eDiets.com - unhappy with service, trouble with cancellation

# 23 for January 31, 2002

Complaints.com received the following e-message on January 30, 2002:

From: hkbailey [Email User]

eDiets.com - unhappy with service, trouble with cancellation

Several months ago, I subscribed to a diet website called, "EDiets.com" The advertisement said that after filling out the questionaires on my eating preferences, I would be e-mailed menu choices weekly.

I am not a meat lover, however, I don't have a problem with poultry and fish (altho allergic to most fresh water fish, I am able to eat tuna and salmon.......which I noted on the questionaire). I also don't mind fruits and vegetables.

There were lists of sample menus included in the advertisement.......which interested me.

After filling out the questionaire and paying my $45, (for a three month membership), I then entered the site to find out what my menu choices would be for the following week. I was dumbfounded to find that any and all of the menu items were made from tofu and soybeans!! Yum! Yum!!

This is the way the menus ran for the next 3 months!!

I contacted them before my three months were up and told them that at the end of the three months, I wanted to discontinue my membership.

Thought this would take care of it.....however......I continued to get billed on my charge card.

Again, I contacted them and said that I had called previously and cancelled my membership before the three months were up. The representative told me that it was too late and my card had already been billed the $45 and after this billing period, my card would no longer be charged.

Guess what......the following billing cycle, my card showed yet another $45 charged on my account!!

AGAIN, I called and spoke with a representative, who told me that she would remove the $45 charge and would discontinue my membership.

Next billing cycle, the $45 remained.........with no $45 credit. This meant that I was billed $90?!

Still AGAIN, I called, and this time I asked to speak with a supervisor. I told her my whole situation, and she said she would remove the $90 from my card.

Hopefully, this worked.......however, in the meantime (and since I'm not going to wait around for my next charge card bill to arrive in the mail with yet another charge on it), I reported my charge card "lost or stolen", so that no additional charges can be charged on the account.

I guess it's my own fault for falling for internet scams!! Take it from one who learned.

I'll just sign myself........AN EXPENSIVE LESSON!!