Encounter with scammers

[dr_whom]

So I wanted to buy some gloves. I Googled around for a while looking for a good price on warm leather gloves and found these—good customer reviews, and only $9 plus shipping. I was a little confused as to why an outfit called "Dr. Leonard's Online Healthcare Catalog" was selling winter gloves, but, you know, lots of retailers eventually branch out from their original niches. And I was kind of nonplussed by the fact that they misspelled "Thinsulate™"—was it a typo, or a cheap knockoff that's actually called "Thinsualte"? But at $9—a quarter of the price of other comparable-seeming gloves I could find—I figured it was worth a shot. The gloves arrived pretty quickly, are labeled as (correctly spelled) "Thinsulate", and quite comfortable and warm; I couldn't be happier with them.

This past Friday I learned how Dr. Leonard's Online Healthcare Catalog manages to make money by selling $40 gloves for $9: they're scammers! The gloves and whatnot are presumably a loss-leader for their actual scheme.

I got a phone call on Friday from someone from Dr. Leonard's saying Hey, we just wanted to check up on your recent purchase from our online catalog, make sure the product you ordered was actually delivered, find out if you're satisfied with it, and so on; and I said Yes, thanks, I'm very satisfied with it. She said Great, and to thank you for being a customer, we'll be sending you some coupons for $10 off your next purchase from our catalog, and also information on our "Passport to Health" healthcare discount plan, which provides discounts at certain healthcare providers for just $29.95 a month billed to your credit card ending 6890....

I immediately said No thanks, I'm not interested in that plan. And she said, Well, okay, we understand the plan isn't for everyone; so after the free one-month trial period you just have to call us to cancel your membership.

So I said Wait a minute, you mean I have to actively opt out? You're automatically signing me up for this $29.95-a-month discount plan? And she said Well, we realize it's not for everyone.... And I said, I'm opting out right now; don't sign me up for it and don't send me the information. She said But then you won't get the five $10-off coupons, but I was okay with that.

I called back ten minutes later to say You know what, just remove my credit card number from your records altogether. And put me on your do-not-call list. ...I guess, just in case, I'd better start watching out for unexpected charges on my next credit card bill.

Looking for more information later, I found that Dr. Leonard's had been under investigation by the New Jersey division of consumer affairs as a result of "complaints from consumers, who said they were unaware that they would be enrolled in a paid membership". Dr. Leonard's paid $35,000 to settle the case.

The gloves are pretty great, though!

Comments

[kepod.livejournal.com]

Seems you handled that reasonably, then.

[pastwatcher]

Daang.