Complaint Review: Reliant Interactive Media Corporation / AS SEEN ON TV

In April, 2001 I responded to a television infomercial for the product PEST OFFENSE. The company that operates these infomercials is RELIANT INTERACTIVE MEDIA CORPORATION / THANE INTERNATIONAL (rimc.com). Some of the products they represent are PEST OFFENSE; LePRESSE; AB-DOer; FLAVORWAVE OVEN; THUNDERSTICK PRO; ORBITREK; VIDEO PROFESSOR and more. This report is not to complain about any of these products; but rather, what happens when you use your credit card to buy them.

I received my 2 PEST OFFENSE Electronic Pest Repellers at the end of April 2001 and received my credit card bill in May 2001 and paid it.

In August of 2001 I received a late evening telemarketing call from a telemarketing company I later idendified as ABI MARKETING, INC. Krista told me she was "calling from AMS". Who's AMS? "AMS sir. We're calling on behalf of AMERICAN VALUES. Just a courtesy call. The reason I'm calling in in regard to YOUR CREDIT CARD sir."

Now I'm awake! Krista - "Ok, in the past you've purchased products from our marketing partners called RELIANT INTERACTIVE MEDIA CORPORATION". She goes on to say that as "a prefered credit card holder" they are sending me $100 worth of guest vouchers. She verifies my address, and "wants to add a password to your file so if I decide to join they can verify me". I give a password.

Then I am told I'll receive a discount directory; "what it is is you can have huge savings on movie tickets, furniture, appliances, anything you can think of. NO OBLIGATION. IF YOU DO DECIDE YOU WANT TO JOIN, the informations in there, just call AMERICAN VALUES and let them know". "There is some other information about WELLNET AMERICA." Krista continues; "And also, like I said, there's NO OBLIGATION after this one also. There is a toll free number in there for you to call if you have any questions or IF YOU DECIDE TO JOIN. But keep the vouchers as a way of saying thank you for even taking the time to do this for them (RELIANT INTERACTIVE MEDIA CORPORATION / THANE INTERNATIONAL (rimc.com)." Thanks I say.

She didn't sell me anything, I didn't buy anything, I didn't give her my credit card number and I didn't give her any authorization other than the thanks because I'm to receive free stuff.

In September of 2001 I received 4 (four) charges on my credit card bill from WELLNET AMERICA and AMERICAN VALUES, both of Las Vegas with the same address and phone. It appears that their parent corporation is CONTINUITY PARTNERS, INC., also of Las Vegas.

I didn't receive any vouchers. I didn't have to pay the bill. I did have to cancel my credit card account and open a new one (required by the card company because of fraud). I had to then re-do automatic charges that were on that card (notorized, etc.).

I say this - Look at the products I list above. Consider carefully - do you want to give your credit card information to RELIANT INTERACTIVE MEDIA CORPORATION / THANE INTERNATIONAL (rimc.com)? It took me six months to find that a total of 8 (eight) companies got my credit card information - just because I bought a couple of PEST OFFENSE'S from RELIANT INTERACTIVE MEDIA CORPORATION / THANE INTERNATIONAL (rimc.com).

I have a computer wave and a transcript of that computer wave to back this report. Not thanks to any of these companies. AS SEEN ON TV buyers be ware!