This one’s got to an interesting stage I wasn’t expecting. I was scammed out of a sizeable sum over 6 months, through signing up in January to an online game for which the possible prize was of interest. What I didn’t know (because none of the info mentioned it) was that signing up to play actually creates a paid 3-day trial subscription (a few dollars), which then morphs to a fortnightly subscription at AUD87 a fortnight.
I discovered the situation a few weeks ago, whereupon I was able easily to cancel the subscription. I then went the next step and emailed them requesting a refund on the basis that I hadn’t knowingly or intentionally subscribed to anything and hadn’t taken up any services. Last time I did that (once, maybe a decade ago) the company involved quite calmly refunded all my money. This mob? Another matter. They gave me a (no doubt well developed and used) cut-n-paste scree about how my provision of personal details when I signed up constituted an indication of intent, meaning the funds taken so far were legit. And thus no refund would be coming.
Now I know I can go to my credit card provider and dispute the transactions. But I’m really hoping to avoid having my card cancelled and needing to update my gazillion direct debitors with a new card number etc. So I’m sitting on it for now at least.
Well in a way I’m not sorry to have waited. What I’ve done in the meantime is gone on Trustpilot (first ever TP review for me) and posted a scathing 1-star review with the word “scam” in the title. I assumed at least that might help someone else down the track. I didn’t expect it to rattle the scammers. Well I was wrong! Turns out they’re seriously rattled. Took a few weeks. (Maybe they were brainstorming what to do?) But yesterday I get three emails seconds apart:
- from Trustpilot, informing me that SnazzyCV believe my review belongs to another business (without naming any other business); asking if I agree with this; and would I be willing to reassign my review to the mystery other business within 3 days. (I replied “No”).
- then two separate nearly identical emails advising of refunds of just two of the fortnightly “subscriptions”.
Why just 2? (The total taken was I think 11?). Well I don’t know for sure; other than they’re playing some game with me. But I do have a good theory. The first several “subscription” deductions went to the expected beneficiary, SnazzyCV dot com. But the last two went to another business name, CustomResume dot net (which appears to be registered in Denmark). So my theory is: they’re prepared to cop at worst a bad review on their “spare” business name, or even no review at all anywhere if I’ll “take the money” and call it quits. And they get to keep the other 90% of what they should be refunding me.
Assuming I’ve read it right, I suppose I could in theory try taking my turn in the game, and offering to delete my review in return for them refunding more of the deductions, or even all of them. But I’m not inclined to entangle myself in a game like that. (And I do still have the disputed transactions route to follow if I choose).
Well I hope someone reading this at least gets a giggle from the story. I thought it was kinda’ fun anyway. And maybe there’s more to come, who knows .. And I’m also interested in hearing if anyone else has had a vaguely similar experience? With or without a Trustpilot or other review involved.
