@imnotbob: Check with your bank to see if they offer this service. My credit card offers a downloadable app to generate a new number each time I make an online purchase. Very handy. I'm sure others do, as well.

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barb95

@subtlefrog: I love my Discover card for this reason.

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Riff Raff

@imnotbob:

Sadly, only Discover, some low-life banks (Citi, BOA), and some foreign banks offer this. I have to trade-off between better rewards on my Visa, and more security on my Discover.

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binaryspiral

@Riff-Raff: my credit union offers me this service on my Visa debit and credit cards they provide.

Very handy for crap like this - but not handy enough when I'm ordering a stupid pizza and don't want to spend another 2 minutes generating a one-shot credit card number.

Why would a business even consider supporting this type of advertising?!

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bonzombiekitty

@imnotbob: Account numbers that are issued by credit/debit cards that are single use. They charge to your normal account, but can only be used once.

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BeyondtheTech

If you have a PayPal card, they also have a virtual credit card setup where you can use the numbers they generate to be used only once or only from one particular vendor. Very useful stuff.

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YouDidWhatNow?

@BeyondtheTech:

Every time you use PayPal, God kills a kitten. Please, think of the kittens.

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r386

@imnotbob:
one time use numbers that can be generated by some credit cards so re-occuring charges can't be made

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gollerpr

I've never hit yes to those thinbgs and I've STILL been signed up a couple of times. I've had all reversed, but where's my compensation for time and energy spent on the phone and sifting through records to prove I DIDN'T ask for the service????

2 replies

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TouchMyMonkey

@gollerpr: Sometimes it's really hard to avoid. I got pinged once as a result of a purchase I made at buy.com. Needless to say, I don't patronize them anymore.

You call the 800 number from your credit card statement, and they cheerfully refund your money, probably to keep the state Attorney General from taking an interest. Plenty of people don't read their statements very carefully, and that's what Webloyalty and others like them are counting on.

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TouchMyMonkey

@HurtsSoGood: J.C. Penney is another big offender. I clicked the \"Sure, sign me up\" button instead of the \"Go fuck yourself\" button by mistake, but I caught it right away, called the loyalty company, and pre-emptively canceled.

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oblivious87

Maybe I'm smarter then the average internet user, but I knew clicking \"yes\" to those would sign you up for a monthly fee sort of service. Seriously, I don't see the issue here since its pretty obvious that you'll be signed up for a recurring fee even before clicking \"yes\" in the first place!

6 replies

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IfThenElvis

@oblivious87:
\"Maybe I'm smarter then the average internet user, but I knew clicking \"yes\" to those would sign you up for a monthly fee sort of service. Seriously, I don't see the issue here since its pretty obvious that you'll be signed up for a recurring fee even before clicking \"yes\" in the first place!\"

Webloyalty/WLI*RESERVATIONREWARDS is sneaky & not obvious. I ran into them when buying a domain name from dotster.com

After purchasing a domain from Dotster they provided a link to a $15 coupon good on future Dotster purchases. To obtain the coupon I had to go to reservationrewards.com. I visited the site to get info and never signed up or gave them my credit card number. Later I noticed a $10.53 charge on my credit card from reservationrewards.com. I called RR and the #1 option on their phone system is \"cancel my membership\". I pressed 3 to speak to an operator who cancelled the subscription and put thru a refund with no questions asked. It must happen a lot. The operator said that by inputting my email address on their site (to get info on my coupon) I had authorized Dotster to give reservationrewards my credit card number. Very sneaky.

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mac-phisto

@oblivious87: these companies rarely provide the services that get you to sign up in the first place. i've dealt with more than a few individuals who thought these were legitimate programs that offered buyers' discounts, but they never received any such service. my favorite was an individual who completed a short survey (\"click the boxes next to the hobbies that interest you\" sort of thing) & was subsequently billed $12.95 for each category that was clicked.

all these companies are doing is siphoning money off of people - how can you not see that as an issue?

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YouDidWhatNow?

@oblivious87:

I am absolutely certain that the vast majority of people on this planet lack your basic reasoning skills.

Hence, the list of companies at the top of this page.

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BeyondtheTech

@oblivious87: What really gets me is the fact that it passes the credit card information on from one site to another. That should really be spelled out in bold letters, or not even permitted at all.

If anything, any company that has an agreement with WebLoyalty should be considered an accessory to this scam. How securely (if at all) are they transmitting the financial information from one website to another?

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HogwartsAlum

@BeyondtheTech: Yeah, really. We're all trained also to look for security checks like https and encryption and all that. I expect them to pass on my email if I haven't opted out, but not my card info. That's just plain theft.

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kateblack

@BeyondtheTech: This.

Years ago, I signed up for this or something like it via Orbitz.com. After I completed my online car rental with them, they offered me a $20 giftcard for gasoline if I signed up with their affiliate. Signup had a free 30-day trial period and as long as you canceled before then, your card would not be charged. I read the fine print, and it seemed worthwhile. They never sent the gift card. I canceled. They billed my card anyway. I had to do a chargeback.

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Radi0logy

Does anyone see the irony of Senator Rockefeller protecting our consumer rights?

3 replies

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PsiCop

@Radi0logy: I hadn't, until you mentioned it. Nice catch!

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johnfrombrooklyn

@Radi0logy: I don't.

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Smashville

@johnfrombrooklyn: [en.wikipedia.org]

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TCinIowa

Classmates.com is associated with something sleazy? Say it isn't so!

3 replies

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YouDidWhatNow?

@TCinIowa:

Well, all the skanky hos you went to school with were already there anyway...

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Tambar

@TCinIowa: Classmates exhorts me to pay to read guestbook entries my classmates have left; it's a fake name no one could possibly have gone to school w/ & surely no one real is signing this fake name's guestbook. Did *you* go to school w/ Medulla Oblongata?? Or is it possible Classmates is LYING??

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gStein_*|bringing starpipe back|*

@Tambar: i signed up for their free service shortly after graduating high school in 2005... signed up for facebook in spring of freshman year (2006). finally got rid of classmates.com email announcements... TBA

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Mecharine

I didn't realize so many main stream companies were pulling this crap. It just reinforces the notion that all companies are out to screw their customers. Pizza Hut, seriously?

3 replies

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mac-phisto

@Mecharine: to be perfectly honest, i think in many cases it was legitimately just a bad business decision. if you visit webloyalty's site, they present themselves as consultants who increase shopper loyalty & provide essential data on customer buying patterns. all this while providing a residual revenue stream. that's enough to make any company's marketing executives drool a bit.

obviously, some VP wasn't doing his due dilligence, b/c a simple google search exposes these companies as fraudsters & shows that customers are more than willing to hold the partnership against the company that exposed them to the fraud.

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Rectilinear Propagation

@Mecharine: Oh yes, indeed!

If you order online with them a page pops up after you send your order. It starts off saying that it's loading a deal for you. It then says it failed to load the main deal but to try these others instead. It's a bunch of discounts/ads for other businesses.

You'll also get e-mail about how ordering pizza can get you free MP3s.

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neost

@Rectilinear Propagation: I quit ordering from Pizza Hut for that very reason, sent them an email explaining how annoying that talking frickin' ad is and how bush league I think it is that they even do that. Never even got a response.

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EricaJoy

@neost: I got a response from Pizza Hut when I asked them about it 2 months ago, but you aren't going to like it.

They say \"The Web Loyalty program provides value to customers at a time when they need it most.\"

I wrote about it here: [www.ericabaker.com]

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morkus

It is for this reason that when I set up computers for friends and family, one of the first things I do is hide the Internet Explorer icon, install Firefox, and install Adblock Plus. It sucks, and I'm sorry to all of those websites who rely on ad revenue to keep going, but things like this just make it necessary.

There is too much scammy crap getting onto computers through ad networks to try to pretend that ad-blocking software isn't a first line of defense at this point.

5 replies

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all4jcvette

Tiger Direct is just a scam company as well. Buy.com used to be a great company, right up there with Newegg, but the last several years it as become a freakin scam company as well.

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mac-phisto

@morkus: have you noticed that some sites are starting to detect adblock & require you to disable it before proceeding to the site? i just stumbled upon a few of these sites this month. not a healthy precedent, imo.

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DangerMouth

@mac-phisto: Oh, no, they should NOT even try to go there.

I understand why ad revenues are neccessary to websites (at least non 'commercial' ones that don't actually have a product to sell), but you can't make me read them. I'm trying to think of a real world conterpart to this, and all I can come up with is making those damn perfume inserts out of kevlar so they can't be ripped out.

However, I'm a believer in whatever technology can do, technology can undo, so if that practice becomes widespread, someone will create a 'better' adblock, causeing the marketer to create a 'better ad' and so on.

Eventually we will reach a point where we'll need to update our apps and plugins every 15 seconds.

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remington870_20ga

@morkus: I do the exact same thing because if I dont I get the phone call \"I think the computer has a virus or something\".

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all4jcvette

Or you can do what I do, and Install Kaspersky Internet Security 2010. Works with all the browsers. @remington870_20ga: @morkus:

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Smashville

Having used VistaPrint once...this doesn't surprise me. You go through about 20 screens of upsell before it finally lets you get to your basket.

4 replies

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sgtcody

@Smshvll_s flng dsmvld: I got nailed at VistaPrint. I never could get them to stop the charges so I had my bank handle it for me. I got half of the money back.

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HogwartsAlum

@Smashville_Flippin the Bird Before Bud Adams: Thanks for the warning. I was going to go there for something.

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Smashville

@HogwartsAlum: I will say the product is good, but it may be about the most annoying checkout process ever.

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DinnerBelle

@HogwartsAlum: Eh, I just recieved my order from VistaPrint and if you don't mind clicking through the upsells, the product is a pretty great quality for the price.

But the upsells are annoying and pretty aggressive.

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jpdanzig

Good for consumerist to list all the sites that allow these parasites to prey on their customers!

And a word to these websites: we consumers will hold YOU equally accountable for these bullsh*t discount deals.

I will not patronize a web store that enables -- in fact, profits from -- this kind of abuse.

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czetie

I'm not surprised to see Gevalia on there. I've been getting spam from them for years, most of it via sleazy outsourced \"marketing\" firms using obscured/falsified headers and hosts registered in eastern Europe. Gevalia always claims that it's not their fault, it's a rogue outsourcer... even though the same sleazebag keeps showing up using different disposable domains.

2 replies

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pot_roast

@czetie: I knew someone that was working for one of those alleged 'rogue outsourcers' - it was Moxio or BonusBonez, the same people from freeflixtix.com and originally crushlink.com - now they are into spammy social networking with the trash site tagged.com.

They just keep going. Gevalia was writing them big fat checks to pump out the spam too.

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SacraBos

@czetie: Then they need to stop doing business with that rogue out-sourcer. They can control that.

We used to use Gevalia, but stopped after getting their spam.

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korybing

\"Most people are trained that if you're going to make a purchase online, you have to enter a credit card.\"

I'm trained to ignore all pop-ups.

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IfThenElvis

Domain registrar Dotster tricked me with this last year (thank you for your purchase- get a free domain) - and passed on my credit card number to Webloyalty. There must have been a backlash as they have since stopped that relationship.

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Loias calls you out if you can't RTFA

Seeing this list, I'm extremely dismayed. It seems all of corporate America simply wants to screw us over.

1 replies

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goober

@Loias: And here, I thought that they just wanted to help us out at their own detriment! My eyes have been opened. ;)

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nucwin83

This is why I don't order pizza from \"The Hut\" anymore. I got tired of giving them money only to get slapped by an annoying TALKING advertisement.

2 replies

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remington870_20ga

@nucwin83: Their 'online ordering' is ten times more a pain in the ass than just calling them. That goes for other chains as well.

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Smashville

@remington870_20ga: What sucks is that a lot of them are starting to offer online only specials...

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AustinTXProgrammer

I have a question... Does Webloyalty provide a service that anyone would find valuable? They seem like they just take money, but I would like to think they at least attempt to provide a worthless service for the money instead of no service.

2 replies

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shawnr3150

@AustinTXProgrammer: yes they do. im a member of 2 of their sites, complete savings, and shopper discounts and rewards. every month im paying $24 to be a member ($12 each) but i make $20 (10 each) a month just for making a purchase anywhere online from their monthly bonus, save $40 ($20 each) on discounted gift cards every month. with shopper discounts and rewards i get 10%-20% cashback from alot of sites, newegg and ebay both get 10% compared to free services which give 1-3%. and with complete savings they have a point program that you can earn points for being a member, buying discounted movie tickets and printing coupons (some of the coupon printers are crap that you have to download but i ignore those ones) which i make atleast $6.50 a month from. so i pay $24 and get $65-$70 plus any cashback from shopping.

basically its a good deal if you know what your doing. The way they trick people into joining is bad, but the fees are in the fine print and if u fall for that crap have fun with your free xbox 360 from [www.xbox3604free.com]

btw, i have always received my checks from them, anyone who hasnt probably didnt follow instructions to get it

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paladin732

@AustinTXProgrammer: Yes they do. I use two of the webloyalty sites and make a killing off them monthly, you just need to know what you are doing

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TouchMyMonkey

Needless to say, any company that pulls this crap on me goes on my \"dead to me\" shitlist.

My \"dead to me\" shitlist:
buy.com
J.C. Penney

1 replies

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holytrainwreck

@HurtsSoGood: All of corporate America is eventually going to wind up on your shitlist. Then you can move to Tahiti and live in the bush, I guess.

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SacraBos

Doesn't this violate their Merchant Agreement? Are they ever allowed to pass on your CC information to a third party?

Here's what I would suggest: Never call Webloyalty to get a refund. Always call your CC company and issue a fraud complaint. This will stop quickly after that. If you call Webloyalty, who quickly refund your money, it keeps them off the radar screens of all merchant processors, State AG offices, FTC, etc.

1 replies

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binaryspiral

@SacraBos: good idea!

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hi

Come on guys... this is all just a conspiracy theory. You tin foil hat wearers.

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BrazDane

\"Millions of Americans are getting hit with these mystery charges every month - we have to do all we can to protect the hard working families relying on us to look out for their wallets and well-being\"

So fix the damn health care system!

Oh, sorry, wrong discussion - but the quote fit so well.

1 replies

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Smashville

@BrazDane: Can we please not bring this into it?

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Buckus

I've only bought anything at two of those sites - Hertz and Buy.com, whom I will never Buy anything again. Buy.com has got to be one of the worst online stores, right up there with TigerDirect.

1 replies

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RedCatLinux

@Buckus: Tiger Direct arrived on my shitlist back when IBM compatible 386 machines were all the rage. Sears is right next to it, using cash registers that look like 386s built by Tiger Direct.

I've bought holiday gifts from Buy and not had a problem.

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mattarse

I would love to say I can boycott all of these but damn...I'll never remember all of them. But atleast the sites I normally use aren't listed - amazon, newegg, and betterworld.

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vastrightwing

I no longer notice ads when I'm browsing. When I buy something, I now read all the fine print and look for check boxes at every page. I must read and interpret all the text because I know the marketing department is always trying to fool me into agreeing to pay for something I do not want.

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H3ion

I was really surprised to see some of the names on the list but they very well may have thought that they were buying a mailing list which goes on all the time. Classmates doesn't surprise me. They're simply an ad factory.

\"842 people have left you messages and examined your proflie. To see them, you need to pay us for some membership.\"

\"I don't have a profile.\"

But sites like Yahoo surprise me.

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zircon

Call me stupid, but I'm having trouble deciphering the first sentence of this post:

\"88 websites, a good number pretty big name sites, that earned millions, some in excess of $10 million, as partners in the infamous Webloyalty consumer ripoff. Pizza Hut? Say it ain't so.\"

Am I missing something? I get the jist of it but it doesn't seem to make any grammatical sense. Are there missing words or something?

1 replies

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gStein_*|bringing starpipe back|*

@zircon: just worded strangely - ben tried to fit a lot of ideas into one long sentence

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gStein_*|bringing starpipe back|*

LiveNation bit not TicketMaster?

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PLATTWORX

I must be smarter than the average online shopper too. OF COURSE, it says they will charge the same credit card you just used. How do you think they get the number? Miss Cleo?

I think I have had this happen once. I was charged for a membership I didn't ask for and it took me a minute to file an online dispute and have my credit card company strike the charge.

If you don't check your CC bills and spot charges for memberships and things you did not purchase, you have too much debt and/or deserve to loose $9 a month.

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INsano

Tiger Direct? Say it ain't so!On the blacklist forever. Luckily we still have Newegg. I feel pretty good it's the only website listed that I visit.

Seriously though, Yahoo? They want to compete with Google and they're shysters of this caliber? GTFO Yahoo. You're starting to remind me of AOL you're getting so pathetic.

1 replies

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stranger than fiction

@INsano: Somebody with an avatar like that, shopping at TIGER direct? Who'da thunk? ;o)

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paladin732

Maybe im the exception but the webloyalty sites usually make me money...

For instance:

Completesavings: I forward them one recipt per month via email and get $10 back (making membership $2), then get heavily discounted movie tickets ($5/ticket), 20% off gift cards ($80 for $100 in cards), and \"points towards gift cards\" (ie, I spend 10 minutes on the site per month, and get enough for a $50 visa card every 4 months or so)

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stranger than fiction

Some named scam participants were not unexpected — classmates.com, Columbia House, Gamestop, and From You Flowers, who delivered my mother a near-dead bush one Mother's Day — but I'm pretty surprised by some companies I thought were more upscale (Gevalia, Vicky's Secret, and various airlines and hotels).

There are a lot of \"parent\" companies on this list (and a couple of \"orphaned children\" as well), obscuring names you might recognize. I'm lazy and it's late, so off the top of my head:

TigerDirect = CompUSA.com = CircuitCity.com

Cendant = so much stuff I don't know where to begin, but I think it includes at least 2 real estate brokerages, one of which is/was Century21

half.com = eBay

Choice Hotels = 10 different hotel brands

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strizis

Whenever I come across this, I don't finish my sale at the site, and go elsewhere for my purchase. Everyone need to remember to use your heads a little, and vote with your wallet.

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binaryspiral

I had the pleasure of watching WebLoyalty hit my paypal debit card weekly for three months. Too bad the card had a zero balance and was only used for large purchases I wanted to spend my paypal balance with.

I got dinged on this crap with a buy.com purchase - never bought another item from them after that. I hope the ten million is helping them recoup their losses from screwing their real customers over.

November 24, 2009 8:21 PM

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ihazakitty

As far as VistaPrint goes, there are plenty of other online print shops with comparable, if not better prices and quality, without the annoying checkout process. They don't deserve the kind of loyalty they seem to get unless you just going for the freebies. Complaints about their club scam are very easy to find with a simple search, and there are lots.

November 26, 2009 11:00 AM

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charlesbu

http://www.pizzahut.com/PrivacyPolicy.aspx

Here's an excerpt from Pizza Hut's \"Privacy Policy\":

\"In addition, from time to time, We may market certain third party services through Our Site. Should you choose to accept an offer from a third party, We will pass your relevant Personal Information, which may include your name, address, and credit/debit card number, to that third party.\"

November 26, 2009 11:58 AM

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mster9ball

i have just made 2 different purchases with vista prints and print123, and i have seen an uptick of spam e-mails, i always use a different e-mail address when ordering from new sites, in order to keep track of things like that. I also sign-up for e-mail alerts to my cc/debit card companies, when ever i make a purchase, to keep track of my spending habits.