Robert2533

If you have booked a hotel, flight, or purchased just about anything on line, you need to be aware of a marketing company called Web Loyalty, AKA Reservations Rewards.com.

I recently discovered a $10 charge on my CC after booking a flight on US Airways this past September, which has turned out to be part of a scam has been going on since at least 2004. The charge was listed as a purchase and adjustment, which I though had something to do with the purchase of the ticket. When the identical charge reappeared on the latest CC bill, I called the 800 number listed (of course the office is closed for the holidays), checked their web site (no contact information available except for an email listing and the same 800 number) and searched the internet domain records only to discover that their contact information is blocked by the web hosting service in Vancouver, B.C. An Internet check of the 800 number produced a host of complaints and in a recent posting, a lawsuit filed in federal court in Boston alleging consumer fraud.

In some cases, people claim that some on-line booking services are selling your credit card information to the marking company. The list is long and includes Amazon.com, Orbitz.com, Priceline.com, ONETRAVEL.com, 1-800-flowers.com, Ebay.com, Fandango.com, hotels.com, Choicehotels.com, jcrew.com, tigerdirect.com and 123inkjets.com among others.

http://adam.rosi-kessel.org/weblog/t...alty_sued.html
http://www.ahoyhoy.org/wordpress/index.php?p=577
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff146670.htm
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=480496
http://www.complaints.com/directory/...ember/6/28.htm
http://wlireservationrewardssucks.blogspot.com/
http://boycottwebloyaltypartners.blogspot.com/

One of the interesting things about this company is that they also advertise on Google!

September 12, 2006
BOSTON --A lawsuit filed in federal court in Boston alleges that the marketing services company Webloyalty.com charged unwitting customers of major online retailers for memberships in a discount program that had no real benefits.

The suit, filed on Monday by the San Diego-based law firm of Lerach Coughlin, alleges that Norwalk, Conn.-based Webloyalty.com used a popup window offering discount coupons on future purchases to collect credit card information from companies whose consumers entered their e-mail addresses for the coupons.

E-mails that informed consumers that they would have to cancel the program within 30 days if they wanted to avoid a monthly charge were usually ignored as spam, or shut out by spam blockers, the suit alleges.

Webloyalty billed the consumers for monthly membership fees of $9 or $10 for which they got no benefit, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit claims Webloyalty kept the fees and paid its retailer clients a fee for each customer who "signed up" for the discount membership.

ira

Thanks for the heads up, R.

NeoPatrick

Just what we needed -- yet another thing to look out for. Is there no end to what the crooks will do?
Thanks for the heads up.

unaS

Important info. Thanks for letting us know.

Carrybean

What is the name that appears on the CC bill? Reservationsrewards.com?

Dukey

OK..I'm dense but your post says nothing about whether or not there was any connection between USAirways/the USAirways site/the company under discussion.

Are you saying that USAirways sold your information to this company?

Woody

Wow! Thanks for the warning.

Woody

Robert2533

Regarding US Airways, and other airline booking sites, we haven been able to track down exactly when the incident occurred, but it appears on my US Airways BofA CC for the first time in the November billing, which I mistook as an adjustment to the price paid for one of the two tickets purchased in late September. If you read some of the reports, you will see that they specifically refer to conversations with US Airways.

Yes, the name on the CC bill is Reservationsrewards.com, but since it was only a $10 charge it didn't catch my attention until I reviewed the account on-line after the second posting of the $10 charge. We then cancelled the account and filed a complaint and demanded a back-charge which is now in the works.

WillTravel

I've seen this on the Priceline site. When you have done your bid, you are presented with the "opportunity" to click a link and automatically sign up for ReservationRewards. It's apparently easy to sign up (one click) without intending to do so, and I've read a number of complaints about it. It appears the credit card info is transferred automatically.

Christina

I don't know that this is a scam, exactly, it's people signing up for something and then ignoring or deleting the emails about it (according to that article). I agree it's a bad way to influence customers, and I don't like any company that signs you up for something and then later you get info that you are charged unless you decline. A lot of companies used to do that for purchases (I'm going way back), but it was declared illegal (I remember the old record companies that used to do this -- automatically enroll you in something unless you declined, and now you must deliberately opt in or something).

I see those reservation rewards things on a lot of web sites I use, but I never click on them because I know you are going to be harrassed and bothered and -- nothing in life is free, and my time isn't worth selling, which is what these places do. I think the original post is misleading as those websites are not selling your information to people, it sounds like you may have that popup on those sites and if you select it, you can get trouble. I know that I have been a customer of amazon.com for a million years and have never once been charged anything from another company because Amazon sold my credit card info to someone. I think that is obviously illegal.

Surfergirl

Well, my husband got suckered into accidently hitting accept for one of those rewards things when he was using Amazon.com -- and I check our monthly bills. The first time I saw the rewards.com or something like that, I asked my husband about the charge, and he thought it was for some computer piece he'd ordered. But then a couple of months later, I noticed it again. So I finally called up the company and was informed (at least I got someone) that my husband had clicked on something and so he was paying for this monthly. When I asked what we received, I was told "discounts". Discounts for WHAT? The person didn't know! I canceled it immediately and asked that they go back 5 months. They refused until I sought a supervisor and threatened to sue them. Then it was agreed that they would take it off. Then I called our credit card company to report it and was told that, actually, that bogus charge had been added for nearly a year. The credit card company took care of the rest of it.

Of course, this stuff always happens to my husband. He got suckered into the Best Buy "ya wanna free magazine?!?" thinking they were going to pop a free magazine in his bag with his purchase.

And ticketmaster also has the click here for rewards.com every time you buy a ticket -- you think you are simply saying Yes for them to bill your credit card for the ticket you just bought.

samuell

I have been charged US$9.00 whenever I used priceline to book a hotel, sometimes two charges, because it's only nine bucks, never bothered looking into it, wow!!! I do remember clicking some reward garbage!
Thanks for the heads up.
Samuell

milliebz

Christina,
It's a scam.

samuell

I called my credit card company, they couldn't do anything for me including charge back for the reason that I did click it and am doing business with them, I had to call them myself, which I did and they said they will cancel my "membership" and credit my account for my most recent charge providing I will not use their "service" as of now. And she was pleasant and thank me for doing business with "rewards.com" And I thank them for looking after me for the past three years or whatever.
WOW!!!!

Susan33

These charges are usually from "third-party vendors" that are approved by your credit card company. Read the fine print on your credit card agreement.

We had this happen to us. We received a new credit card two hours before we left for the airport for an international trip. We activated the card but we did not use that card before leaving the country or while we were out of the country. Someone supposed went online and signed up for several of these "discounts" along with a free item that was shipped to Las Vegas and we live in California. It took quite awhile to get my money refunded, and a Chase credit card rep argued with me for 15-minutes until I threatened to close the account. The rep kept saying I had signed up these "services" and was receiving them in the mail. We had a month of mail saved at the post office and there was nothing in it. I think these companies just put charges on your bill, and people do not look at their statements and challenge the charges.

I did ask the Chase rep how I could become a third party vendor so lots of people would pay me $40 a month. The rep wasn't amused.

mmich929

This happenned to me ONCE - and only ONCE, as I learned my lesson. I booked something, believe it was for a travel arrangement of one type or another (airline, hotel, car, etc..). I thought "WOW - GOOD DEAL", since I had to go book the kid's tickets to fly to grandma's for her to watch them while we're on our "just booked" vacation, I'd use the "$20 Reward" for those tickets next. I checked my "In-Box" for confirmation on our txs. I just booked, and there sat the "Rewards" info. in an e-mail. Upon CLOSE and CAREFUL examination, I found (in VERY FINE PRINT @ the bottom, as well as at thier website) all the "scam-like tactics" they use, like give 30 day notice or be charged every month, them giving or selling our info. to other "partners", and this was the WORST part of it: had to purchase $2400 worth of only one make and model of like 4-5 appliances before I could be eligible for their "reward" for $500 off those items!! EVERY reward I read about had some ridiculous requirement attached to it! Even the $20 "reward" toward airline tickets I planned on using required a "...minimum of $2000 in a single airline ticket purchase"! I immediately "opted out" AND sent an e-mail to the address provided. Then, I contacted via e-mail the booking agent, airline or hotel or wherever I had just booked at, and gave them a piece of my mind too and told them I would NEVER do business with them again as a result of this (that's why I don't remember who it was - but I think it was an "Expedia" or "Orbitz" type of place). So, MAKE SURE you read VERY CAREFULLY any info. provided where a "click" is required or a "by clicking here...." statement is made. It hasn't happenned again to me, been 2 yrs. or so, but I have seen that "reward" junk offered to me MANY times since. Just thought I'd share my experience. Mark M.
P.S. Another thing I noticed, seems no matter where I book any "Travel Type Arrangements" (whether it be a "reseller" like Orbitz, etc.. or an airline or car rental website directly) I often get junk/spam e-mail almost immediately after to my e-mail address I just used while booking. The junk mail revolves around some "Travel Deal" or another - hmmmm, think it's related to the travel purchase I just made?!?!