- Report: #113052
Complaint Review: Travelers Advantage / AOL - Norwalk Connecticut
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Author Not Confirmed
Why?
Travelers Advantage / AOL
Trilegiant Corp 100 Connecticut Ave. Norwalk, CA 06850 Norwalk, 06850 Connecticut, U.S.A.
Phone:
800-843-7777
Web:
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Travelers Advantage, (Trilegiant Corp) Aol partner, fraudulent charges made to my debit card. Rip-Off Norwalk Connecticut
Today 10/14/04 my bank called me to find out when I plan to deposit funds to cover my minus balance. What minus balance I asked? The bank told me that AOL Travelers Advantage had charged me $79.99 which had overdrawn my account and the bank has to charge me $33 overdraft fee. I have never heard of these people (Travelers Advantage) and told the bank the charge was bogus and I wanted to charge back (reverse the charges) the bank said I had to take it up with Travelers Advantage. So they gave me a number but it was just an answer machine, so I went online and did a live chat with an AOL billing person. The billing person was pleasant until I mentioned Travelers Advantage, he suddenly clammed up and refused to give me any info beyond more contact numbers for Travelers Advantage. So I called and got hold of a bored lady at Travelers Advantage support, when I told her the problem she insisted I call the membership service number, which I plan to do when they open tommorow.
I am very careful not to fall for phone and mail scams and am 100% certain I never signed or agreed to anything remotely like Travelers Advantage. After doing research on this good site I realized that Travelers Advantage is an evil-octopus type organization, whose greedy tentacles far reach include some kind of relationship with my ISP AOL. I have no idea why AOL would be involved with these people unless their (Aol's) cut in the action (ripping off consumers) exceeds their percieved risk from alienating customers.
Though I am furious about the financial rip off, I am more pissed about the hours and hours of wasted time I'm going to have to spend dealing with these craven bastards to get my money back. And based on other complaints I've seen on the site, these clowns M.O. is to say they will return the money, only to try the same thing (debit again)again weeks later. I will probably have to close my account all together which is more wasted time. Travelers Advantage is so obvious a con, so patently clear is the rip off that it is unbelievable that A: they are still in business, B: The principals are not in jail and C: That class action adverse companies like AOL would continue a business relationship with them. What's worse is that my bank Wells Fargo would perpetuate the obvious fraud by refusing to reverse the charges or the overdraft fee.
Jason
Los Angeles, California
U.S.A.
I am very careful not to fall for phone and mail scams and am 100% certain I never signed or agreed to anything remotely like Travelers Advantage. After doing research on this good site I realized that Travelers Advantage is an evil-octopus type organization, whose greedy tentacles far reach include some kind of relationship with my ISP AOL. I have no idea why AOL would be involved with these people unless their (Aol's) cut in the action (ripping off consumers) exceeds their percieved risk from alienating customers.
Though I am furious about the financial rip off, I am more pissed about the hours and hours of wasted time I'm going to have to spend dealing with these craven bastards to get my money back. And based on other complaints I've seen on the site, these clowns M.O. is to say they will return the money, only to try the same thing (debit again)again weeks later. I will probably have to close my account all together which is more wasted time. Travelers Advantage is so obvious a con, so patently clear is the rip off that it is unbelievable that A: they are still in business, B: The principals are not in jail and C: That class action adverse companies like AOL would continue a business relationship with them. What's worse is that my bank Wells Fargo would perpetuate the obvious fraud by refusing to reverse the charges or the overdraft fee.
Jason
Los Angeles, California
U.S.A.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Customer
Trumbull,Connecticut,
U.S.A.
Reading 101. First on behalf of the company let me apologize for the inconvenience
#2UPDATE Employee
Tue, November 09, 2004
First on behalf of the company let me apologize for the inconvenience, however, Not to offend you but when you are offered an invitation to anything "Including our online discount shopping service" do you just blindly accept, or do you read first?
Naturally you as well as anyone would say..."Of course I read!" Well please allow me to do a little copying and pasteing, hopefully we can clear this up...(Quote #1)"I am very careful not to fall for phone and mail scams and am 100% certain I never signed or agreed to anything remotely like Travelers Advantage".
(Quote # 2) dated 10/15/04 "They claimed I deposited a check from AOL (their partners in crime) for two dollars and fifty cents back in May 04 and by doing this I had unwittingly agreed to pay them $79 to join their organization (Travelers Advantage). I don't remember doing this".
You may ask what's the point? My point is as any major corporation in America does, we send out invitations to join our service. We offer our members the absolute best for less, Customer satisfaction to the fullest even if it means refunding you your money because you "don't remember" signing up with us. We as any other company in America merely make you an offer. That offer in any form email, online, check in your case etc. We know for a fact we please our members and have the most too offer, however the one thing we don't offer is someone to come to your home with the invitation to join, to read it or spell it out too you, therefore, if you decide to cash it, and "Don't remember" doing so, then don't fault the company, fault the one that didn't read and couldn't remember because the fact is We've offered our members the absolute best quality service for 20 years and still going strong and will continue too do so. My advice too you is before you trash comanpies "read and remember" . If you sign on the dotted line un-forcibly, it's no one elses fault.
Jason
CA,California,
U.S.A.
Travelers Advantage, AOL and bank UPDATE!
#3Author of original report
Fri, October 15, 2004
10/15/04 today I called Traveler's Advantage membership (800) 353-6196, I got hold of someone right away. I told them about their fraudulent ding on my bank account. They claimed I deposited a check from AOL (their partners in crime) for two dollars and fifty cents back in May 04 and by doing this I had unwittingly agreed to pay them $79 to join their organization (Travelers Advantage). I don't remember doing this but either way, I told them this is a deceptive business practice and I had researched them on the Rip Off report and they have to return my money immediately or I would go public. They agreed to return the charges they said it would take 10-15 business days, I asked them why? They said they only take 24 hours but my bank could take the rest of the time.
Next I call my bank, explain the situation. I demand the Federal Regulation E form where they are required to help me. They assigned me a number and said someone will be calling me, but they would'nt remove the bank's $33 overdraft fee from the fraudulent transaction. We'll see about that. I'll let you know what happens...
