Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Reader's Digest - a scam?




Below is my complaint to Reader's Digest, (RD) based on another illegal attempt by them to charge my c/card. Lesson learnt - Never provide your credit card number for charges by filling up a form, as they can try to use the same detail and keep on charging you. If you really need to do so, use a credit card you can and are willingly ok to cancel on the spot. I learned my lesson the hard way, cause, I have easy installment payments on my card, so how do I cancel it? Below is my email which I initially faxed and then emailed to them on 18 March 2009.



re-send by email in case fax is not received:



Reader's Digest Customer Number : 030-xxxxxx


-------------------------------------


xxxx Yew,


Customer Relationship Department


P.O Box 600, Singapore Post Centre


Singapore 914020




Another UN-AUTHORIZED transaction attempt by Reader's Digest



After a long issue just resolved where Reader's Digest (RD) illegally charges my RM58.10 and reverses the charges after complains to KDNHEP and BNM and RD's apologizes,



Now RD is AGAIN trying to charge me RM58.10? This is referring to your letter dated 13/02/2009 (O/N:003 000) stating un-successful charge to my credit card, an amount of RM58.10, further requesting me to make payment.



I have NEVER authorized RD to make any charges on my c/card EXCEPT the first charge of RM89.90 which has already been charged and paid on 01/08/09. RD has also acknowledged on your letter dated 21 November 2008 signed by xxxx Yew it was RD's fault of trying to charge an additional RM58.10 on 05/09/2008,



And now RD is at it again, trying to charge my card.



Another thing : A couple of months, somehow RD sends me another Free Gift - Travel Bag. I call RD at 03-7960 1111 and request to talk to Jennifer Yew, but am told she is in Singapore. Ok, I say can I talk to someone in Customer Relationship Dept and was told they will get back to me. Till date, no one in Customer Relationship Dept has bothered to call me back. So what am I suppose to do with this Bag?



As mentioned during my calls and now again in this letter I DO NOT AUTHORIZE Reader's Digest to make ANY charges on my credit card. All attempt to charge my credit card without my specific written consent is tantamount to fraudulent charges and I will lodge reports to the respective authorities and cc the media.



Also to



RHB - Thank you for not authorizing this new unscrupulous attempt by RD. What disappoints me again though is I called RHB on 27 Feb 2009 to understand these new charges and was told RHB will get back to me but never did. My follow up call on 18 March 2009, the person told me that RHB does not have details of this charge attempt, and I requested to be contacted by someone in Retrieval & Chargeback Unit or a relevant dept but he mentioned I need to FAX a letter first to RHB. So what's the point of having a call centre?



BNM (JPB0xxxx/xxx4 Nov 2008)- Thank you for pushing RHB to investigate the additional initial charges (05/09/2008) which now have been reversed. Initially RHB was hardly bothered and did not entertain my calls nor faxes, telling me that I would need to resolve the matter with RD as it was my problem with the merchant. Interestingly RHB had somehow forgotten that I was an RHB Client till receiving a reminder from BNM.



KPDNHEP (KPDNHxxxxxx, 31/10/2008)- Thank you for pursuing and leading to a closure on the initial fraudulent charges 05/09/2008. Previously before complaining to KPDNHEP I had called Reader's Digest and faxed them multiple times but was ignored, and somehow treated as at fault and I needed to 'proof' my innocence against the charges, even though it was RD which made additional un-authorized charges. .



KPDNHEP - Again as in this letter, there is another unauthorized attempt by RD to charge my card, therefore I would like to bring the above matter to KPDNHEP's attention and hope that KPDNHEP takes stern action against irresponsible merchants.




cc:


Bank Negara Malaysia


KDNHEP


RHB - Retrieval & Chargeback Unit



1 comments:

Man Surani said...

RD's reply on 26 MArch 2009





Date: 26 March 2009



A/C No.: 0-030-xxxxxxx




Dear Mr. xxxxx



Re: Apology Letter.



With reference to your conversation with Jusri dated 26th March 2009, kindly accept our sincere apology for the inconvenience caused to your behalf resulting from payment transaction confusion for the subscription of Reader’s Digest magazine.



As per communicated via the telephone conversation, the reason for the attempted payment transaction to your credit card is because of the automated transaction generated by our system when we wrongly processed your order back in July 2008. Under the campaign that was responded by you through RHB promotion, the first payment initiated was RM89.90 follow by a subsequent payment of RM58.10. We have since rectified the order by capturing it with the correct price of only RM89.90, and you have confirmed received the refund of RM58.10 from RHB.



However, due to some unforeseen technical difficulty, the system still recorded an owing of RM58.10 which triggered it to attempt charging your credit card for that amount recently. Rest assured the issue has been rectified and there won’t be any charges to your credit card as there is no outstanding amount in your Reader’s Digest account.



Hereby, you may also keep the additional complimentary gift as it was delivered to you when we re-processed the correct magazine subscription.



We thank you for giving us an opportunity to explain the confusion and hope the explanation provided is sufficient to clear the doubt.



Thank you in advance for your understanding and please accept our sincere apology on the above unpleasant experience you had with us previously.



Thank you.




cc: Puan xxxxxx (KPDNHEP)





Best regards,



xxxxxx
Customer Care Centre

 

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