Complaint Review: The Experience LLC

 I can't believe we fell for this but last night, about 9 PM, a tall boy rang our doorbell asking us to help him raise funds so he and his soccer team could play soccer in Barcelona, Spain this December. He offered a book brochure for us to donate children's books to the Duke University oncology or pediatric unit. The price was $61, $46 of which would go toward his trip cost. He said he lived in the adjacent neighborhood, second house in on Michaels Gap, had been home-schooled by his Mom so the kids would not have to move school to school due to his father's frequent relocations, and he said his father, a retired Marine, thought him lazy and told him to go raise the funds himself. The boy offered to wash our car for the donation, rake leaves, or whatever we wanted. He offered to pitch in the $15 himself (I noticed today that was the fee for Thye Experience) if we didn't want the donation to be tax-deductible. Otherwise, a form would be mailed to us for claiming the deduction if we gave $61. We just lost a granddaughter to brain cancer so we wanted to have the donated books go to the Duke oncology center and, on the proffered receipt he wrote that address, asked for the check to be made to The Experience, and listed his name as Chalmer. We never asked for identification but this morning I went to the neighborhood he said he was from and no one answered the door at the house he had claimed to be his location nor were any of the neighbors who did answer the doors aware of a retired Marine with teenagers living in the area. I reported the experience to our Homeowner's president who reminded me there is a no solicitation policy in our area. I also checked with another neighbor, whom the boy had named as a donor and whose spouse is on our homeowner's board, and confirmed that he had donated $61 too. So today we paid $23 to stop payment on the check and completed the form on the back of our receipt canceling the transaction and asking to have the check returned. I noticed I was to mail this to the "Independent Contractor," that is, the boy, and to The Experience LLC in Phoenix, AZ. The form never gave me the full name or address of that boy, however, nor did it provide a place to enter our address. So how were they to receive or return my request??? Clearly, we have been scammed. Finally, I looked up The Experience LLC on the web. There is no web site for it and the telephone number (602 555-1234) on the BBB Business Review web site notice about it, grading it F, is inoperative. Hope this helps others who are more thorough in their inquiries and less generous to such pranks. PS. I am still uncertain this is a scam. Richard D