With so many transactions happening on the internet, it has become increasingly important to pay attention when buying, to track your purchases, and to monitor your credit card bills, debit card transactions, etc.
There are so many scams going on out there that I wouldn’t bother to write about any particular one, except that this one is by a well-known company that friends of mine have used, and that I was going to use, but, fortunately, had not got around to.
You will occasionally see ads on the web, or in your junk mail box, offering free business cards.
At the site below you can read over 200 posts from people who have had bad experiences over the past 18 months.
http://www.thegeneva.com/vistaprint-scamvprewards-scam-warning/#comment-17802
If you want to research it further, you can just google ‘Vistaprint scam’. There are dozens of sites talking about it. Most make reference to 9.95 UK pounds (about $20) per month coming off their debit or credit cards. Some hadn’t noticed it for a year or more.
Final note – just because you don’t use Vistaprint, doesn’t mean you are safe: there are a million other scam sites out there. Know who you are dealing with, read everything carefully, especially watching for little boxes that should be checked – or unchecked – and read your credit & debit card statements carefully.
Some people have a separate card just for internet purchases. This makes it easier to cancel the card if you have trouble stopping a charge you don’t want.
Bob
Thanks for the heads up on this one. Even if a website appears to be ethical care must be taken.
One website I like to visit tells of up to date goings on in the Fraud, Phishing and Financial Misdeeds world is called just that.
http://fraudwar.blogspot.com/
Worth a visit every so often to remind one to be careful.
I know that there can be problems, but if you are safe, i try to use paypal if at all possible because they have easier guarantees than credit cards and i’ve never had a problem with paypal and i buy many books online. but thanks for the heads up, this site is interesting and there are a lot of crazy stories.
I use Vista print quite often for for return address labels and was not aware that they are a bad company to deal with. I haven’t checked my statements for any irregularities because I just assumed they are a reliable trustworthy business. I get the offer emails each week so does that mean I also get charged for the privilege of receiving the offers.
Just read the post by Khaled. YES, Vista Print is shady! I bought business cards from them thinking it was a one time purchase. Little did I know…they tried to charge me each month thereafter! I would avoid them if at all possible! It really is too bad…I was very happy with the cards they did for me…but will NEVER do business with them again.
Using Vistaprint could very likely lead to you being signed up to FAKE discount clubs and hundreds of dollars benig taken from you Visa/bank without your knowledge or permission.
I have a huge blog post with all the details of all of the different scamming sites Vistaprint and Adaptive Affinity run and how best to get a refund.
http://www.hubbers.com/index.php/i-got-scammed-by-vistaprint-and-adaptive-marketing-and-adaptive-affinity-ltd-and-amazon/
You can also sign this petition!
http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?stop1111&1
To Bob Lewis
I am a representative from Adaptive Affinity Ltd and Adaptive Affinity partners.
Firstly I would like to apologize for your experiences to date. It is our intention to keep our
customers central to our business model and it is important that we always offer the best services.
In response to your post I would like to state that Adaptive Affinity Ltd and
partners in no way operate in illegal, immoral or dishonest business practices. Our offerings grow
constantly and allow us to offer great deals and discounts for all our members. We remain in easy
reach of our members and encourage feedback on our services, and are confident that the majority of
our members enjoy good service and benefits.
All our services are clearly explained online and prospective members are always given the
opportunity to opt out of any of our membership programmes. Like in any business refunds are
discretionary and dependent upon the individual circumstances, but we are always committed to
offering a clear and honest service.
Adaptive Affinity operates in a consumer friendly environment and will offer help and support to all
members of our partner brands. We will offer information into our offerings and products and we will
endeavor to offer the best customer service.
You and all other readers of this post may use one of the following contact
methods;
1. Call +44 (0) 870 143 2343
2. Visit http://www.adaptiveaffinity.com/faq.html
3. Post your questions or concerns on our forum: http://www.adaptive-affinity.com.
Kind regards,
Adaptive Affinity Customer Service