Fundamental Strategies Company rip-off! Albany New York

On October 12, 2004 I received a call from a very pleasant lady telling me that I had been approved for a MasterCard with a $2,300.00 Limit! Since I have been having a really hard time getting my credit back on track, I thought it sounds like a very good idea and solution for me!

I assumed there was going to be a catch, and to my surprise their was! They wanted $299.00 (upfront) in order for me to get this card! She told me that they worked with several banks and that I could choose who I wanted my card to be from. They told me I could choose from Watchovia Bank, Washington Mutual and several others.

I chose Watchovia bank. I was told that my interest rate would be 1.5% and that my minimum balance to pay each month would be 3% of the balance on my account. I authorized them to deduct the money from our checking account on 10-28-04 since I could choose the debit date (very big mistake). Since I am a disabled person, this is a huge amount of money too me! I was able to jugle bills and afford the $299.00 deduction that would take place on the 28th nonetheless!

She made sure I wrote her name "Julie Anders" down along with her ID #1249 along with her phone number which was 1-866-333-1593 along with my confirmation number of #12933***. She told me that my program material AND my card would arrive within 7-10 days after the debit took place! On the first of November, I left to go out of town for a month and new that my package would be here waiting for me when I arrive!

However, to my surprise, it was not! I called them and was informed that my package HAD in fact been sent and that they would de-activate that card and reissue a new one. I was told to call back in three business days and they could give me a tracking # that would be sent via United States Postal service via airmail! I waited the 3 days and called to retrieve my tracking number and was told that there was a problem with that particular batch of shipments and that they would request a R/R (remail and/or immediate refund), and this point I could still not believe that I had been defrauded (these things only happen to other people)! The shipments was resent out and I was finally given a tracking number!

It is a valid tracking number. However, the USPS was notifed by the shipper that a package would be ready for mailing on December 15th! The post office has no record of this and so I called back and was assured that they would give me an entire refund of the $299.00 that was debited from my account. In the mean time, I thought that I would beat them to the chase by going to my bank to dispute the charge!

Boy! was I mistaken, I was informed by my bank that there was nothing that I could do, since it was submitted like an actual check! Had it been put on my check/debit/credit card, they could have refunded my money immediately! At this point I am still following up on leads to get my money back! I am sure that it won't be anytime soon, but I am hoping that one day, I WILL be able to get my money back! I dont see how, as consumers, that we have no recourse with our bank to dispute this kind of fraudulent activity!

Michael
Purvis, Mississippi
U.S.A.