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Report: #412063

Complaint Review: FileFortune - Internet

  • Submitted:
  • Updated:
  • Reported By: Mountain Home Arkansas
  • Author Confirmed What's this?
  • Why?
  • FileFortune FileFortune.com Internet U.S.A.

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As the other writer found that some older movies (watch movies online now and then) were listed as available through "FileFortune.com". Went to the site on 9 Jan 09 and reviewed it and it looked legit. FAQ says can cancel anytime, etc.

Joined for the discounted price of $4.87 and received a confirmation email of that charge (with user ID and password), with billing company being "billingsquad.com". There was no indication of any porn industry tie at this point

Movies turned out not to be available and thought nothing more about it. My bank called 4 days later (14 Jan 09) asking if I authorized several charges to include ISA's (overseas billing costs). Logged online (while bank official was on phone) and was floored . . . there were about 12 charges, all from "billingsquad.com", close to $100.00 total.

When trying to contact both "FileFortune" and "billingsquad" customer support found that both are tied to the phone number in the other report. As well learning when accessing there customer support online pages they are apparently tied into the porn industry. The fraud charges apparently signing up folks to porn sites.

Cancelled my card and filed complaint with "Whois", "billingsquad" whois gives a fake phone number and also reported the info to ICANN.

About 3 hours after having the bank cancel the card and getting back from the bank in the fine print of both used those email addresses to send cancel's . . . received back emails that the account had already been canceled. Apparently my account was cancelled as soon as they found they could no longer make charges to my card.

Redbeardvet
Mountain Home, Arkansas
U.S.A.

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 01/14/2009 02:15 PM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/filefortune/internet/filefortune-and-billingsquadcom-fraud-billing-to-credit-card-us-front-companies-for-por-412063. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

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REBUTTALS & REPLIES:
0Author
8Consumer
0Employee/Owner

#8 Author of original report

Further Response from Billingsquad - showing fraud activity

AUTHOR: Redbeardvet - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, January 16, 2009

Rec'd from "billingsquad" -

"Hi Redbeardvet,
I have checked your information in our system, and found that you have 3 accounts with us as you can see listed.

All Accounts
Memberid User Site
110391979816 redbeardvet bookmark
110391914345 redbeardvet Discount Video Pass
110390669176 redbeardvet mega download pass

The reason you have multiple accounts is that you accepted a bonus offer for access to other sites when you initially signed up, as stated on the signup form.

You can also check our terms and conditions at http://www.customersupporthelp.com/index.php?detail=terms

As per your membership agreement if your account is not cancelled within the time purchased, your account will rebill for a further 30 days, and will continue to rebill until said account has been cancelled.

These accounts have already been cancelled.

For further account information and tools, please visit our support site : http://www.customersupporthelp.com

Thank You,
Darren
________
Customer Support Representative
If you need further assistance please reply to this message"

Response to them - detailing fraud activity -

" Hello Darren:

Thank you for the information that you've provided, however it is incorrect.

On 9 Jan 09 I signed up for FileFortune . . . from that site is the following info concerning whatever Megadownload pass happens to be -

"To create an account, you will need to signup for a 3-day trial with our payment processor (Mega Download Pass) by clicking the checkout button below. This special offer $4.87 payment (usually a 3-day trial) will grant you lifetime unlimited download access to FileFortune.

$4.87 Unlimited Lifetime Access Special Offer"

Notice from the FileFortune site the above it indicates "Unlimited Access Special Offer" for "FileFortune" in return to agreeing to a 3 day trial pass to Megadownload.

Also note - that at the FileFortune site there is no indication of any automatic renewal to Megadownload pass nor any information to a "Terms of Service" that any automatic renewal would take place.

As well note that on the payment form there is two choices that a person can choose from: either a trial for $4.87 or a 30 day membership for $39.73. With no indication that at the end of the 3 day trail period someone would then be billed for a 30 day membership. Also, there is no "Terms of Service" on the payment form indicating that the 3 day trail would be become an automatic 30 day membership, to Megadownload, upon the end of the 3 day trail period.

As well - upon receipt of User ID and Password, for use on FileFortune, there is no indication that someone has signed up for anything other than FileFortune . . . and that the User ID and Password are for use on FileFortune . . . with no indication they are usable anywhere else. Nor is there any link to an additional "Terms of Service" that someone is subject to. Here is copy of the email receipt info rec'd -
------------------------------------------------
"Dear Member,

Thanks for joining FileFortune. Below are your account login details:

Member ID: (removed by author)
Password: (removed by author)

Login with your Member ID and Password at: http://www.filefortune.com

Kind Regards,

Admin | FileFortune.com"

--------------------------------------------------

Therefore, I gave no authorization for a 30 day membership to Megadownload Pass nor did I agree to any 30 day membership to Megadownload Pass . . . nor did I authorize the other two memberships that your company has billed me for.

Thus, the amount to be refunded to me remains $92.25 . . . and that is what I expect to receive and refunded to me.

Thank You

Respond to this report!
What's this?

#7 Author of original report

Further Response from Billingsquad - showing fraud activity

AUTHOR: Redbeardvet - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, January 16, 2009

Rec'd from "billingsquad" -

"Hi Redbeardvet,
I have checked your information in our system, and found that you have 3 accounts with us as you can see listed.

All Accounts
Memberid User Site
110391979816 redbeardvet bookmark
110391914345 redbeardvet Discount Video Pass
110390669176 redbeardvet mega download pass

The reason you have multiple accounts is that you accepted a bonus offer for access to other sites when you initially signed up, as stated on the signup form.

You can also check our terms and conditions at http://www.customersupporthelp.com/index.php?detail=terms

As per your membership agreement if your account is not cancelled within the time purchased, your account will rebill for a further 30 days, and will continue to rebill until said account has been cancelled.

These accounts have already been cancelled.

For further account information and tools, please visit our support site : http://www.customersupporthelp.com

Thank You,
Darren
________
Customer Support Representative
If you need further assistance please reply to this message"

Response to them - detailing fraud activity -

" Hello Darren:

Thank you for the information that you've provided, however it is incorrect.

On 9 Jan 09 I signed up for FileFortune . . . from that site is the following info concerning whatever Megadownload pass happens to be -

"To create an account, you will need to signup for a 3-day trial with our payment processor (Mega Download Pass) by clicking the checkout button below. This special offer $4.87 payment (usually a 3-day trial) will grant you lifetime unlimited download access to FileFortune.

$4.87 Unlimited Lifetime Access Special Offer"

Notice from the FileFortune site the above it indicates "Unlimited Access Special Offer" for "FileFortune" in return to agreeing to a 3 day trial pass to Megadownload.

Also note - that at the FileFortune site there is no indication of any automatic renewal to Megadownload pass nor any information to a "Terms of Service" that any automatic renewal would take place.

As well note that on the payment form there is two choices that a person can choose from: either a trial for $4.87 or a 30 day membership for $39.73. With no indication that at the end of the 3 day trail period someone would then be billed for a 30 day membership. Also, there is no "Terms of Service" on the payment form indicating that the 3 day trail would be become an automatic 30 day membership, to Megadownload, upon the end of the 3 day trail period.

As well - upon receipt of User ID and Password, for use on FileFortune, there is no indication that someone has signed up for anything other than FileFortune . . . and that the User ID and Password are for use on FileFortune . . . with no indication they are usable anywhere else. Nor is there any link to an additional "Terms of Service" that someone is subject to. Here is copy of the email receipt info rec'd -
------------------------------------------------
"Dear Member,

Thanks for joining FileFortune. Below are your account login details:

Member ID: (removed by author)
Password: (removed by author)

Login with your Member ID and Password at: http://www.filefortune.com

Kind Regards,

Admin | FileFortune.com"

--------------------------------------------------

Therefore, I gave no authorization for a 30 day membership to Megadownload Pass nor did I agree to any 30 day membership to Megadownload Pass . . . nor did I authorize the other two memberships that your company has billed me for.

Thus, the amount to be refunded to me remains $92.25 . . . and that is what I expect to receive and refunded to me.

Thank You

Respond to this report!
What's this?

#6 Author of original report

Further Response from Billingsquad - showing fraud activity

AUTHOR: Redbeardvet - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, January 16, 2009

Rec'd from "billingsquad" -

"Hi Redbeardvet,
I have checked your information in our system, and found that you have 3 accounts with us as you can see listed.

All Accounts
Memberid User Site
110391979816 redbeardvet bookmark
110391914345 redbeardvet Discount Video Pass
110390669176 redbeardvet mega download pass

The reason you have multiple accounts is that you accepted a bonus offer for access to other sites when you initially signed up, as stated on the signup form.

You can also check our terms and conditions at http://www.customersupporthelp.com/index.php?detail=terms

As per your membership agreement if your account is not cancelled within the time purchased, your account will rebill for a further 30 days, and will continue to rebill until said account has been cancelled.

These accounts have already been cancelled.

For further account information and tools, please visit our support site : http://www.customersupporthelp.com

Thank You,
Darren
________
Customer Support Representative
If you need further assistance please reply to this message"

Response to them - detailing fraud activity -

" Hello Darren:

Thank you for the information that you've provided, however it is incorrect.

On 9 Jan 09 I signed up for FileFortune . . . from that site is the following info concerning whatever Megadownload pass happens to be -

"To create an account, you will need to signup for a 3-day trial with our payment processor (Mega Download Pass) by clicking the checkout button below. This special offer $4.87 payment (usually a 3-day trial) will grant you lifetime unlimited download access to FileFortune.

$4.87 Unlimited Lifetime Access Special Offer"

Notice from the FileFortune site the above it indicates "Unlimited Access Special Offer" for "FileFortune" in return to agreeing to a 3 day trial pass to Megadownload.

Also note - that at the FileFortune site there is no indication of any automatic renewal to Megadownload pass nor any information to a "Terms of Service" that any automatic renewal would take place.

As well note that on the payment form there is two choices that a person can choose from: either a trial for $4.87 or a 30 day membership for $39.73. With no indication that at the end of the 3 day trail period someone would then be billed for a 30 day membership. Also, there is no "Terms of Service" on the payment form indicating that the 3 day trail would be become an automatic 30 day membership, to Megadownload, upon the end of the 3 day trail period.

As well - upon receipt of User ID and Password, for use on FileFortune, there is no indication that someone has signed up for anything other than FileFortune . . . and that the User ID and Password are for use on FileFortune . . . with no indication they are usable anywhere else. Nor is there any link to an additional "Terms of Service" that someone is subject to. Here is copy of the email receipt info rec'd -
------------------------------------------------
"Dear Member,

Thanks for joining FileFortune. Below are your account login details:

Member ID: (removed by author)
Password: (removed by author)

Login with your Member ID and Password at: http://www.filefortune.com

Kind Regards,

Admin | FileFortune.com"

--------------------------------------------------

Therefore, I gave no authorization for a 30 day membership to Megadownload Pass nor did I agree to any 30 day membership to Megadownload Pass . . . nor did I authorize the other two memberships that your company has billed me for.

Thus, the amount to be refunded to me remains $92.25 . . . and that is what I expect to receive and refunded to me.

Thank You

Respond to this report!
What's this?

#5 Author of original report

Further Response from Billingsquad - showing fraud activity

AUTHOR: Redbeardvet - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, January 16, 2009

Rec'd from "billingsquad" -

"Hi Redbeardvet,
I have checked your information in our system, and found that you have 3 accounts with us as you can see listed.

All Accounts
Memberid User Site
110391979816 redbeardvet bookmark
110391914345 redbeardvet Discount Video Pass
110390669176 redbeardvet mega download pass

The reason you have multiple accounts is that you accepted a bonus offer for access to other sites when you initially signed up, as stated on the signup form.

You can also check our terms and conditions at http://www.customersupporthelp.com/index.php?detail=terms

As per your membership agreement if your account is not cancelled within the time purchased, your account will rebill for a further 30 days, and will continue to rebill until said account has been cancelled.

These accounts have already been cancelled.

For further account information and tools, please visit our support site : http://www.customersupporthelp.com

Thank You,
Darren
________
Customer Support Representative
If you need further assistance please reply to this message"

Response to them - detailing fraud activity -

" Hello Darren:

Thank you for the information that you've provided, however it is incorrect.

On 9 Jan 09 I signed up for FileFortune . . . from that site is the following info concerning whatever Megadownload pass happens to be -

"To create an account, you will need to signup for a 3-day trial with our payment processor (Mega Download Pass) by clicking the checkout button below. This special offer $4.87 payment (usually a 3-day trial) will grant you lifetime unlimited download access to FileFortune.

$4.87 Unlimited Lifetime Access Special Offer"

Notice from the FileFortune site the above it indicates "Unlimited Access Special Offer" for "FileFortune" in return to agreeing to a 3 day trial pass to Megadownload.

Also note - that at the FileFortune site there is no indication of any automatic renewal to Megadownload pass nor any information to a "Terms of Service" that any automatic renewal would take place.

As well note that on the payment form there is two choices that a person can choose from: either a trial for $4.87 or a 30 day membership for $39.73. With no indication that at the end of the 3 day trail period someone would then be billed for a 30 day membership. Also, there is no "Terms of Service" on the payment form indicating that the 3 day trail would be become an automatic 30 day membership, to Megadownload, upon the end of the 3 day trail period.

As well - upon receipt of User ID and Password, for use on FileFortune, there is no indication that someone has signed up for anything other than FileFortune . . . and that the User ID and Password are for use on FileFortune . . . with no indication they are usable anywhere else. Nor is there any link to an additional "Terms of Service" that someone is subject to. Here is copy of the email receipt info rec'd -
------------------------------------------------
"Dear Member,

Thanks for joining FileFortune. Below are your account login details:

Member ID: (removed by author)
Password: (removed by author)

Login with your Member ID and Password at: http://www.filefortune.com

Kind Regards,

Admin | FileFortune.com"

--------------------------------------------------

Therefore, I gave no authorization for a 30 day membership to Megadownload Pass nor did I agree to any 30 day membership to Megadownload Pass . . . nor did I authorize the other two memberships that your company has billed me for.

Thus, the amount to be refunded to me remains $92.25 . . . and that is what I expect to receive and refunded to me.

Thank You

Respond to this report!
What's this?

#4 Author of original report

Response from"Billingsquad"

AUTHOR: Redbeardvet - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, January 16, 2009

This is the response from the email address of -

support@customersupporthelp.com

"Hi redbeardvet,
This account has been cancelled and will not rebill again. However this account rebilled before the account could be cancelled. I have requested a refund for you; you should see the credit in 7 to 10 working days.

Thank You,
Vanessa "

My response:

" The only account that I signed up for was for FileFortune . . . it was a discounted fee of $4.87 for a lifetime membership, with no additional charges/rebilling fees to be billed to me by either FileFortune or Billingsquad.

Quoted from the front page of FileFortune.com -

http://www.filefortune.com/

"To celebrate our launch we are offering unlimited download access for a ONE TIME lifetime fee of just $4.87!... That's all you will ever have to pay for our unbeatable service. This special offer is only for a limited time. Take the FileFortune tour today for more information!"

There was no other account that would have caused any rebilling charge with your company . . . let alone an additional 12 separate charges for a total of $92.25.

The total owed to me is $92.25 and that is what I expect to receive in the refund that you have requested on my behalf.

In fact - I signed up for FileFortune on 9 Jan 09 for the "one time" fee of $4.87 . . . and it was on 14 Jan 09 that my bank and myself found that an additional $92.25 had been erroneously billed to me. That is the amount I expect to receive back.

Thank you for your assistance in this matter."

It remains to be seen if I will receive anything back . . .

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#3 Author of original report

Ref: Cancelling of Card

AUTHOR: Redbeardvet - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, January 16, 2009

Yes, that is the first step in "preventing further unauthorized billing" . . . please note from my original filed report that the credit card was cancelled as soon as found unauthorized billing was taking place on the card. But cancelling doesn't get your money back.

From talking with my bank . . . I think the better alternative for folks, in purchasing on the internet, is perhaps the use of Visa/Mastercard Gift Cards. They are purchased in the amount that one needs for a transaction, from your local bank . . . and then burn the few dollars left at the local grocery/clothing/discount store.

Granted, there is about a $5.00 fee for the card . . . but paying that fee is a lot better than finding out the hard way there are what could be several hundred dollars in unauthorized charges . . . that then one has to deal with all the paperwork/time/hassle because of the thiefs using the internet to defraud folks.

I also think it is better to pay the small fee for such a card . . . as dependent on your bank regulations and/or card regulations . . . it is a smaller amount that one is responsible for concerning the unauthorized billing.

In my case - responsible for the first $50 dollars of the total amount of unauthorized billing . . . only on fraud billings of $10.00 or more can a challenge be made . . . and dependent on the bank one could be charged overdraft fees, if the fraud billing causes someone to go into their overdraft protection (many banks now charge a fee for each transaction using that overdraft protection).

Had my bank not worked with me, that would have been about 8 separate $30.00 fees, for a total of $240.00 plus on top of what FileFortune and Billingsquad has defrauded me of, in the space of 2 1/2 days.

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#2 Consumer Comment

cancell the card

AUTHOR: Steph - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, January 16, 2009

call your bank and report the card lost then they will cancell it and reissue you a new 1 with new #s

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#1 Author of original report

"FileFortune" and "Billingsquad" - attempts to recover unauthorized billing

AUTHOR: Redbeardvet - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, January 15, 2009

FileFortune has provided the following email response in this matter -

support@filefortune.com wrote:

"Dear Member,

To cancel your paid subscription(s) please go here:
http://www.customersupporthelp.com/index.php?detail=contact

There you will see a contact form where you can enter your email address, member id, and various other details, and select 'Cancellations' as the Subject. This will ensure you have cancelled all of your active subscriptions.

If you still have trouble cancelling you can contact their customer support via email.

I hope this solves the problem,

Kind Regards,

Support | WarezAccess.com"

Response to them was:

"Thank you for contacting me back . . . in the effort to recover the unauthorized billed amount of $92.25, billed to me by your billing company of "billingsquad". For the record I have no other subscriptions . . . I only signed up for FileFortune, for the discounted price of $4.87, and that is all that I authorized.

It would be my impression, as a former business person (am now retired), that your company would be interested in maintaining a respected image - from product delivered through the completion of the billing process for the product . . . in the light that satisfied customers bring more customers.

Any further assistance, such as making contact with your billing company to resolve this matter, would be appreciated and that assistance will be publically acknowledged.

Thank You"

Following their instructions the following was sent to "billingsquad", through the link provided by "FileFortune":

"Redbeardvet
redbeardvet@(removed by author)
(account # removed by author)
(password removed by author)
FileFortune
(ID removed by author)
Cancellations

I want my money back!!

I only authorized the $4.87 discounted membership for "FileFortune" membership, I did not authorize any further charges by File Fortune or the billing company "billingsquad" . . .billingsquad having charged me an additional unauthorized amount of $92.25.

http://www.ripoffreport.com/searchresults.asp?q5=filefortune&Search=Search&q1=ALL&q4=&q6=&q3=&q2=&q7=&searchtype=0&submit2=Search%21

http://www.ripoffreport.com/searchresults.asp?q1=ALL&q2=&q3=&q4=&q5=&q7=&q6=billingsquad&searchtype=0

This unauthorized billing has also been reported to "Whois", "ICANN", and reported to my bank who has reported the unauthorized billing to the "Mastercard" corporation.

Upon receiving back the unauthorized billed amount of $92.25 I will file addendum reports that the matter has been resolved.

Thank You

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