Complain about a product or service

Vertrue, ex-MWI

MWI • Consumer complaints • Act fast! • It adds up • Who did it? • Lightning strikes twice • What to do • Sample letter --- • Vertrue - the parent • An insider's view --- News • MWI Will Pay $1 Million to Settle Florida Suit • Minnesota Sues MemberWorks

Vertrue Incorporated
Mr. James B. Duffy
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
680 Washington Blvd
Stamford, CT 06901

Phone 203-324-7635
Fax 203-674-7080

This is one of a rash of "negative-option" schemes now making the rounds. Companies like Vertrue (formerly MWI, alias MemberWorks Inc.) enroll you in their plan without your asking and it's up to you to cancel the enrollment. Often cancelling isn't enough and more drastic action is needed.

MWI and its cousin Simple Escapes have any number of schemes -- oops, sorry, make that services -- including:

• MWI Essentials
• MWI Connections
• MWI Galleria
• MWI Home and Garden
• MWI Homeworks
• MWI Premier Health
• MWI Vital Home Club

No one seems quite sure just what each of these might do. But one thing is for sure -- they are all very fast to slap charges on your credit card, as the complaints below show.

• Act fast! Another month is close behind.
• It adds up That's right, those monthly charges add up quickly.
• Who gave them my name? Just how MWI got your credit card number is something you may never know ... but the nearest infomercial is a good bet.
• Lightning strikes twice Some unlucky souls get themselves out of this mess only to fall back into it a year or two later.

Most importantly ...

• What Can I Do?

Here are a few of the more recent complaints:

Don of Omaha NE (12/20/07)
On December 14, 2007 I discovered a questionable charge of $249.95 on my bank cash card account from something called Simply You. Having no idea what this was, I called the phone number ( 888-242-0180) listed with the charge. I told the rep that I didn't know what this was and he said that it was some kind of membership that I had become involved in resulting from a purchase I made in 2003! I asked to have this credited immediately and he wanted to send me some kind of trial material first. I remember it having something to do with discounts and rebates on certain services and products. Wanting nothing to do with this, I insisted on the credit and he said it would be processed, which it was a few days later.

After hanging up, I was suspicious and so I looked my old bank statements back to 2003. I found the original purchase which was for $27.44 in February 2003. I don't remember what this was for and I certainly don't recall enrolling in any kind of 'membership'. I found the first yearly charge from Simply You in Dec 2003 for $109.95. Then each December from then on they were sticking me a charge. Here they are: Dec 2003, $109.95, Dec 2004, $199.95, Dec 2005, $219.95, Dec 2006, $239.95 and Dec 2007, $249.95. All total $1,019.75. As I said earlier, I have received credit of $249.95 for the Dec 2007 charge but that leaves a total of $769.80 in bogus fraudulent charges to me. I have initiated a claim with the Neb BBB and have reported this to the Neb Attorney General. I have sent emails directly to Vertrue and they are not answering me. I am thinking about paying a personal call to their offices in Omaha to see if that accomplishes anything.

Alexander of New Brighton MN (12/19/07)
I have unauthorized credi card charges from Vertrue companies: Health Trends, Simply Yours, Pharmacy Gold, and Dealmax.

I cannot reach Health Trends to cancel. I will have to cancel the credit card.

Stephanie of Westerly RI (02/18/07)

My credit card was charged $109.95 on 16 Feb 2007 by this organization. The charge was under the name "Victoria's Secret Escapes”. I never, ever authorized this. I use my credit card to cover gasoline and grocery expenses, $109.95 less is a significant hit.

Terry of Indianapolis IN (07/29/06)
Their AP9 Companies have taken $537.30 out of my checking account without my approval, even after I have talked with them about it. I want them to stop removing money from my account and give all my money back in full.

Josie of Atlanta GA (07/24/06)
I just discovered a recurring charge on my bank account for $12.95 for Passport to Fun and after a little research on the internet, discovered that I am one of many victims of Vertrue/ Adaptive Marketing/ MemberWorks, etc. I am SO angry! I have called the 800 numbers twice now to try to get a full refund, but was told that I will only get 2 months' worth. The first time I called, I had no idea what Passport to Fun -- the operator had to tell me when I supposedly signed up was when I ordered a Time-Life music CD, which is the one and only infomercial I have ever responded to in my life! I have filed a fraud report with my bank and have filed a case with the Nebraska BBB. I am filing one with CT today. Strangely, CT has Vertrue on one of their BBB websites as being one of their top companies in earnings in the state.

My check/debit card (with a Visa insignia, for what that's worth) has been charged every month since Oct 15, 2005. I want ALL my money back! I did not knowingly sign up for this stupid program, nor would I ever have!

Max of Long Beach MS (03/25/06)
I got hit with two $19.95 charges yesterday(3/24)...one from Today's Escape and one from Shopping Essentials...checked previous statement and found that they also got me on 2/22. Started looking on the internet as I've never heard of either company, found alot of similar cases...same result, called and got (supposedly) cancelled memberships and refunds for March. But I don't trust them. The Feb charges are past fees and can't be refunded...yeah right. Refunds will hopefully be issued through the bank...already contacted them and initiated dispute proceedings and they are issuing new credit cards.

These scam artists claim I authorized enrollment to a telemarketer and acceptted a $25 Walmart gift card. I never even answer the phone unless it's someone I know. I never talk to telemarketers. And I never received any packet..if I did, it would have gone into the trash unopened. This goes beyond the $80 they have stolen from me. These people can not be allowed to stay in business.

I don't feel safe anymore, either going online or answering a phone call. I feel violated..how can a company do this and still be allowed to exist as a legal entity. And I'm out $79.80...money I feel was stolen from me.

Paula of Chicago IL (03/25/06)
I received a Today’s Escapes brochure in the mail on March 24, 2006, stating it was about to automatically renew my “membership” for $149.95 unless I cancelled the membership. It looked like junk mail to me, but now I'm glad I bothered to read it closely. So, I have only just learned of this company’s fraudulent behavior and it victimization of my credit card account when I investigated my loses from this unauthorized membership. --- As a rule, I NEVER join such programs.

This is my response to the brochure:

1) First, I did research in an attempt to learn about the history of my membership with Today's Escapes. The first CSR, Nia (19081), refered me to the Billing Dept.

2) Then, Donna (18824) of Billing, told me that I had never paid on the membership (although I had just received a renewal notice in the mail). She said, You have not been billed yet, when I asked for the date and amount of my last payment.

3) Later in the same day, I called Today's Escapes again with the aim to cancel my membership. I spoke to Marilyn (25889) and asked her for the date I became a member of Today's Escapes --- still wondering how I could be notified that I would be automatically RENEWED if I had not been a member before today. She told me that I had become a member in May 2005 for $96.  Was I surprised!

I cancelled my membership at that moment.  Unfortunately, I have no idea if Vertrue has charged my credit card or my other accounts for any of its other programs, nor do I know of any charges beyond the May 2005 $96 charge Donna reported to me. So, I am continuing my research.

At this point I also am trying to learn the exact extent of Vertrue-connected charges to my various accounts. I deny having ever joined any such programs, and am: a) contacting Citi Card/MasterCard seeking a waiver of MC's three-month limit to account disputes and requesting a proof of purchase for that May 2005 Today's Escapes charge; b) contacting Vertrue seeking repayment of the $96 charge and any other charges it has made to my accounts; and c) filing complaints with the BBB of Chicago/Northern IL, the Federal Trade Commission, the attorneys general of CT and IL.

As far as I know at this point, Today's Escapes charged my MasterCard $96 without my authorization in May 2005. Of course, trying to research any other unauthorized charges, seeking repayment of my money, and lodging appropriate complaints against Vertrue is taking up time that I resent using to protect myself from their frudulent practices.

Andrew of Jersey City NJ (10/29/05)
I have been a longterm customer of Truecredit.com (owned by TransUnion). After I logged onton Truecredit.com, a service that I pay for, they offered me a free $25 Lowes card, in the middle of page beween my name and credit information. I clicked on the link and they went ahead and sent all my personal information to Vertrue Incorporated.

Truecredit sent my Credit Card Information, Name, Address and phone number. This was clearly against their privacy policy and unauthorized fraudulent charges. I am a computer security expert and was defrauded because Truesecure, a company I pay to protect me against identity theft, actually gave my personal and financial information to a fraudulent company knowingly. Please put me in touch with an attorney so I can seek Punitive Damages.

I was chared $9.95 on my credit card for the past 7 months.

Sharon of Fort Lauderdale FL (07/02/05)
Our credit card was charged without our consent. When we called to inquire, Sara insisted we had received information in the mail for a 30-day free trial and a free gas card. When I explained to her that we never received the information and we did not want to subscribe to the program, she again tried to convince me to accept another 30 day free trial and she would send the information in the mail. I had to get angry with her and tell her 3 times that I did not ask for the information, I did not want anything to do with the program and to please cancel whatever it was and credit my charge card. She finally said she would do that.

After I contacted my credit card company, they advised me to call this company back and make sure any earlier charges were also credited because we had been charged for 5 months starting in February. I called back, spoke with Lindsey who tried to tell me she could not give me credit for any earlier charges because we had benefit of the program during that time. I told her we did not ask for the program, we did not subscribe to it and we did not receive any benefits. I asked to speak to a supervisor, David, who without any further questions or comments, agreed to give me my full credit from February.

These bogus charges increased my credit card debt,making it more difficult to pay my balance down. We are in the process of trying to buy a home, and these charges appear frivolous and unnecessary and make my credit record look bad.

Diane of Kansas City MO (03/31/05)
I was checking my monthly statement & the amount of $16.95 had been billed to our account. I hadn't really noticed it except for one other time & just thought it was something my husband had bought. This time I thought it was strange! I called my bank & asked what this transaction was. They told me the name of the company & their telephone number. I immediately called them. I talked to Kathy ID #6041. She explained to me that we had a membership with their company. This membership consists of: us being able to order free credit reports & scores at any time. They would also send us coupons for $5.00 off our utility bills monthly.

She proceeded to ask me if we received our membership package in the mail. I told her that we didn't because we never signed up to become a member. I told her we had never heard of this company. I also told her that we had never signed up for anything like this. (I had already asked my husband if he did). He said of course not! We went back & forth with her stating that we did, & me stating that we didn't! This is when she told me that we were signed up through AOL.I asked her, just how long have you been debiting our account for this membership? She said, since June, 2003. I said SINCE WHEN. I just couldn't believe what she had told me. I told her that we wanted our full refund! She said I would have to contact AOL. I did! I also said that I would be calling them back.

I called member services. At first I talked to Kile. Then I talked to a supervisor. She let me know that I had to contact Vertrue in order for me to get our refund. I told her that I just talked to them. Needless to say, I got the run around (the back & forth game)I called Vertrue back & talked to Onex, who gave me to a supervisor. The supervisor's name is Diane ID#8478. I explained everything all over again! I told her we wanted our full refund & to cancel us out of this program! She canceled our membership, gave us credit for March only & totally refused to give us our refund. I told her this was wrong to do consumers this way & if she didn't give us our total refund, I was going to the Better Business Bureau, the newspaper in their town & anywhere else to report their company for doing bad business. Today, I received an e-mail from AOL about a survey about their customer service. I took it & let them know everything that happened to me yesterday.

They debited our account monthly without our permission! I spent over half of my day trying to get this resolved. No one cared! I know my stress level went sky high, just because they wouldn't do anything! I still can't believe they just took money out of our account & AOL doesn't seem to care enough about it either.

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