Special Merchandise Company (SMC) ripoff scam overcharge cancellation automated response crooked dishonest Simi Valley California

Definitely a scam.

I originally signed up with them b/c it looked good - not a whole lot of money, but a lot of training and help. I wanted to sell stuff on eBay, but I didn't have the patience to try and figure everything out myself. I called the number on the TV, and they sent me a start-up kit for $40. They had a 30-day trial period during which you could cancel with no problem... or so they said.

Here's where things get sketchy. First, they tell you that your first month of training is free. But that "first month of training" is just one 15-minute phone call. That's it! After that, you get one phone call a month and they charge you for it.

They also quoted me a price of $25/month for 12 months, for a total bill of $300. When the paper bill arrived, nearly 3 weeks after I signed up for the service, the total was nearly $900!!! The actual bill was $40/month for the catalogs of merchandise, and $35 per 15-minute "training session." I hadn't been told any of this when I signed up.

Since I was still within the 30-day trial period, I called their cancellation number, and got all the relevant info. I returned the kit, and paid for delivery confirmation so I could make sure it got there. I spoke to my "training specialist" and told her I had returned the kit and cancelled my membership; she said everything was set.

Two weeks later, I receive a paper bill for the next month of membership. I chose to ignore it, thinking they simply hadn't processed the cancellation completely. About a week after that, my bank account gets charged $40 without my authorization.

So I call Wachovia to dispute the charge, which shows up as "AP9 Bargain Network." I figured it must have been SMC, but I played dumb, and asked her what it was. She said, "I'm not sure of the company, but I see that transaction in a lot of disputes." Given the number of customers that Wachovia has, it's pretty impressive for one customer service rep to be so familiar with this very same dispute.

So I've now cancelled my credit card, and am awaiting a follow-up from my bank. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT mess with SMC! They are crooked through and through.

Clayton
Durham, North Carolina
U.S.A.