Restaurant.com and possible fraud

[Ann-Marie]

My friend used restaurant.com once to purchase a few certificates. About 1 or 2 months later, she started getting charges on her credit card for "shopping Essentials" at $14.95 each charge. She called the telephone number on the credit card associated with "Shopping Essentials", and was told that she agreed to sign up for this online shopping club when she purchased a restaurant.com certificate. She told them that she had never done so. They agreed to refund her money, but she is still waiting. She then called restaurant.com, and was told that she compleated a survey while on the restaurant.com site that gave her $10.00 credit, and she agreed to join the "Shopping Essentials". My friend is certain she never do this. If you do a search for "Shopping Essentials", you get many links about this companies fraudulent activity. Has anyone experienced it? This is also going on with classmates.com.

 

[Art]

No, it isn't fraud. It is just a typical advertisement that one needs to say no to or close the window.

It is one of those nobody gets anything (like a $10 credit) for nothing things.

If your friend fell for anything this blatantly obvious, she needs to work on her reading skills before she does much more on the internet.

Art

 

[Wonka]

No, it isn't fraud. It is just a typical advertisement that one needs to say no to or close the window.

It is one of those nobody gets anything (like a $10 credit) for nothing things.

If your friend fell for anything this blatantly obvious, she needs to work on her reading skills before she does much more on the internet.

Art

Ouch, Art. That's kinda harsh don't you think? I've completed surveys for discounts only to find at the very end that they included a sign-up and it was actually very difficult to undo. This sort of marketing shouldn't be allowed. I surely wouldn't blame the user for being "duped". It can happen to anyone.

 

[UWSurfer]

Related...but not to the point of this thread...

My wife and I used our 2nd Restaurant.com cert at a restaurant last night and are very happy with the program to date. We are discovering places we'd otherwise never think to go to and when all the costs, credits and tips are accounted for, we are saving between 40 - 50% off the total bill.

As a result we are eating far nicer meals for a bit less than we would have spent at our usual haunts. So far a win-win.

 

[The Conch Man]

Wonka is right, you can't "undo" some or most surveys once you have reached the end of it, they have all your info & you have been taken to the cleaners!

I've reported this kind of ads for the sole purpose of these websites doing this sort of stuff, same goes for some websites for software that will do this & that & after you downloaded the software & run it, then it asks you to buy the product to rid of the problems. Its very frustrating & use of "bad" advertising on the Internet!

I've completed surveys for discounts only to find at the very end that they included a sign-up and it was actually very difficult to undo.

 

[ladycody]

I consider myself pretty savy but recently was pointed to one survey by someone that asked if I'd be 'interested' in getting more information on a number of things and I said yes to 4 or 5 items...and was then asked for a mailing address and/or phone number...so I was expecting a mailing or phone call. Instead...what I found out is that they claimed I had provided my phone number/address for billing purposes and I had actually ordered those services/items....so I had to go and cancel 3 (to date) items. I've done surveys before (not often...but I have done them)...but I've never had anything like this happen.

 

[Ann-Marie]

I know my friend very well. If she said she did not do a survey, she DID NOT do a survey. I have added a link to others that have encountered the same problem. I love restaurant.com, and would not stop using it. However, I am just warning others to watch their credit cards. It appears that this is happening with other sites as well, not just restaurant.com.

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/367/RipOff0367909.htm

 

[GrayFal]

Thank you for the warning ....

 

[Passepartout]

I had something similar happen when I found mysterious charges for several months on my CC statements for 'Great Fun' and a CT phone #. They claimed I'd requested some kind of discount card while renting a car on Priceline. I told them that simply was not something I would do. It took a couple of letters- and none on DW's law office stationery- but I finally got all the charges credited back.

You have to examine every charge on your statements, 'cause they come at you from every angle.

Jim Ricks

 

[rapmarks]

Yes, i got hit with the Great fun membership too. Priceline said 10% back on "purchases' and it turns out to be a membership in Great Fun . I immediately called to cancel, and they had a recording to push a certain number if you wanted to cancel. You have to be so careful.

 

[tlsbooks]

Same thing happened to us. My dh's assistant had made a car reservation for him and then we had a $14.95 charge show up on our credit card. Of course, he wanted to know what *I* had signed up for before it was tracked to the source.