Sophomorethomas
Kansas City,#2Author of original report
Wed, May 28, 2008
In response to "iFriend" reply: The reason you were "not able to find the account in question" is because as soon as I saw the charge on my credit card, I went to the site, emailed them and asked them to remove the charge, and promptly deactivated my account. So of course you were not able to find the account in 'question'. Second, I never "affirmatively chose" a VIP upgrade. Just so you know.
Sarah
Lake Worth,#3UPDATE Employee
Wed, May 28, 2008
Unfortunately, based on the information provided by Thomas, we were not able to find the account in question. In order to create an iFriends account, a user must enter correct personal information, including the credit card number, billing address, and email address. When the account is created, the user has the option to upgrade to a premium VIP membership. This membership carries a $6.95 fee, which is clearly stated in advance and must be affirmatively chosen by the user. It seems likely that this is the reason for the $6.95 charge that Thomas received. All charges on the iFriends service are clearly and conspicuously disclosed in advance, and a user must participate in numerous click-throughs to indicate both acknowledgement and consent to the cost of participating in premium areas. The second post made by Thomas seems to indicate that he contacted our Customer Care department and, as a result, received a refund. We encourage Thomas to contact our Customer Care department if he has any further questions. Representatives are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and can be reached by calling 1-800-243-9726, a toll-free call in the US. Our company has an exemplary 11-year-record with all of the leading consumer protection agencies, and we are "best in class" in our industry in the development of model online consumer best practices. Every one of our web services is verified by TRUSTe to be on its sealholder list of "the most trustworthy online businesses."
Sophomorethomas
Kansas City,#4Author of original report
Sat, May 24, 2008
Update: Okay, so ifriends just refunded my on my bank account. The total of $6.95. Too late, though. I've already been charged $25 dollars by the bank, for overdraft. My next step is to call Bank of America, and see if they will reverse that charge...