Complaint Review: Shopping Essentials Adaptive Marketing Ventrue Memberworks Connections - Stamford Connecticut

Membership Fraud-Pre-acquired account marketing

In 2005 and in 2007, Gary Johnson's firm operating under a variety of names, listed below, obtained either my bank account information or my credit card information and began an unauthorized monthly debit from my bank account. How he obtained this information is unknown to me. The various company representatives I talked with insist that I voluntarily signed up for his companies membership benefits. I did no such thing--nor would I ever consider signing up for any monthly membership benefits organization.

This matter appears as membership fraud, pre-acquired account marketing.

There is an abundance of information regarding this matter on the web, especially Gary Johnson's varfious companies, Shopping Essentials, Adaptive Marketing, Ventrue, Memberworks, Connections.

Contacting the company by their various phone numbers and going up the ladder of authorization has lead to a complete refund. The refund was not obtained on the first level of authorization, but was provided on the second level of authorization, the supervisor level. The refund was not initially offered, but after repeated discussion with mention of the various legal organizations involved in this type fraud, the supervisor agreed to the full refund.

The best approach towards stopping Gary Johnson's activity is by contacting your various representatives, the Attorney General of your State, who may or may not take action, the Better Bureau Administration, The Federal Trade Commision, since one of his companies answering services is in Canada, and posting web information such as this.

Various Company Names

Shopping Essentials, Adaptive Marketing, Ventrue, Memberworks, Connections

Information from Stock Market Registration Data & Reports

Officers, Board of Directors, Attorney General of MN, AL

age as of 2005

Gary A. Johnson--48

Adaptive Marketing

President, CEO

680 Washington Boulevard

Stamford, CT 06901

James Duffy--49

Adaptive Marketing

CFO, Executive VP

680 Washington Boulevard

Stamford, CT 06901

Vincent DiBenedetto--46

Adaptive Marketing

Executive VP

680 Washington Boulevard

Stamford, CT 06901

William Olson--45

Adaptive Marketing

Executive Vice President

680 Washington Boulevard

Stamford, CT 06901

Membership Services

P.O. Box 5152

Des Plaines, IL 60017-5152

David Schachne--42

Executive Vice President

680 Washington Boulevard

Stamford, CT 06901

Alec L. Ellison

Broadview International, LLC

520 Madison Avenue

10th Floor

Scott Flanders

Chairman and CEO

Columbia House Company

1221 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10020

Robert Kamerschen

Retired, Chairman and CEO

ADVO, Inc

680 Washington Boulevard

Stamford, CT 06901

Edward M. Stern, President & CEO

CHI Energy

1155 Rene Levesque Boulevard W., Suite 1715

Montreal, Quebec H3B 3Z7

Marc S. Tesler

Technology Crossover Ventures, LP

528 Ramona Street

Palo Alto, California 94301 William Olsen

680 Washington Boulevard

Stamford, CT 06901

Pascal J. Brun, President

CHI Canada Inc.

1155 Rene Levesque Boulevard W., Suite 1715

Montreal, Quebec H3B 3Z7

Edward M. Stern, President & CEO

One Tech Drive

Suite 220

Andover, MA 01810

Senior Manager of Client Sales Support

Connections

P. O. Box 24128

Omaha, NE 68124-0128

Adaptive Marketing

9500 West Dodge Road

Omaha, NE 68114

Mike Hatch

Attorney General

State Capitol, Ste. 102,

St. Paul, MN 55155

Troy King

Attorney General

State House, 11 S. Union St. Montgomery, AL 36130

60 Minutes

CBS News

524 W. 57th St.

New York, NY, 10019

Ms. Rhonda Lee Barber

Consumer Specialist

State of Alabama Office of the Attorney General

Alabama State House

11 South Union Street

Montgomery, AL 36130

Thomas

Huntsville, Alabama
U.S.A.