In June I purchased items from swimsutsforall.com. The charge appeared on my credit card on 6/15/09. In July I was hospitalized so my brother handled my bills for me. When my August credit card statement arrived I noticed a charge for $12 from ‘SHOPPER DISCOUNTS”. I knew that I had not purchased anything from this company. I could not figure out how they had gotten my credit card information. I looked up my July statement and found that there had been a $12 charge from "SHOPPER DISCOUNTS" in July as well as August.

I immediately called the 800 number that appeared on the credit card statement. They had an option on the menu for people who want to cancel unwanted subscriptions. This indicated to me that they have a large volume of callers who want to cancel their subscriptions.


I waited to talk to a customer service representative because I wanted to know how they got my credit card information. The woman I spoke with was not the least bit surprised that I had no idea what this repeated $12 charge was for. When I told her that I wanted the $24 refunded she did so without asking a question. This indicates to me that “SHOPPERS DISCOUNTS” is aware that customers are being tricked into signing up for their program. When I inquired how they got my credit card number I was told that at the time I purchased the items from www.swimsuitsforall.com I was aked if I would like a coupon for $10 off of my next purchase. When I checked “yes” my credit card information was automatically sent to “shoppers discounts”. This is an outrageous practice.

I am very careful about giving out my credit card information yet I was duped into signing up for this fraudulent discount. Thankfully, I go over my credit card statements to make sure all charges are legitimate so I caught the fraudulent charges. I know that there are many people who never check their statements because their bills are paid automatically. I called my friend to warn her about this scam because I know that she shops online and doesn’t always check her statements. I urged her to go over her credit card statements and sure enough, she had several charges from “Shoppers Discounts”.

I decided to google the name “Shoppers Discounts” so that I could send a written complaint. I was stunned to see how many people have been tricked into signing up for this “service”. The scammers seems to operate under several names. I assume that people have not lodged complaints to the BBB because “shopper's discounts” refunds their money without asking questions.

Sincerely,
Janine Sedore

In the hospital for several months was unable to check my account for some months, When I came home going over the last 6 months saw 5 12.00 charges from this company and called them. They were too eager to remove or refund the sums in question which tells me they are scammers. How many people have they cheated. They need to be prosecuted.

Monthly fee showing up in the amount of $12 w/o my kowing consent. Posts by others on this subject suggest I should have read all the disclaimers and legal prose before responding to a pop-up. Maybe so. None-the-less, I know if the company asked for my cc information I would have backed away from saying yes to some 10% discount. I've come to understand that by clicking on the pup-up while conducting, for inishing up, on an on-line transaction my cc information is automatically routed to Shopper Discounts and, bam, I'm signed up.

I saw the recurring charge after three months and contacted Shopper Discounts. "No problem, we'll refund the full amount." they responded. Great. Still, I believe Shopper Discounts tactics are an underhanded way of hooking people -- put it in fornt of folks that they'll be billed -- over and over again. I guess, we all come to understand that companies will do anything for a buck while rationalizing how they are providing a service. Shopper Discounts falls in the same catagory as banks and their interest rates on credit cards and late fees. Why else is legislation being passed to reign in the criminally punitive charges, the hidden charges. Because the industry and it leaders are not showing moral and ethical leadership.

I have discovered today that this company has been taking £9/month from my AMEX card for the last 8 months without my consent. Apparently according to AMEX ccompanies typically in the travel industry (they quoted EasyJet to me), in their T's&C's they have a tick box somewhere in there that if you do not tick you are automatically signed up to this company.

Be aware...this is happening more and more and is according to AMEX Not illegal, they are simply making use of the fact that few people these days go through the T's&C's to any detail as we have all become more TRUSTING of the Internet. Their address is

54, Lambard Street
London
EC3V9EX

Please feel free to mail them.

Since discovering this, I have lso discovered that companies such as SYMANTEC (I qoute this one as they did it to me) are providing tick boxes in T's&C's which if you DONOT tick means you are signing up to automatic renwells. They refuynded me but in general we should all be aware that Internet Shopping is NOT as SAFE as we have all been led into believing over the last few years...BE AWARE READ T'S&C's.

Gareth

Unauthorized charges of $12 per month from June through December, 2008. (total: $84.00)
I did not subsctibe to Shoppers Discounts nor do I know who they are or what service they provide.

J. McQuiddy
[email protected]