Okay: Having read some of these other reports makes me feel less like I'm insane. So, this post is an oddity -- a sort of mixed-happy message.
First, I noticed a charge for $48.79 that I did not recall making on my debit card statement, from AMR LD Service plan, dated 6/20/02. I tried calling the number listed (888-295-7130), but as it was a weekend, I got a message giving me their business hours. I tried calling again on Monday, June 24, during these business hours, but got only an answering service telling me to leave a message and that someone would call me back. No one did.
I went online, still having no idea who these people are or what service they were supposedly providing me, and entered the company name, trying to find out what kind of company they were. Big shock -- what I got was this website, 'The Rip-Off Report.' This was the ONLY site that mentioned them by full name. You can guess how scary THAT was.
What's worse, when I called my bank to figure this out, they found three MORE unidentifiable charges, $48.79 each -- two from AMR and one from "Long Distance Subscript" dated as far back as 3/27/02. So -- a total of $195.16!!
I canceled my card immediately. (Note: ALWAYS READ YOUR MONTHLY STATEMENTS CAREFULLY. Had I done that, I'd be having fewer problems now.) I called the 888 number again (angrily) but again received no call back.
The excellent thing is, this website gave lots of alternate numbers to try. The one that worked for me was (800) 737-6183. I spoke to a representative who told me that AMR was a third-party billing agency -- meaning that they are not the originators of this basically fraudulent account. Apparently I'm listed as having ordered some kind of calling card. But as I know I made no such purchase, and furthermore, never even got this alleged calling card, they agreed to refund me the $48.79 charge made on 6/20. I was told that refunds for any prior charges have to go through a higher supervisor first, and that the representative would start that process right away, directing my case to her supervisor. (And that it would take 7 to 10 days.)
Last night (6/24), I received an e-mail confirming that this wrongful 6/20 charge for $48.79 is in the process of being refunded to me. I called again today (6/25) and got more information from a very helpful woman called Beverly, who reconfirmed that my refunds were being processed, and told me they've been receiving a huge volume of calls from people who were wrongly charged by a company called "Tiger Direct."
This company uses an online pop-up ad, on which the default button is "buy now." Meaning you can't just hit "return" to get rid of the ad and ignore it -- you've got to make sure you change that setting by clicking "not interested" (or whatever it says) or you've wound up buying something you never even mentally registered. An EXTREMELY s****ty practice!!!!
But people charged by Tiger Direct don't appear in AMR's records, and so they can't do those refunds. This sounds a little messed-up to me -- if they're the third-party biller, shouldn't they know more about the company they're doing the billing for? I'm still pursuing this.
So to wrap up: my three refunds for $48.79 each from AMR LD plan are being processed. I will definitely post again when the outcome is finalized.
The fourth $48.79-dollar charge from back in March, unfortunately, will be harder to track down. The number listed on my bill under the generic name "Long Distance Subscript" just gives me a prolonged beep and a "this number is no longer in service" message. I'm filing an affidavit with my bank. I can only assume that this is "Tiger Direct," and that they are the company that made the original wrongful charge to my account.
Good luck to everyone.
Camille
New York, New York