- Report: #242824
Complaint Review: Interactive Brands Adaware-ib.com - St-Laurent, Quebec H4l 4v5 Internet
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Author Confirmed
Why?
Interactive Brands Adaware-ib.com
PO Box 178 St-Laurent, Quebec H4l 4v5, Internet, Canada
Phone:
888-846-9590
Web:
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Interactive Brands, Adaware-ib.com Rip-off, overcharged for downloads, fraudulent billing St-Laurent Quebec H4l 4v5 Internet
Do NOT use the website www.adaware-ib.com if you are looking for the free download program Ad-Aware SE program offered by Lavasoft.
I wanted to download a anti-spyware program and decided on Ad-Aware SE by Lavasoft because they were recommended by PC Magazine. I did a google search on Ad-Aware and found a listing which said Lavasoft.Adaware-ib.com. Since it said Lavasoft in the name I assumed this was the correct site to get the free download from. I was wrong.
I clicked on the link and it to me to the site (http://www.adaware-ib.com) where I found they were offering Ad-Aware SE by Lavasoft, P C Confidential from Winferno Software and Error Doctor from Software Doctor as a package/suite deal for $11.98 per year for three years of unlimited software downloads. It sounded like a good deal since P C Confidential normally sells for $39.95 and Error Doctor normally sells for $19.95. The website stated that the three years would be a total of $35.94 so I agreed to pay that amount. I entered my name and address information and it said my invoice total was $35.94 so I entered my Visa debit card information and it processed my order. "After" it processed my order it came back and said the total charged to my Visa debit card had been $65.77. I had been overcharged $29.83 without my authorization.
The invoice shown on the web page which I had agreed to pay prior to entering my debit card info, stated the total as $35.94. Nothing was mentioned about any other charges. There were two check boxes on the original order page under the suite package. One said "Get one year Blazing Fast Download with DownloadAccelerator and free unlimited technical support and unlimited updates for only $1.49/month, and the other which said "Don't risk losing all your data. For only $9.95, e-Backup will allow you to backup all your files and information on any hard disk or external media".
I don't know where the My XP Tools program came from because it is not even listed on the page at all. Regardless, I did not check either of the two boxes shown and therefore should not have incurred the additional charges.
The $29.83 difference was because of the additional $17.88 for the Download Accelerator program and $11.95 for the My XP Tools program for three years, neither of which I had ordered nor did I want. Neither of these two programs showed up on my original invoice page. I downloaded the three initial programs which I wanted, Ad-Aware SE, P C Confidential and Error Doctor, but did not download the other two programs.
After I downloaded the three programs I immediately went and checked my bank account and the $65.77 charge was already showing as a pending transaction made by CSDetails.com. They certainly did not waste anytime in charging my account.
I sent an email to their Customer Support asking for a refund of the unauthorized $29.83 overcharge. They state that they will get back to you within 4 hours. Well 4 hours have come and gone and I do not have a reply from them.
I attempted to contact CSDetails.com through the reference phone number listed on the bank transaction (888-846-9590) but it says they are closed for the Easter holiday. I guess I will try again Monday. I also contacted my bank and was told that I could not put a stop payment on the debit charge because it was already showing as a pending transaction. I was told that "after" it was processed and the money deducted from my account that I could try and dispute the charges at that time. I am hoping that I will be able to get my money back at some point but I won't hold my breath waiting on it.
This whole experience has left me with a bad taste in my mouth for Interactive Brands and I will not be buying anything else through their company. I don't mind paying for things I want but I very much mind being charged for things I never ordered or agreed to pay for to begin with.
Melanie
Woodstock, Georgia
U.S.A.
I wanted to download a anti-spyware program and decided on Ad-Aware SE by Lavasoft because they were recommended by PC Magazine. I did a google search on Ad-Aware and found a listing which said Lavasoft.Adaware-ib.com. Since it said Lavasoft in the name I assumed this was the correct site to get the free download from. I was wrong.
I clicked on the link and it to me to the site (http://www.adaware-ib.com) where I found they were offering Ad-Aware SE by Lavasoft, P C Confidential from Winferno Software and Error Doctor from Software Doctor as a package/suite deal for $11.98 per year for three years of unlimited software downloads. It sounded like a good deal since P C Confidential normally sells for $39.95 and Error Doctor normally sells for $19.95. The website stated that the three years would be a total of $35.94 so I agreed to pay that amount. I entered my name and address information and it said my invoice total was $35.94 so I entered my Visa debit card information and it processed my order. "After" it processed my order it came back and said the total charged to my Visa debit card had been $65.77. I had been overcharged $29.83 without my authorization.
The invoice shown on the web page which I had agreed to pay prior to entering my debit card info, stated the total as $35.94. Nothing was mentioned about any other charges. There were two check boxes on the original order page under the suite package. One said "Get one year Blazing Fast Download with DownloadAccelerator and free unlimited technical support and unlimited updates for only $1.49/month, and the other which said "Don't risk losing all your data. For only $9.95, e-Backup will allow you to backup all your files and information on any hard disk or external media".
I don't know where the My XP Tools program came from because it is not even listed on the page at all. Regardless, I did not check either of the two boxes shown and therefore should not have incurred the additional charges.
The $29.83 difference was because of the additional $17.88 for the Download Accelerator program and $11.95 for the My XP Tools program for three years, neither of which I had ordered nor did I want. Neither of these two programs showed up on my original invoice page. I downloaded the three initial programs which I wanted, Ad-Aware SE, P C Confidential and Error Doctor, but did not download the other two programs.
After I downloaded the three programs I immediately went and checked my bank account and the $65.77 charge was already showing as a pending transaction made by CSDetails.com. They certainly did not waste anytime in charging my account.
I sent an email to their Customer Support asking for a refund of the unauthorized $29.83 overcharge. They state that they will get back to you within 4 hours. Well 4 hours have come and gone and I do not have a reply from them.
I attempted to contact CSDetails.com through the reference phone number listed on the bank transaction (888-846-9590) but it says they are closed for the Easter holiday. I guess I will try again Monday. I also contacted my bank and was told that I could not put a stop payment on the debit charge because it was already showing as a pending transaction. I was told that "after" it was processed and the money deducted from my account that I could try and dispute the charges at that time. I am hoping that I will be able to get my money back at some point but I won't hold my breath waiting on it.
This whole experience has left me with a bad taste in my mouth for Interactive Brands and I will not be buying anything else through their company. I don't mind paying for things I want but I very much mind being charged for things I never ordered or agreed to pay for to begin with.
Melanie
Woodstock, Georgia
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Websupport
Montreal,Quebec,
Canada
Third Party Company.
#2UPDATE Employee
Wed, July 16, 2008
We are a third party company that handles the technical and billing issues for over a thousand different websites. We are not the company that you signed up with. We only offer support for the company and follow the guidelines that the company itself has given us. If you have any technical or billing issues, please feel free to contact me through email or telephone in and speak with a representative for any issues. To make the process easier for you, please have your 21 digit Order ID, the email address or the telephone number that you put on your account ready so that we can easily find your account and assist you. Email: [email protected] Telephone: 1-888-448-6880
Mysteryfcm
Killingworth,Europe,
United Kingdom
Additional information on this company
#3Consumer Suggestion
Sun, January 27, 2008
Just a note that this company has a (known) total of 393 site's on the same IP block as adaware-ib.com http://hosts-file.net/?s=adaware-ib.com&sDM=1#matches http://www.robtex.com/cnet/63.243.188.html In addition, almost all of the domains on their IP Block are either of the same type of scam as adaware-ib.com, or worse still in that they peddle known rogue (scam) software such as NetSpyProtector, AntiSpyware 2007 etc (see links above for details). Those caught by this particular scammer, and indeed, scams of the same type, are highly recommended to contact both their credit card company, and their local authorities. If as in this case, the credit card company mentions waiting until the transaction has completed, consult a lawyer immediately. They will be able to help you have the funds refunded to you quickly (I'd also suggest either sending a letter to the company involved or having your lawyer do it for you).
Melanie
Woodstock,Georgia,
U.S.A.
Interactive Brands is a TOTAL rip-off.
#4Author of original report
Mon, April 09, 2007
This is an update to my original complaint regarding Interactive Brands and the website "lavasoft.adaware-ib.com." I originally said that I thought that paying $35.94 was a good deal for 3 years of unlimited downloads/use/support of P C Confidential and Error Doctor, but have since discovered that is not what my $35.94 got me, (in addition to the extra $29.83 that I was overcharged and did not authorize). Ad-Aware SE is a completely "free" download program to start with, but it appears that Interactive Brands is using that to entice people to supposedly purchase 3 years of unlimited downloads and support for P C Confidential and Error Doctor which are included with the Ad-Aware SE on their site but that is not what $35.94 gets you. After I downloaded P C Confidential and attempted to use it, it gives me a screen where it says I must register my copy of the program in order to use it and to receive support but the registration screen does not work. I can fill in the information required but when I try to click on "Continue" to finish the registration process nothing happens which means that I will never get any support for the product since I can't register my copy of the program. After I downloaded Error Doctor and opened it there are two buttons on the left side that says "Register" and "Support". When I click on "Register" I am sent to the Software Doctors website for Error Doctor which says that I must pay $19.95 for a 1 year product key with support, $24.95 for 2 years or "On Special" a 10 year key for $29.95. If I click on "Support" it says that I need a user name and password which would have been sent to me in an email after I had registered my copy of the program. Interactive Brands did not send me a user name or password. This leave me believing that the $35.94 that Interactive Brands charged me for the 3 programs was for NOTHING!! It does not give you legitimate registered and supported" copies of P C Confidential or Error Doctor. I am no better off than if I had gone to the legitimate respective websites for P C Confidential and Error Doctor and downloaded their "free trial" versions. Then if I wanted to continue using the programs I would have to pay for each of them. The money that Interactive Brands charged me was a complete rip-off. It does not buy registered and supported copies of P C Confidential or Error Doctor and Ad-Aware SE if free anyway. I still have not received a reply to the email that I sent regarding the overcharge of $29.83. So much for their claim that they will reply within 4 hours. I sincerely doubt that I will ever hear back from them. The Interactive Brands website promises a 30 day money back guarantee if you are dissatisfied with their products but I image I am going to find that is a bogus claim too. Of course people are going to be dissatisfied when they discover that they have been ripped off like I have been. I will attempt to dispute the $65.77 charge with my bank and hope that I will get all my money back. I will also be doing some research to see who I can file a complaint with on the web regarding the conduct of Interactive Brands because this is fraud. I will also report their activities to Winferno Software and Software Doctor to be sure that they are aware of how Interactive Brands is charging for supposedly providing legitimate/supported copies of their software when in fact they are not legitimate or supported. Does anyone have any suggestions on where else I can file complaints about this company? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
