At the beginning of January I ordered a seat cushion from a company called
Amerimark. I got the cushion. It was fine. I'm sitting on it now. But a little over a month later I was looking at my credit card statement, and I noticed that in addition to the charge for the cushion, Amerimark had posted a second charge three weeks later for $3.99. I had no idea what the additional charge could be for. I asked my wife about it. She didn't know either. But I figured it must be postage, or something like that, so I didn't think any more about it. After all, it was only $3.99.
But today I was looking at my credit card statement online, and I noticed that Amerimark had recently posted a third charge to my account, this time for $29.99. Now I decided to call Amerimark to find out what these charges were for. I reached a customer service rep who told me I had subscribed to their
"Passport to Health" program.
Suddenly I remember. I had received a sales call from Amerimark back in mid-January trying to get me to sign up for their "Passport to Health" program. I told them I wasn't interested and thought that was the end of it. But they had my credit card information since I bought the cushion from them, so apparently they signed me up for it anyway.
The customer rep told me that the charges were in error and that he would cancel them immediately.
But after I hung up with him, I decided to google Amerimark, and I discovered I'm not the only person who has been "mistakenly" signed up for the "Passport to Health" program. They're pulling this scam on a regular basis.
"Passport to Health" appears to be a program that offers no (or very few) benefits, except the benefit of getting charged $29.99 every month (the first month is only $3.99). The really slimy part is that many of their customers are elderly people who may be less likely to look carefully at their credit card statements, so they never notice they're being charged $29.99 every month.
For instance, 800notes.com has
an entire message board full of people complaining that they were ripped off by Amerimark. One person describes how they've been "charging my 87-year old mother $29.99 a month for 'Passport To Health' that she supposedly signed up for in April '07 when they called to 'make sure her Amerimark mail order arrived safely.'"
In addition, Tom from California has
posted a report on ripoffreport.com describing how he was subscribed to the "Passport to Health" program after his wife bought a pair of shoes from Amerimark.
I didn't trust Amerimark to actually credit back what they had billed me, so I called my credit card company (Bank of America) to contest the charges. While I was on the phone with the billing dispute department, I described how Amerimark was scamming elderly people, and I urged Bank of America to do something, like stop accepting charges from Amerimark. But the service rep just gave me the run-around and didn't promise to do anything.
So I'm posting about it here to help spread the word. Hopefully if someone is considering making a purchase from Amerimark, they might come across this post and decide to shop elsewhere.
In the meantime, I'm trying to figure out who else I can report Amerimark to. The FTC? Better Business Bureau? I want to bring this company down.
Update: I checked out AmeriMark's listing on the Better Business Bureau's site. It turns out that the BBB has already received a lot complaints about them (I filed one more), and particularly about their Passport to Health program.
The BBB page about AmeriMark notes:
Many complaints processed by the BBB concern confusion over the company's membership renewal policy in the Passport to Savings program and the Passport to Health program (formerly known as Family Health Network program). Many consumers claim they are not aware that the company automatically bills their accounts for the renewal fee unless they notify them to cancel. Many of these consumers complain that they were not aware that they had been enrolled in the program. The company has responded to these complaints by canceling the membership and issuing refunds. In January 2005, the Cleveland BBB met with company representatives. The company has indicated its willingness to work to correct the cause of consumer misunderstanding concerning enrollment and cancellation of these programs.
Apparently AmeriMark's meeting with the BBB didn't have much impact on the company, because they're still working the same old scam.
Comments
Unfortunately, I was signed up on a bank account I hardly used (I had a portion of my paycheck automatically deposited there each month, and then had some bills paid automatically out of it. So it wasn't until a few months later that I noticed I was still being charged. I called them up, spoke to a supervisor, and, er, got a bit verbally abusive, demanding a full refund and accusing them of theft and fraud and some other things best not repeated. Eventually, they agreed to refund the last month's fee, but that was it.
In part, it was my fault - I should've been paying closer attention to my bank account. But still, they're clearly rip-off artists. I'm sorry to see they're ripping off other people too, but I'm glad to see you're trying to do something about it!
About 6 months later I noticed a charge of 9.99 on my credit card bill. I checked the last few months and I find out after the free 3 months they have gone back to charging me money. I called and asked for my money back. I even challenged them to listen to any recording that was done during my initial call. I ended up not getting any of my money back (about $30). But at least it got cancelled for sure this time.
I just hate these scams that target the elderly.
Also, if you can determine their bank, you can get their credit card privileges revoked if just a few people call to complain of fraud.
Ben
I mean, people should know where to draw that line. Good that you decided to expose this scam, I just stumbled your post.
Primarily AmeriMark is a catalog company. EVERY single order is recorded; this does also pertain to inquiries of and so forth. Sadly, ALL reps are REQUIRED to "pitch" any of the three memberships as they "pop up" on the screen in front of them. The three memberships are PassPort to Health 29.99 monthly, PassPort to Savings 89.99 yearly, and Sentential ID Alert 19.99 monthly.
A horribly long script is read to the customer.
It goes as follows...
"... as a thank you for placing your order with (catalog name) we would like to send you P ($100 Feel Good Store and Time for Me) in catalog coupons to use on your future orders with (catalog name). Along with a trial membership in our (PassPort to Health, PassPort to Savings, or Sentential ID Alert)." (Then a brief de
My question is how do we report it to the attorny general? I live in Colorado, but registered to vote in Texas. Which state do I use?
Just yesterday, I discovered that she had, again, fallen victim to the AmeriMark jackasses. I instructed her to call them and dispute the charges (nearly $500 since it began again).
She said they were very polite and would refund $179.94, the last six charges. We'll see if that really happens, but in the meantime, we'll be sending VISA another letter, requesting they credit the remaining $213.92 she was charged.
The number she called is 866-345-4401.
I second that motion!
http://www.ag4ohio.gov/Public/consumer.aspx?s=209
You will need to know this:
AmeriMark Direct, L.L.C.
Phone: 800-8000200
6864 Engle Road
Cleveland, Ohio, 44130
U.S.A.
I even got a call from the office. PLEASE DO IT!
However, the call began by asking me to "verify" my name and address, to which I said yes.
So they had me on tape saying yes to something, and apparently they figured that was good enough to warrant signing me up.
J. Gargano
This is the thing, just like the other reps have said; we have a set of VERY strict guidelines that we MUST follow when making the coupon/program trial offer.-Statements in quotations have to be given verbatim otherwise even if our customer wants the program, we won't send it)
We have inform the customer that the program is only free for the first '45 days from today' (the day they accept the offer) and that after that, if they don't call to cancel, their debit or credit card is billed the program price which is '$29.99 each month with an automatic renewal'.
We also inform our customers that they are welcome and ENCOURAGED to 'call and cancel the program at ANY time within those first 45 days and never be billed.'
AND we give our customers the phone number to call and cancel as well as letting them know that it IS in the information packet in several places, and that they are welcome to call and cancel as soon as the same day that their information and coupons arrive if they want to.
After we go through ALL of that information, we MUST ask the customer if it's okay to send them the passport to health 'packet/program/membership' and coupons, and we have to get a clear 'yes', 'ok', 'that's fine', etc.
AND THEN we ask the customer to verify the last four digits of the card that they used for the order to remind them which card would be used if they kept the program. After that, we remind them AGAIN that 'the account will be charged monthly unless you call to cancel'. And let the customer know when they will get their packet and what it looks like.
If we don't obey the compliance guidelines, a.k.a. give those statements in quotations verbatim, they don't send the packet out, we don't get any credit for the sale, and if it happens more than a couple of times, we get fired.
The thing is that customers DON'T LISTEN, and I understand, it's a big, long, boring pitch, but Why on Earth would you agree to something involving your charge card if you don't understand/weren't paying attention.
And in the end, if a customer forgets to cancel or doesn't remember accepting it and ends up being charged, all they have to do is call us back and let Cust.Svc know that they didn't actually WANT the program, we'll happily refund the customer for each month they were charged and cancel the program so they don't get billed again.
So yeah...It's a stupid program, not everyone can use it, and it's really expensive to continue it after the trial, but we do let our customers everything they need to know about the program, we try to MAKE SURE that they comprehend and want the program. AND in the end we refund them if they forget to cancel and actually get billed!
There's no 'rip-off' on our part here, just inattention and over-reaction on some of our customers' part.
Here it is April of 2010, the scam is still going on. The most current bill is from Amk passport to health. Their records go only as far back as April 2008 and said they will give my mother her credit. Now we are desparately trying to find the other names that was used to bill her prior to April 2008.
At this point, we are warning everyone, that please take a look at your elderly parents credit card bills to make sure these types of fraud does not occur. Also warn them to be careful regarding the catalog ompanies they make any purchases.
babbling away with the prewritten sales hustle.
Hearing loss is common amongst the elderly, another factor.
Tucked in the sales bloviation may or may not be a reference to additional monies, sales charges,or membership fees.
About two months ago when I caught on to them, I called got an instant cancellation. Of course, no offer of a refund. Funny part is that due a similar skin game by a computer company, I cancelled my credit card and was issued a new one.
Guess what I got in the mail Friday, 4/30/10 ?
An inquiry from "Passport to Health" wondering why they cannot get credit card authorization for - right, $29.99.
Sounds like a class action suit is in order. Plus a notice to the FTC (Interstate Commerce violation) plus the Consumers Affairs Dept. of the State Attorneys General.
I find it funny to read all of these posts that your poor elderly mother or father ordered from the company and got charged for years without noticing. And the "cop-outs" you write that they have hearing loss, or cannot comprehend the simple English words we are saying to them "YOU WILL BE CHARGED IF YOU DON'T CALL TO CANCEL" and we still ask consent if they want the membership. I didn't realize that was hard to understand.
Another tip is to educate your parents on how to keep records of each credit card they have and billings that occur. Check over each month and maybe they would realize they were being charged for something they don't remember buying. Then they can call the phone number listed next to the charge to ask/cancel or call the bank and they will even call us for them to have the charge removed! OR maybe don't let them use credit/debit cards if they can't handle being responsible over there financials.
Obviously the company is still in business, still offering the memberships to all of our customers. We do not ask our customers their age, if they have hearing problems, or mental issues understanding English. We have records of every conversation and we continue to be compliant with the legal regulations. If we were joining people without proper consent and so many of you contact your Attorney General with the same complaints I don't think we would be in business anymore.
The bum pitch you make would make a carnival Barker blush. Either your knowledge of those bothersome people, "the elderly" is non-existant, or you're awash in the smug idea that you know what the hell your talking about. Ergo , you post but another banal cop-out.
Our bout with your beloved Amerimark didn't come from a phone call. My wife ordered two blouses from the catalog of one of the myriad faux- companies of the aformentioned. Period !
Any company that valued it's customers would have long ago avoided the phantom benefits alleged under the sucker trap you defend.
The only reason Amerimark is still in busines is that it hasn't pissed off the right person... yet.
Someone with the time and money to back it all into a federal court (Interstate Commerce).
I remembered her telling me about something free from a catalog she ordered from. I thought "Oh S*it" because of the number of these companies that prey on the elderly.
You guessed it, I found the charge on her card and tracked it down and cancelled it.
It was the $3.99 so I caught it early.
I don't dispute the fact that we're owned by a company whose purpose is to make a profit...Isn't that the purpose of a company?
All of you seem to be missing the point when we say 'IF YOU FORGET TO CANCEL, CALL US AND WE'LL REFUND YOU WHAT'S BEEN BILLED'.
I'll say it again, we have to tell every customer several times that they 'WILL BE BILLED $29.99 EVERY MONTH WITH AN AUTOMATIC RENEWAL UNLESS YOU CALL TO CANCEL"! We give them the number to cancel and include it in the cover letter of the packet. We MUST verify with the customers if it is "OK TO SEND THE PASSPORT TO HEALTH PACKET AND THE COUPONS?" and we must get a "Yes" from the customer.
There is nothing wrong with what Amerimark does with this program, you all need to pay attention to what's being said or just say no and for God's sake, review your CC statement every month; THAT'S WHY THEY SEND THEM!
Other than bringing them down..if you haven't already posted something to amazon..you might want to do that. Although you may not be able to bring them down..on the flip side..you can still help those like myself from taking the plunge! 😊
Thanks again!
BobNTara