by 3 people |
Very unethical company
I signed up for a free home business eBay toolkit (or at least I thought) on March 7th and was charged a $1.95 fee from a company called PW Eauction which has a real company name of Pacific Webworks. Two weeks later I was charged $59.90 from the same company. I never received any email confirmation about what it was I was charged for so I called the company.
When I spoke to Customer Service, I was told that when you sign up for the "free" product for $1.95 you are joining their Pacific Webworks product site, have access to their "Visual tools" (whatever those are), and get all this without really knowing it for $59.90 per month. Of course, how is it possible that anyone could miss clicking on the small link under "terms and conditions" and know that in fourteen days after being charged $1.95 you would get charged 30 times that amount?
I asked Customer Service if I was given an email confirmation and was told "yes", but he couldn't provide me with the email address it was sent to. I asked if it could be re-sent and he said no because it was computer generated. Finally, I asked for my refund which I was oh so surprised he said he couldn't give me.
I'm no lawyer, but I suppose if the terms state someone will be charged in fourteen days, no matter how ambiguous or "inconveniently" presented they are, then there is nothing that can be done. I have sent a dispute form to my credit card company and am hopeful they can do a chargeback.
Having now looked up this company on the internet, apparently there are countless cases of their unethical behavior and people not being able to get their money back. It must be nice that they can get at least a one time $60 payment from possibly thousands of people, the majority of which probably never access their website or use their services even one time. Easy money is why scumbag companies continue to exist.
So if anyone sees a site with "Profits Made Easy With eBay" or "eauctionsuccess", or anything with a harmless little form on the right side to get your "free" toolkit, make sure you read the terms, and follow them exactly as stated, or you'll just be another victim of a company that doesn't care if you don't know what you are buying so long as their cash register is going "ching, ching, ching."
Lastly, I know it's common sense, but we should always remember (especially me) that we first need to check out the companies we are giving our credit information, personal information, etc. online. I've signed up for even small seemingly harmless traffic exchanges, and have seen attempts to login into my Paypal account as a result of some of these companies being a tad on the shady side!
Found another name for this business!
You will sometimes come across an ad for the "Yahoo Success Center" which will bring you to a form page with titles like "Search Success Center" and "Yahoo Search Marketing." This is the same company, and you will get charged after the fourteen days if you're not careful and cancel quickly. I'm surprised Yahoo hasn't sued them yet for misleading people that they are somehow affiliated with them...
I haven't heard back yet from my credit company regarding reversing the charges, but will update when available.
4/10/08
I got an email today from Panda Research which is a survey company I had signed up for. They were going to pay me $16 to do a survey for the Search Success Center. The title was "Your Financial Freedom is Just a Click Away." It should say "Your financial loss is a click away!" This is another way this sneaky company gets victims --- partnering with legitimate companies.
4/14/08
Yet another incarnation!!!
Got an email ad for the QuickBooks Home Business Kit. Headline is "Big Solution, Big Opportunity! Simple Start Business Kit." These are the terms if you click their barely visible link:
By submitting this form I authorize Pacific WebWorks, Inc. to immediately charge my credit card $1.95 for the shipment of the QuickBooks Home Business Kit. I hereby request that Pacific WebWorks, Inc. activate my account and authorize them to advance funds as indicated. Monthly Service fees will commence 14 days from the date of this purchase, and will be billed monthly thereafter. After the 14 day trial you will be billed $49.90 monthly for the continued service of the website, website software and for the membership to the TradeWorks product club. No refunds will be given for failure to use the requested and provided services.
Update from Credit Card Company!
I received a letter today that stated they are investigating the charge and that I wouldn't be responsible for interest or paying it until their investigation was complete. They stated it could take 30 - 60 days! My fingers are crossed....Victory!!!
I have beaten them!
I received this letter from my credit card company:
Feedback
Has anyone had experience dealing with this company?
-
Reply
- pdelve18 pdelve18 Nov 28, 2009 @ 11:33 am
- Pacific World Wide Internet
I was stupid enough to fall fowl of this scam ? looks like it's just infiltrated the UK at full force. I read the tempting sales blurb that even sighted a guy living in Surbiton in the UK who was making loads of money. I paid $1.98 and waited for a reply. Sure enough the reply came and I started doing a bit of research about the company.
My bank account was debited within minutes ? it was only after a bit of exploration of my own I realised what was going on. The PWWW*Internet Biz Kit is an outright scam. It has nothing to do with Google, but Google do have their own system for placing ads on their behalf called Google AdSense.
Once you receive your enticing mail to start your own lucrative on-line business you'll soon find there's no way of contacting the company to cancel the account, or any further transactions.
I was given an 0800 number by my bank ? needless to say that number is not listed or recognised. The customer service number you are given on the introductory email will also tell you their lines are closed. The only way you can cancel the transactions, that increase immediately the one month trial is over without notification, and go up to approximately $70 per month, is by phoning this number 001-800-497-4988. You cannot reply to emails sent by the company.
If I hadn't found this sneaky bit of information, the only way I'd have been able to stop the transactions was by cancelling my debit card and allowing the bank to deal with them direct. If you do call when they ask why you want to cancel, tell them it's a scam and listen carefully to their reaction. Interesting to note that it costs more to cancel via the international call than the original set up me, serves me right I guess.
-
Reply
- homedadsuccess homedadsuccess Nov 28, 2009 @ 7:51 pm
- Thanks for the post! Hopefully it helps others in the UK and elsewhere from avoiding this garbage company. They must make a lot from their scam because they keep reconstituting under different names and new twists on how someone can allegedly make money. The only other company I've seen this bad is Bux.to. It's a paid to read email site. All stay away from that one too!!!!
-
Reply
- Dec 10, 2009 @ 2:27 pm
- Look. This is how the scam goes:
1. Greedy person see's what greedy company Adverises..."Millions from Home. HOLY COW!"
2. Greedy person clicks, fills in all there personal details and CC number.
3. Greedy company receives greedy person's personal details.
4. Greedy company charges greedy person. After 14 days greedy company charges greedy person again with greedy persons personal information they willingly gave to greedy company.
5. Greedy company gets sued by google.
By the way, If you want to know Pacific Webworks' REAL address. They are located at about 234ish West 400 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101
I'm not trying to be rude, but the people who fall for these scams are themselves just as greedy as the company coming up with the scams. Unless you're an old person(60+) YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE for losing $60 dollars.
These things are blatant, as common as weight loss remedies(most are scams as well) and put together by people without morals.
-
Reply
- Dec 10, 2009 @ 2:28 pm
- Look. This is how the scam goes:
1. Greedy person see's what greedy company Adverises..."Millions from Home. HOLY COW!"
2. Greedy person clicks, fills in all there personal details and CC number.
3. Greedy company receives greedy person's personal details.
4. Greedy company charges greedy person. After 14 days greedy company charges greedy person again with greedy persons personal information they willingly gave to greedy company.
5. Greedy company gets sued by google.
By the way, If you want to know Pacific Webworks' REAL address. They are located at about 234ish West 400 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101
I'm not trying to be rude, but the people who fall for these scams are themselves just as greedy as the company coming up with the scams. Unless you're an old person(60+) YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE for losing $60 dollars.
These things are blatant, as common as weight loss remedies(most are scams as well) and put together by people without morals.
-
Reply
- pdelve18 pdelve18 Dec 10, 2009 @ 3:32 pm
- You sound like a truly facinating and helpful person. Who'd call you in panic? Must be so hard living in such a holyer than thou place. Get a grip you old fart.
- Load More
Another Company doing the same thing: The Seller's Lounge
I wonder if this company is related to Pacific Webworks...
Oh, no, another site doing the same garbage called "The Seller's Lounge." I got a spam email about an eBay starter kit from them. For a "Limited Time Only" it is free. Their website is www.thesellerslounge.net, at least until it is taken down for fraud.
Do these terms and conditions look familiar: As more fully described below, after your risk-free 10 day trial, you'll be charged the monthly subscription fee of $49.95
Hmmmm.....as we know Pacific Webworks is based in Utah, and we know about their wonderful track record in the state. The Seller's Lounge provides this address for updating billing information:
If you would like to change or update your credit card or billing information, please call our Customer Service Team using our online 'contact us' form. You may give notice to us by certified U.S. Mail postage prepaid or by nationally recognized overnight courier to the following address:
The Sellers Lounge
Attn: General Counsel
831 E. 340 S.
Suite 200
American Fork, UT 84003
Is their any doubt who they are affiliated with? Why attn: General Counsel and not Billing Dept. or something.
The scariest thing of all is their chargeback terms which states if you initiate and win chargeback procedures with your credit card company, they will start chargeback reversal procedures. If they lose this, you will have an administrative fee of $500!
Holy cowburgers! Wake up Utah! You cannot have companies like this doing business in your state!!!!!
Explore related pages
money making scams- Watch out for money making scams that suck your wallet dry. There are so many si...
Yahoo Success Center
- Ever want to dip your fingers into the world of yahoo search marketing? I mean,...
