I was told by the representative that I would be able to cancel this program after reviewing mailing received and no charge would be made to my account. I called within 10 days of my receiving the packet and canceled. I now have a charge of $54.95 on my credit card and I am requesting that $54.95 be refunded to my credit card. I tried calling twice and both representatives refused to credit me the refund stating I called one day late. I requested to speak with a supervisor or manager and both representatives refused and the 2nd individual hung up on me. I have been unsuccessful in getting this charge returned. Also I tried to email through the website given on the phone and emails are returned as undeliveralble.

In late January, I had a phone call from this company asking if I would review a package of rewards The only charge would be $1.95 for shipping and handling and I would receive the package in 3-7 business days. After listening to the guy for quite some time, on my cell phone, I decided NOT to participate in this request. I have never received the package, but they did charge my bank acount the $1.95 for the shipping and handling, and $54.95 for the first month of the C.A.R. program!!! Also, a charge of $36.63 is on my account, but they said they didn't recognize the consumer name of YUM. I received a refund number from them to reverse the charges on my account for $54.95 and $19.95 which is for their cash rewards program. Agent 185 assured me that I am cancelled from their program and would be receiving the refunds in the next few days. We will see. I am going to my bank tomorrow to take this matter up with them further since they say they are "affiliated" with Wachovia - which is my bank. Maybe not for long!! I am furious, and was rather stern with the agent, but she kept assuring me that I would receive the refunds. I'd better - it caused an overdraft on my account!! We live on SS disability and VA compensation only and cannot afford this type of scam. I can promise you this - I will hang up on the next call as such!!
HB - Hiram, GA

On December 22, 2008 I received a phone call and was told I was a valued Visa card holder and described a program they were offering to preferred customers for $1.95 at no risk with a 10 review period. I was also to receive a $100.00 gas card as well as other incentives free of charge. I was to receive a packet explaining the program to go over and make a decision as to whether I would keep the program or cancel. This packet was to arrive at my home within a few days.

I never received this packet until January 14, 2009. The $1.95 was deducted from my account on the 23rd of December, 2008. Timing was way off with the delivery. I thought with the Holidays falling at the same time this was not unusual. This was a mistake on my part!

When I was checking my balance on the account I noticed a charge of $54.95 deducted and questioned what it was immediately with my bank. They gave me the name of Consumer Auto Rewards as the charger and gave me the phone number of 1-866-335-2457. The customer service person at my bank could not file a dispute claim since it had not been fully posted to my account yet but had only been posted. The funds had not been sent out yet. I was to wait two days and call in a dispute.

I immediately dialed the phone number I was given to see what I could do about this illegal charge myself. I reached them and spoke to a person by the name of David Webb. He was a Customer Service Rep. for Consumer Auto Rewards. I explained that they had taken funds out of my account in advance of my receiving my packet for review and gave him all the dates and circumstances. I informed him I felt it was done inappropriately and I wanted it canceled and my monies refunded immediately. He canceled the accounts immediately. I asked when I could expect my refund. He started double talking and said he would file a report to the shipping department and check into the delay of sending my review packet. During the conversation that lasted almost 45 minutes he stated the packet had been shipped on the 30th of December and they could not be held responsible for my not receiving it timely. This is why the $54.95 was deducted and that they were in their legal right to do so. However, I should call back in two days and he would give me the status of my refund. The two day period would bring us to Friday. He gave me his name several times during the conversation to make sure I called him directly, stating that he would have no information for me until he heard back from that department. This should be by Friday.

I called again on Friday only to get the same run around. I got a foreign speaking lady who said she would check the account and see what had happened. Again, this conversation got no where. I explained the entire story to her and asked to speak with David Webb. She said he could do nothing more than she could. She put me on hold several times only to come back and say I was at fault since I did not call them earlier. I asked how I could have called them earlier when I has not received the packet before the 14th of January. I realized this was going nowhere and asked to speak to her boss or supervisor. She told me no she was the only one who could help me. I informed her I had the right to take my complaint further. Several times she gave me the same response, that she was the only one who could help me and that she had already checked with David Webb and he turned it over to her. This woman asked me several times if I could prove the packet did not come to me until January 14th since they mailed it on December 30th. The date they say they mailed my packet went from Dec. 30 to Dec. 29th to Dec. 31st during our conversation. Yet they want me to prove I didn't receive it until January 14th. Since it is impossible to prove the actual date I received the packet they inferred I'm lying. Several times during the conversation this woman questioned my honesty so I explained she was giving me no satisfaction and I needed to speak with her boss. She insisted that that was impossible and I had to speak only with her. After 10 minutes of this going back and forth she finally said she would transfer me to her boss Anna Lopez. After being on hold for another 5 minutes she transferred me to not Anna Lopez but Veronica Langdon who was suppose to be her supervisor.

Once again I went through how I was told this program was to be a trial risk free program and that once I received my packet and had 10 days to review it and decide whether I wanted to keep it or cancel and that in the packet was the cancelation instructions. I again went through my conversation with David Webb and the other woman at Veronicas request. Veronica was inferring I was not telling them the truth about when I received the packet and that it was too bad I am dissatisfied but that there was nothing they could do. I asked for her supervisor and she said that would not happen since she was now the only one who could help me. I asked for her boss, stating that unless she was the owner of the company that she had to have a boss. She stated their system does not allow for customers to go any higher than her. I asked for the CEO of the company by name or phone number I was told that would be impossible to get. She stated she would log my complaint with the complaint department and have them investigate my problem. I asked when I would be hearing from them. She stated I would not since it would be done internally and they do not notify customers. I asked how or when I would know the outcome. She stated I would not. I could however write my own complaint and mail it to the PO Box number on the envelope of my packet but it would not get a response either. She informed me that there is nothing I can do beyond what her and I had already done. I lied about the date I received the packet and that if I realy was interested in the packet I should have called within seven days of the $1.95 being deducted from my account. Since I had not done this sorry about my luck. I informed her I had noway of knowing I had to call prior to receiving the packet. She stated it was not their problem and to have a good day. End of conversation.

In late November, Consumer Auto Rewards called my cell phone, stating that if I signed up for a trial period with them, I would receive a $100 Visa Giftcard. I would be charged $5 for the Auto Rewards, and $2 for the Advanced Benefits Inc trial. I decided that I would try it and I gave them the ok to take the small fee from my banking account. It was made very clear to me that if I did not cancel the subscription with in the trial period, I would be charged the monthly fee's that the subscription would cost. As soon as I received my information in the mail, I called the phone number to cancel my trial period so that I would not be charged. The woman that I talked to on the phone cleary stated that my trial period was NOT up, and would I like to wait to cancel to receive the full benefits of the trial. I said no, repeatedly, roughly 3 to 4 times before she went through with the cancellation. She then gave me a cancellation number that I wrote down. The second trial that I signed up for came in the mail a couple days later and I once again called the cancellation number as soon as I received it and spoke to a gentleman who canceled it. He also gave me a cancellation number, but I was driving and I could not write the number down. Since this paperwork came late in the mail I may have missed the trial period and canceled later then I should have. Which technically is not my fault since I could not call without the phone number, which was in the paperwork. On this past Tuesday morning I checked my checking account online, to find that I was charged $54.95 from the Auto Rewards and $19.95 from the Advanced Benefits section. As soon as I left work I called the number that I had called the first time to cancel. The woman that I talked to on the phone told me that nothing could be done without my cancellation number and that my subscription with them was still active. How could this be possible when I called at least a week ago? I then told her that I should not need to have a cancellation number, because they should have done their job right in the first place. Once I got home, I called again, this time with the cancellation number. The woman that I spoke to on the phone was 'Ashley Jones' and she told me that the cancellation number meant nothing. I asked to talk to a manager, and she pried at me to tell her why I needed to talk to her. After a few minutes of a debate she went to go get the manager. A couple minutes later she came back on the phone and I heard someone in the background saying 'Is this still the same issue?' She then came back onto the phone to tell me that the manager would not speak to me. I want to know, why I cannot speak to a manager of a company that stole my money?? Next i asked 'Ashley' what the managers name was, as I was going to report this to the BBB and the Attorney's General Office if I needed to. She at first told me that she did not know the managers name, which I said 'How can you not know the managers name when you were just talking to her?' she then stated that her name was 'Miranda Walker'. She made it very clear on the phone that I would absolutely, positively, NOT receive a rebate. She told me that I violated the policy by going past the trial period, which I know I did NOT. And that my cancellation number meant nothing, and would Not even take it. I then asked her for the head office phone number so that I could talk to someone, and she told me that there was NO phone number. How can this be? She then gave me the address, which is completely useless to me. I will be calling my bank today to try to get my money back, as this company is clearly in the wrong for taking the 54.95 out of my checking account, with out authorization, and against the policy that I was told to follow, and 100% DID follow. This is unfair treatment to a citizen, and I want my money back, as well as this company being fined of some sort.