Southstar Benefits - Global Benefits ripoff, theft, scam. Refused to refund my money after me returning their merchandise. ChamplainChamplain, New York New York

Look out for this company!

Southstar Benefits or Global Benefits as they also go under, claim to be able to get you a credit card when you have been denied credit with the credit card companies.

They call you on your cellphone and they ahave all your information that they picked up from you application somehow with legitimate credit card companies.

Personally I applied to First Bank Master card, got denied due to short credit history and the Southstar benefits people called me up. This was in November of 2003.

Southstar Benefits or Global Benefits offer you a credit card with a $5000 limit. You will receive a benefits package with traveling discounts, hotel discounts, coupons..etc. all for one time membership fee of $299.00 debited to your account.

Once you have given them all your information, they debited my account left me a fake phone 1800 number for questions I might have and then I receive a booklet in the mail, consisting of a bunch of homeprinted guides to hotels, trips, how to make money, how to get a credit card,etc......useless and NO credit card.

I called the phone number listed on the folder up, the claim for security reasons the card will be sent seperately in 2-3 weeks after you receive your benefit package.

There is a cancellation policy sheet in the package stating if you return the complete package within 15 days from when you recieved it, you are entitled to a full refund of your membership fee.
Right!

I sent it back, it cost me $23.97 to ship it.
Then I waited, called them up and they said, it will take another two weeks. This was on February 27th.

I called in March every week, they blamed it on out of checks, wrong zipcode, wrong address listed on me, processing problems, you name it.

Finally gave it one more try today, May 18th 2004, the gentleman I spoke to was unbelievably rude, yelled at me on the phone that how dare I accuse them of running a scamming company.

If I didn't want to wait another two weeks to get my refund he would be more then happy to send the package back to me and that would be the end of it.

When I mentioned that I had called about 15 times since January 2004, he yelled that it was not his problem that I hadn't received my refund, and hang up on me.

I called back and he said, mam I just spoke to you and if you want you refund, you will have to wait for another 2-3 weeks or you won't get it at all, which way to you want it?

I was fuming when I hang up and decided I had to do something about it! It's not only about the $299.00, it's the fact that these people probably sit there in an apartment and pretend to run a madeup non existing business while stealing peoples money. Yes, STEALING!

This is THEFT, pure and simple.The company doesn't excist from what I could find out.

Please let me know if you have been a victim as well?
We got to do something to stop these people!

Sincerely,

Marie
Los Angeles, California
U.S.A.