copyright 1999-2001 MemberWorks Incorporated All Rights Reserved.

The names, logos, slogans and icons identifying MemberWorks' products and services are proprietary marks of Memberworks Incorporated

Norm
Elberta, Michigan

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