SCI*Stamps.com Charged me the $17.94 due after my 4 wk. trial period THE SAME DAY I registered. Internet

In response, I can already tell you what happened. Ive been in situations very similar to this one (except I did my homework and knew to be expecting the charge). I'd be willing to bet that the charge was an authorization charge. Its the same with any online service, look at it like reserving a hotel room....... do you call the hotel clerk and get upset when they pre-authorize your charge for your room if you book three months in advance? By doing two things you can avoid these misunderstandings, one, do your homework, understand the process of signing up for/ buying things online. and two, read all the terms of things you sign up for. the law requires they explain charges to you or the terms of those charges. If you don't understand them, don't sign up, or in a case where the company offers support, email or even call and ask. And besides, if it was a pre-authorization charge like I think it was, you need to know two things. One, most of the time, those charges are some fraction (either almost all of, or sometimes just $1.00) of the full charge and they usually don't go past pending. And two, your bank didn't give the money back to you because it was a wrong charge, they're the ones who put it through, they did it because they didn't want you to yell at their bank reps about something that you rightfully agreed to.

basically, if it wasn't legal, companies wouldn't be in around because they'd be closed down.

hope this helps you get some perspective.......or at least some understanding

Everyone on this site seems to have the same issue. It doesn't look like anyone is paying attention. I easily found all info on the site. Trial policy, billing policy, cancellation policy... it doesn't seem that people are reading when they fill out info with their credit card. I think SOME may be true fraud. Not with the company, but with the consumers credit card. In this instant it is no ones responsibility except for the credit card holder. Ask your bank or credit card Company, they would relay the same info. If you did open the account, even if you didn't use it, take responsibility for your action. They are yours, not Stamps.com. Regardless of what happened to you, I found this on their site (easily) that may be of assistance to people:

Telephone support is available Monday - Friday, 6 a.m. - 6 p.m. Pacific Time, and can be reached toll-free at 1-888-434-0055.

How does the No-Risk Trial work?
New customers are eligible for our 4 Week No-Risk Trial. Simply cancel before the trial period ends and you will not be charged. If you like the service, do nothing and your account continues automatically.

How much does it cost?
$19.99/month no hidden costs, cancel anytime.

How does my billing cycle work?
Stamps.com bills your monthly service fee at the end of your billing cycle. Your billing cycle begins as soon as you register for your Stamps.com account and ends one month after you sign up. For example, if you sign up on March 8, the first billing cycle ends April 7, and the second billing cycle begins on April 8. If you sign up on the 29th, 30th or 31st, the beginning of your second and future billing cycles will be on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, respectively. When your billing cycle ends, Stamps.com will calculate your monthly service fee based on your service plan, and charge your credit card accordingly. Refer to the Stamps.com Service Agreement for complete details.

Approved by the USPS in 1999, Stamps.com is the leading provider of Internet-based postage solutions. Stamps.com is up to 80% cheaper than a traditional postage meter and serves more than 400,000 satisfied customers. These customers have printed more than $1 billion in postage using Stamps.com.