Trix
USA#2
Mon, September 07, 2009
The original report was submitted a while ago I hope you get to read this...
This company provides merchant processing for membership sites, mainly Adult Sites. One form of processing they offer is a form of age verification. Simply put, you put in your credit/debit card information or checking account information and they validate it. When you decided to see what was behind door #1 you forgot to read their terms of service which is located directly on the registration form and links to more in-depth terms are also linked there as well. Now they provide processing for a multitude of different company's who each make their own terms for their membership sites. This is an example of the terms of a site they process payments for and could be similar to the site you signed up for.
Free Lifetime Membership* By providing your credit card info and clicking the "Click For Access" button you are enrolling in the Free Lifetime Membership*, yours FREE, provided you participate in at least two of our affiliate offers, within the next two days. Should you decide not to participate, do nothing, & enjoy unlimited access billed at the monthly rate of $39.95, until canceled. This membership includes validation for full access to AdultSiteNumber1.com at no additional charge. Click here to review the Terms and Conditions. You may also choose to enroll in a monthly subscription to AdultSiteNumber2.com for only $9.95 - which renews at $9.95 per month until cancelled. (Terms) As a bonus, this offer includes $20 in FREE cam credits which can be used at AdultSiteNumber2.com. and a **Free Two Day Trial to AdultSiteNumber3.com, if not cancelled within trial period, your subscription will renew at $39.95/month. Click to review the Terms. By submitting your credit card you certify that you are 18 years of age or older and agree to the Terms and Conditions of this purchase and have read our Privacy Policy
Now see when you signed up for the site you were obligated to "Participate in at least two of our affiliate offers within the next two days" If you failed to do this you would then be charged a fee of $39.95 a month giving you full access to the site you wanted a peak at. Now you failed to read their terms and thought that you were getting a free ride. If you continued reading you would see... or most likely would have seen that you were also opted into a membership at another site that would cost in this case $9.95 for the first 2 days then, if not canceled would roll over into a monthly membership billing you in this case $39.95 per month until canceled. The site you registered for had slightly different terms but I would guess you signed up for your "Free Pass" on August 2nd and did not cancel so on August 5th you were billed for the month of August... Still not canceling your membership September 2nd rolls around and your charged another $39.95 for the month of September... now the charge on the 10th for $49.95 was probably for the second site you were opted in however I can not make any conclusion because I don't have the terms you agreed to in front of me.
On their registration form, the company who uses this billing processor, has the option to put whats called an "Up Sale" offer or Bonus Offer. This is an additional offer to you... the customer to get a deal on a membership to one of their other sites they own. This is an example of a Bonus Offer..
Give me Free Trial Memberships to **AdultSiteNumber3.com (Terms) and a monthly subscription to ***AdultSiteNumber2.com for only $9.95 - which renews at $9.95 per month until cancelled. (Terms) As a bonus, this offer includes $20 in FREE cam credits which can be used at AdultSiteNumber2.com.
There always is a check box next to this Bonus Offer, however some times its pre checked and some times its not, that option is up to the Adult Company's discretion and your responsibility to uncheck it if your not interested.
What can you do now? Well the terms of you being able to access the content they own were right in front of you and it's not their fault that you did not read them. Is this a actual RipOff... Personally I don't think so because the company was only following threw with what you agreed when you signed up for their services. It would be the same thing if say.. you owned a hotel and when a guest checked in you gave them the paperwork to sign so they could have access to the room they wanted. Now on that paper it could say, if your not out of your room by 12 noon on the set day for them to check out, they would be charged for another nights stay. Why? because its not your job to go up and remind them its time to leave... just like its not this company's job to remind you to cancel your membership, for all they know your enjoying their services.
I hope this sheds some light on this situation and how some membership sites work and most of all... READ EVERYTHING before you click ACCEPT... it was only 2 paragraphs, yes... yes I know the girls were hot but they weren't going anywhere.. there just pictures :)