]]> It's not just for Snuggie owners—Doyle says the company is also targeting "people who bought the PedEgg and Aqua Globes watering system."At first, it looks like a rebate check, but read the fine print. It says if you endorse and cash the check, you are signing up for a marketing service called "Great Fun." Then, your credit card will be charged $149.99. That subscription will renew annually unless you cancel it with Great Fun.
Remember to never, never cash a check from an unknown entity. If it's not part of an advance-fee fraud scheme, it's probably bait to get you to sign up for something worthless like Great Fun.
"Consumer Alert: Snuggie Check Rip-Off" [WUSA9]
(Photo: iluvrhinestones)
Of course they do.. why would they give away free anything to another company?
Same with Buy.com, Papa John's pizza, etc having those stupid offers before you finalize your oder
The customer service guy I called started a scripted pitch as I tried to close it. As he babbled I got flustered and said, "Just cancel the g*d d*amn thing."
"You don't have to swear at me sir."
"Well, stop giving me the hard sell!" And then the service was closed and my money refunded.
These guys and Household Bank are a couple of things in my archive of things to avoid at all costs.
]]>I hesitate to say they're safe, of course, but my experience with it wasn't damaging so far.
]]>@ultimatecardsfan: Wells Fargo a few years back offered us $25 to sign up for a trial of something like Great Fun. It was called something else. I think it was Vacation Zone Partners or something like that. I called and cancelled, but they billed my account $100 three weeks later. I called up to complain. They said that I cancelled the Vacation Zone Partners membership, but as a 'favor to me', they transferred my membership to one of their sister companies so I wouldn't miss out on the savings! They then told me I had to tell them during the phone call that I wanted to cancel my membership and then list all of their sister companies that I don't want my membership transferred to. And no, there wasn't a list I could look up to find out. I finally had to get with WF and cancel that bank account number to stop the billing.
]]>They've been doing that for ages.
]]>I never get these from Discover, but I told them to remove me from all offers, convenience checks, co-marketing, etc. Once you do that, they honor that request. [Make sure you tell them you opt-out from all categories of marketing and promotion - there are often multiple opt-outs you have to do.]
I also use the Discover "One Use" numbers that are only good at one merchant - if the merchant shares the number with another company, it will be declined. [If the "offer" is from the same company, then it will go through.]
[Using Paypal also prevents future unrequested transactions. You might get a request for payment, but they cannot just take it.]
]]>Actually there is a banking term for this, it is legal & is considered to be the same as signing and has the full effects thereof. I forget the term or phrase, it is something like "endorsement by action"?
]]>See Brady on Bank Checks: The Law of Bank Checks.
In essence, you can't preclude someone's right to endorse a bank check. So if you write "By depositing this check, you agree to subscribe to Scam Illustrated" on the back of a check, this will mean nothing. The consumer has a right to endorse the check without agreeing to anything.
Technically speaking, if someone writes you a check, that money is yours. But just to make clear: as we've seen on Consumerist, this doesn't preclude scummy companies from violating the law or trying their darnedest to do so.
]]>I asked about this once at my bank, since I deposit my cheques at the ATM and don't carry pens around with me. They explained that cheques cashed at the ATM do not require a signature.
Of course, notice how I spelled cheque and maybe it different for you.
]]>Ah, snuggie tech support. A whole new realm of terrifying possibilities.
]]>This company is awful. I really hope these scummy practices are brought to light soon and stopped.
]]>@Jeremy Shulke: I'm betting a large part of snuggie buyers are on the ironic bandwagon. But yes, if you bought one to sit on your couch (not for a bar crawl), then yes, that would be the target.
]]>FYI Trilegiant is now called Affinion. They do business with Wells Fargo, Avis, Budget, Choice hotels, and many others.
]]>Talk about a target demographic.
]]>*I realize Snuggie is not the best example of an awesome company, but still.
]]>@ultimatecardsfan: Maybe you "thought" they cancelled you on the first phone call. Keep watch and be very guarded with your accounts...
]]>Surprisingly, it worked basically as they said -- I signed up, then got the packet and junk in the mail and immediately called to cancel. It was a little bit of a hassle on the phone to cancel -- lots of "are you sure?" and "let me just rehash the benefits of being a member of Great Fun before you cancel." But they did cancel me on the first phone call.
Within a few days, my gas ExxonMobil gas cards showed up in the mail. So essentially $25 in gas cards in exchange for one 5-minute, semi-hassled phone call. I'll take it.
To be entirely honest, even though I was a "trial member" of Great Fun, and they sent me the membership packet stuff, I still have zero idea what purpose it actually serves. lol
]]>Also, if you black out the entirety of the "I authorize..." part before signing and cashing, can you sue them for fraud if they try to charge you?
]]>@SacraBos:
The money comes from the credit card you used to buy the Snuggie, not out of the account the check is cashed on. Reading comprehension folks!
]]>"I authorize Great Fun to charge the annual membership fee after my free trial. I agree to a thirty-day trail offer in Great Fun. I understand that the $149.99 annual membership fee will be charged to my credit card on file with Snuggie unless I cancel my membership by calling 1-866-709-4170 before the end of the trial period. My membership will be automatically renewed and I will also be charged every year thereafter at the then-current fee unless I call to cancel for a refund of the unused portion of the current year's fee. By cashing this check I authorize Snuggie to securely transfer my credit card information to Great Fun for enrollment, billing and benefit processing"
]]>No worse than your credit card company sending you a check for a few dollars only to realize after reading the fine print that if you cash it you are signing up for balance insurance.
]]>If only I was THAT evil.
]]>I'm thinking if you got the cheque in the first place they already have your credit card number and will be charging that.
]]>@SacraBos:
They'd still have your address and would bill you and send you to collections - not really worth the hassle for $8
]]>The bank shouldn't allow that.
]]>Maybe they would start trying to take the $149 out of the check cashing company's account... That could be all kinds of win.
]]>How are they accessing your Credit Cards through your bank account?
]]>Even worse, you're not even supposed to put agreements on the back of a check... and should you cross out such an agreement... some banks may consider the check bona fide and deposit the check anyway.
None of this will probably stop scummy company from trying to bill you or charging your credit card.
]]>