Bench Craft Deceptive, fraudulant sales practices Internet

Like many others on this review site, I was contacted by a long distance number about an event at a local golf course. The sales man, Jeremy Laden, gave me his sales pitch about advertising in a golf course guide and I would be the only photographer listed in over 70,000 copies that go out over the year. It was $399.00 for the year, which is cheap in advertising circles. He sent me to the Bench Craft Company website and showed me enough for it to look legitimate. He filled out my info over the phone and then took my CC information. I make it a habit NOT to give out my card numbers over the phone, but since I was working on 4 hours of sleep, I went ahead & gave it to him. He gave me a contract # to reference in the future and said he would mail the contract.

When I googled the name, I came across this website about the fraud & read similar stories to mine. In a panic, I called my CC company. Then I got mad and called Jeremy back. He just couldn't BELIEVE I would want to cancel and sent me to his "manager". The manager got on the phone and ALSO couldn't BELIEVE that I would want to cancel. I told him I'd done some research online and was very uncomfortable with what I found. He became belligerent with me and asked if I believed everything I read on the internet.

At that point I said I could tell it was a scam by his lack of professionalism and the way he was speaking to me. He tried to make ME feel stupid, accused me of talking rudely to him and that he would have take up my refund with the owner of the company.

I stayed EXTREMELY calm over the phone, stated my case, advised him I was married to a lawyer (which I am!), told him, in a very calm & firm voice that I'd contacted my CC company and he was NOT to charge my card. When he realized he couldn't rattle me, he actually hung up! People like that in the world should be ashamed of themselves. I know I'm ashamed for buying into it in the first place, sleep or no sleep.

Barbara
Vancouver, Washington
U.S.A.