sickanal.com and teenfarm.com "free" trial passes, and "guest membership" rip off scam Internet
It seems the new scam is to offer free trail memberships. No $1.95 sneak previews or membership up front, but pure and simple free membership for 5 days.
These sites claim that there subscription figures have gone through the roof since they let people have a good look at content before subscribing. However, on close inspection of the terms and condidtions, you are charged a $1.95 "adult verification fee" for these "free" trials. Then after your trial membership exprires you are billed 49.99 for the next month.
Needlass to say I didn't examine these terms and condidtions (so I guess you could say it's my fault) but the site pushes itself as so honest, and FAQ's and "E-mail us!" plastered all over the site, I believed it. Only subsequently have I clicked the "E-mail us" link, which leads no where.
Nowhere on the site are you advised where to cancel subscription, I had to examine my bank statement to find out which site to cancel at.
Another Adult site con, why does the industry have to be filled with thieves?
Andrew
Leeds, Other
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Tom
Vernon,Connecticut,
This might help
#3Consumer Comment
Thu, September 05, 2002
To keep from being charged more, call your credit card company and tell them you LOST the card. They will issue you a new card with a different account number. That will stop future charges in their tracks. Then pursue the above suggestions for refund.
james
Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania,
adult sites.
#3Consumer Suggestion
Thu, September 05, 2002
Quote : "Another Adult site con, why does the industry have to be filled with thieves?"
The answer, is because it makes money. It makes a LOT of money.
The only real defence to these problems, is to not to subscribe in the first place. Most sex sites are also actually owned by the same people. A reasonable company dealing in this industry would normally have from 10 to 100 sites, each specalising in certain fetishes.
If you fell through the trap of the first suggestion, i.e. never using them, then I have no experience.
My first suggestion would to be trying all the unsubscribe links you can find, and always searching for phone numbers or land addresses.
Maybe 80% do have valid ways to unsubscribe - but even so - the other 20% represents a lot of sites!
I would suggest writing a letter (i.e. on paper - not email), and sending it to the site - with a copy to your credit card company, explaining that you will be canceling your subscription.
Also try to contact your credit card company, and say that you have been trying to cancel the subscription since before the free trial ended. This will not work, however, if you accessed the site after the trial period.
If you have been trying to cancel the subscription, and have not logged on since the trial membership, then they have no right to charge you - and you should be able to claim from the credit card company (maybe this is wrong?)
If you can't find the address, and emails don't work, then either try cancelling your credit card, or try the following to investigate where the site is hosted (http://grc.com/default.htm). Check out the "IDserve" program, it's useful. Best of all, it's all FREE!! That site is dedicated to internet security, it has some payfor apps there, but the most usefull stuff for a home user is all free.
(No, it's not my site, I just find it useful for internet resources. I have not spent a penny there).
The only other way is for legal action.
James.