Stamps.com

STAMPS.COM

12959 Coral Tree Place

Los Angeles, CA 90066-7020

In May, 2006, I signed up an account with Stamps.com for No Risk Trial (account number 2657502). To my surprise, my credit card statements indicate that $15.99 had been charged each month from May 2006 up until Nov 22 2006. When I called today to complain of these sneaky transactions, I was told by Thomas Durdun, Customer Floor Supervisor of Stamps.com (1-888-434-0055) that I am responsible for not realizing of these amounts charged each month and they can not do anything about this. Because of the terms of the service agreement did not clearly state these amounts deducted each months and their website having no indication of the specific amount, I demanded full refund of these amounts based on misleading business practice. They refute! d the request telling me that the 15.99 dollar amount would have appeared as I went through steps when I signed up the account initially. My major concern of this type of business practice is that the customers are under false pretense that the service fees will only be charged on their authorization of a specific amount at the time of sign up. Their web site has no clear explanation of how the No Risk Trial works and how much the subscription fee will be charged. I am very disappointed companies like Stamps.com maintain their business practice in this misleading manner, and not transparent about monthly charges nor their service fess in general on their website despite repeated BBB complaints of this similar nature over the past several years. When I asked Mr Durdun why the company website does n! ot reveal the specific amounts of different services on their welcomin g web page so that it will be more clear to future customers about the liability, I was answered that it is a “company business decision”. It is not acceptable the way they advertise their service in this manner almost creating an illusion that the trials are free and having customers like me trapped in paying for nearly six months only for two services I used since inception of the service. Apparently the company has no way of knowing how many transactions I had during the past several months but only found out the last transaction in Oct, which I find it hard to believe. The person on the line informed me that they would not issue a refund I requested as I had used their service in Oct already. It almost appears that the business is fraudulent as they do not take into account of the fact many customers are having difficulty of cancelling ! their service in time after the no risk trial period ends. Furthermore, their terms are very misleading to the fact almost giving an illusion that no subsequent monthly charges are automatically charged. Even if they do, it is extremely difficult to get hold of actual person to cancel the service. Worse still, when things need to be better addressed at senior level for example their complaint manager, I ended up staying on the line almost for hour just to get connected, and I also find their initial contact less than helpful and handling of these matters very unprofessionally. What a scam, putting the customer into the illusion the No Risk Trial exists. For me it was $ 100 dollar risk. I am presenting this ac! count of my experience dealing with Stamps.com today as I believe thei r business practice is less than fair but grossly misleading to the custmoers. The company takes no notice when I told them I was going to report to the BBB for their practice of business and indicated BBB complaints are about 400 representing only less than 1 % in comparison to their happily remaining subscription numbers (he quoted figure of 350,000). Right there you go, so many customers who are kept on their log without knowledge that their membership is even active like myself. To mediate the dispute on the charges I am contacting BBB to resolve this matter. Stay tuned for the follow up reports on this filing.

Lee

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