I agreed to sign up for one month of access to Zoosk in Oct. 2010. for $29.95 Then in Dec. of 2010 Zoosk debited an additional $29.95 from my bank account. I contacted my bank and I contacted Zoosk. Zoosk claims that I agreed to a recurring monthly charge in the fine print of their Terms Of Service. Until I see money in the bank this issue is yet unresolved. The following is an extract of the e-mails between myself and Zoosk reps. Me: "
hi, i signed up 2 months ago for a one time fee of $29.95 non-recurring. Todaywhen I only signed up for 1 months service in October!
> my bank account was debited an additional $29.95-please refund this $29.95
> direct back into my bank account immediately. My thanks for your cooperation.
Zoosk: "
Thanks for contacting Zoosk. We are happy to have you with us as a
Subscriber. All Zoosk Subscriptions paid for with a credit card
automatically renew at the end of each billing cycle. This policy is
explained at the time of purchase. It is also explained in the Zoosk
Terms of Service.
If you would prefer to not renew your Subscription, please follow the
cancellation instructions below:
-Click on 'settings', found at the top of any Zoosk.com page
-Click on 'Subscription', found on the left side of the page
-Click on 'Cancel My Subscription'
-To proceed with the cancellation click No, please cancel my Subscription
-Provide an answer to one of the survey questions to successfully
complete the cancellation
When the cancellation is complete, you will see a screen that confirms
the cancellation. You will also receive an email confirming the
cancellation.
Once you cancel, your Subscription will expire at the end of your
billing cycle: 01/12/2011
You have Subscriber benefits until the end
of your billing cycle because you have paid for this time
and all Subscription fees are non-refundable.
Please be aware that if you deactivate your Zoosk account after
canceling the Subscription you will forfeit any remaining time on the
Subscription.
If you change your mind after canceling and want your Subscription to
renew, click 'settings', then click 'Subscription', then click
'Reactivate'.
After you cancel, you will have a free Member profile. To deactivate
and remove your free profile from Zoosk.com, click 'settings', then
click 'Account', and then click 'Deactivate Your Zoosk Account'. You
will be prompted to confirm the deactivation. If you reconsider, click
'Don't Deactivate, I want to flirt!' Or to confirm the deactivation,
click 'Deactivate Zoosk Account'.
Again, we appreciate that you are a Subscriber on Zoosk.
Best regards,
Veronique
Zoosk Customer Support
Me: "hi, i will cancel my account and i stopped payment at my bank. This
billing practice is nefarious b/c i paid for i month access at $29.95
back in October. There is no recurring charge outlined in your billing
for a one time,1 month access purchase. Zoosk attempted to commit theft
from my bank account! I never had this problem w/ one time purchases
from Zoosk before, so i'll consider it an error by Zoosk. I am
disapointed that Zoosk would not act in good faith to reverse the
erroneous charges. i express zero confidence in Zoosk billing practices since i bought in for 29.95 for
one month and did not have reason to believe it was a recurring charge. You've failed to
provide an adequate response to refund the additional,unauthorized charges to my bank
account. Without your cooperation, my only recourse is to file complaints against Zoosk
w/ my bank and w/ my states Attorney General. It would be much more beneficial to both of
us if you'd just do the right thing by refunding the 29.95 that you took for December
Thank you for contacting Zoosk Customer Support. Im sorry that you areZoosk Customer Support
disappointed with your recent Subscription purchase. Please recall that
we displayed a confirmation screen before completing the transaction.
This screen showed the total purchase amount, including all applicable
taxes and Activation Fees. In order to complete the purchase you were
required to view and accept this confirmation. We have established this
confirmation procedure because all Subscription purchases are
non-refundable.
Subscriptions purchased with a credit card will auto-renew. Zoosks
renewal policy is outlined during the purchase process. It is also
stated in the Terms of Service and Help section: http://www.zoosk.com/tos
Your canceled Subscription will expire at the end of your billing cycle:
January 12, 2011.
You have Subscriber benefits until the end of your billing cycle because
you have paid for this time. Please be aware that if you deactivate your
Zoosk account after canceling the Subscription, all Subscriber features
will be forfeited.
We appreciate your interest in Zoosk, and we apologize for any
inconvenience.
Best regards,
Chris
Extract from The Terms Of Use states in part: "(b) Recurring Billing. Most
subscription plans to the Services consist of recurring periodic charges as agreed to
by you." Zoosk advertises a three tier billing menu which misleads a consumer to
believe that we are paying a one time fee for pay as you go access to Zoosk. I've tried
several times to communicate in good faith that the recurring fee was a surprise to me
that I did not stipulate to agree. The simple resolution is for Zoosk to refund the
$29.95 fee since I haven't used the service. Zoosk represents that it's policy is
strictly no refund and further that I agreed to the terms in the fine print. Once more I
appeal to the representatives of Zoosk to restore the funds to my bank account. If that
fails to occur in a timely manner then I shall file a complaint w/ the California and
Indiana States Attorney Generals as well as the Federal Trade Commission. These governing
bodies are charged to protect consumers and invest
ig
> ate complaints such as mine. If questionable business practices are believed to be
widespread and standard operating procedure based upon volume of consumer complaints to
the respective agencies, then it is possible for a plaintiff in a case to seek Class
Action status to include others who may have claim to harm by Zoosk. I would think that
if you look at it from my point of view as outlined above then you will see that
refunding me for a service that I never intended to use in perpetuity is cheaper for
Zoosk to do business. If not then I have no other recourse other than to test the Justice
system and find out how many other people have been mislead and surprised to find money
missing from their bank accounts.
Thanks for contacting Zoosk. I have reviewed your concerns with aEDitor's Suggestions on how to get your money back! HERE IS WHAT RIP-OFF REPORT SUGGESTS YOU DO: Go to your bank within 60 days of the charge, or as soon as you know about the charge, don't delay, and tell them that there has been fraudulent activity within your account. Explain that you wish to file a dispute, and demand that they assist you in accordance with Federal Regulation E. According to the majority of victims interviewed by Rip-off Report, those who immediately called their banks to dispute the charges did not get very far. Many victims got the following responses from their banks: we could not do anything for you or you waited too long; it has been more than 60 days. If the bank is says that you have waited too long, explain to them how you called their 800 number as soon as the charges were found, and were told by the bank that nothing could be done. Remind the bank that they failed to assist you properly at the 800 #, and instead, provided you with an inadequate explanation of your right to dispute. Tell the bank that it's their fault time has expired, and since they gave you the wrong info to begin with, they will just have to deal with it, take the loss and reverse the charges. Tell them the truth; this was unauthorized and your account was NOT to be charged! Keep emphasizing how you never authorized anything! Direct them to the hundreds of victims reports that were filed on Rip-off Report.com. And if you're at the bank, walk them over to their computer and make them go to this site! If you are on the phone with them, tell them you will wait while they access this site! Either way, be persistent! DO NOT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER! Let them know nicely, that you were advised to Report them (the Bank) and this situation to the Banking Commission in your state. Since each state has a different name for the agency/controller over banks, find that name before you call or get to the bank so you can throw it in their face. The more knowledgeable you appear to be, the further you will get. And just continue to demand the Federal Regulation E form! The bank CAN, MUST and WILL reverse the charge! But, you must be persistent; ask to speak to the supervisor or the area manager for all the branches in the state. Let the bank personnel know you are meeting with the media later in the day, that you would much rather they do the right thing (as most other banks have) by looking at the complaints and immediately reversing the charge(s) to your account; no matter how long ago it was. Be sure to call the Media if necessary so you are telling the truth. If you have to, be loud (but nice) in front of other customers. If you are just calling by phone, the above tactics should still work. The bank can easily fax or mail to you the Federal Regulation E dispute form. CHARGES TO YOUR CREDIT CARD If the charge was to your credit card (not debit card, check card, or checking account), contact the credit card company as soon as possible to request a dispute form. Consumers usually have a little longer to dispute fraudulent credit card charges (up to 6 months), but it is better to act right away. In this type of situation, credit card disputes are usually successful since fraudulent companies often won't contest the disputed charge. In rare cases, credit card companies will review disputes, but refuse to reverse the charges. If this occurs, complain to a manager and let them know you will be filing a report here. Remember Don't let them get away with it! Make sure they make the Rip-off Report .. The more Reports filed on a Company or individual, the more likely it is that the authorities, media and attorneys will want to take action. And good luck Let us know how you do! ED Magedson Founder RipoffReport.com Author of www.ripoffrevenge.com Rip-off Report PO Box 310, Tempe, Arizona 85280
manager. So we are cancelling your current Subscription and we will
refund the December renewal as a courtesy.
We are forwarding a request for a refund on your most recent payment of
$29.95. The refund will be issued directly back to the credit card or
account used to make the purchase. Please allow 5-10 business days for
the refund to process.
Best regards,
Chris
Zoosk Customer Support
Eric P.
Munster,#2Author of original report
Thu, December 30, 2010
Although I met some initial resistance from Zoosk the monies ($29.95) in dispute were returned to my bank account today! I consider this matter resolved. Their billing practices may be misleading consumers and you may use my sample letter as a template for resolving your own dispute with Zoosk. Remember to remain polite and to the point. It took me several communications over the course of a few weeks.