Ric_Co
Colorado,#2Author of original report
Mon, December 05, 2011
followup: this issue has been resolved to our satisfaction. The MN BBB was absolutely key to winning this issue....but our case might have been unique, as we held the high ground since GAR could never prove we had agreed to any contract with them. Here's a summary of our actions, so that others might also see success vs GAR:
- GAR: immediately after noticing charges on MC, called GAR and demanded proof of "verbal contract". they could provide none.
- Credit Card: contacted USAA Mastercard, informed them of issue, they immediately cancelled our MC and issued another. Disputed the charges via their process (1 page signed). Since this was an unapproved charge, they also reimbursed us for the 3 x $49.99 payments that GAR had rx'd.
- Consumer Boards: published this complaint and one other at ripoffreport.com.
- GAR: when they could not charge our cancelled MC, we got a letter (only written communicatino from them in entire process) telling us to pay by 1 Dec or it was going to collections.
- BBB: ***submitted complaint to Minnesota BBB. This was key. http://minnesota.bbb.org/
they have many vs GAR and are very experienced in dealing with them.
- Credit Report: upon advice of USAA, submitted Initial Security Alert for all 3 credit bureaus so that we would have some recourse when/if GAR attempted to go to collections and damage our Credit Report. did this at Experian, but it auto-replicated to the other two: https://www.experian.com/fraud/center.html
- BBB: within 2 days of submitting complaint, MN BBB already had an agreement from GAR to cancel our account and seek no further payments.
- GAR: called GAR rep who replied to the BBB case and opened conversations with the BBB Complaint #. She knew of the case and confirmed that account had been closed and no further payments.