Complaint Review: True North Media

     This company scammed me! I was cold-called by a True North salesman who sold me on checking out the possibility of being an affiliate for the company. I would be trying to get companies to change their "merchant account" (on credit card purchases) to True North, as True North is supposed to have a great guarantee for this type of thing. I was told I had a money back guarantee (a necessary requirement for anyone doing business over the phone or on the internet in the current business climate) and was required to pay $150.00, which became $179.00 on my credit card.  This amount I was told by the salesman was only 1/2 of the regular price to be enrolled in this program by their credit card clients, such as Visa and AMEX.  Wow, I was getting a 50% off deal!

     I was emailed a Welcome Package, consisting of various forms and information which started to make me wary, as it didn't give very much information about the program. But one of the forms did at least say there was a 30-day cancellation policy.  Then, I was called by "Joe Deiuliis" in their advertising department and told I needed to invest, first $7500, and (when I told him that was ridiculous) then $2500 for advertising on "my" site.  I told him that, at best, the link they had given me was merely a back door to the True North website.  So, I saw I'd be paying for their advertising for them!!! This kind of deal wasn't for me.

     I wrote to the company as per the instructions in the Welcome Package, asking to cancel my connection with them and for a refund.  Days later, in a call to me by "James" of their Customer Relations Department I was told they had received my letter, but that there was no refund due because the "initial website set-up fee" was non-refundable--and it was $179.  Well, this is just a rip-off as there was never any "website" of mine "set-up" and they never mentioned anywhere in the documents I received that there was a set-up fee.  Even if there was, it certainly wouldn't cost anything to add an affiliate page to the True North website, as most websites come with many hundreds of pages that can be added for zero cost. Then, James told me the set up fee was explained on the original receipt which was supposedly emailed to me---and which I never received! I asked him to send me a copy of this receipt, but I guess its taking time to findor createas it hasnt been forthcoming as of yet!  I was ripped off!!  The moral is be wary of giving ANY money to ANY company on impulse---before you have a chance to check them out!!