SCAMMED--Update.

 I tossed and turned all night Sunday night. Monday morning could not come fast enough. I needed to call my bank and get this resolved somehow. If I couldn’t get my money back, then I at least wanted it STOPPED.

America First is awesome. I talked with a representative and she told me exactly what to do. First: she canceled my Visa debit card (that’s how this scam company took my money). Second: She told me where to find the forms I needed to fill out to file a dispute and then told me where to take them—to my nearest branch.  So easy to do.

One problem, on the form it had an area stating that I had to contact the company accused and give them a chance to resolve the issue.

Dum, dum, dummmm!!! (Insert eerie sounding music here).

I did this. I was not happy. By the tone of my voice and the not so nice choice of words I slew at them (I’m not a big swearer. I don’t make a daily practice of it. But on occasion it is known to happen), the company knew I was pretty ticked.  I was a raving lunatic! I called them scummy, scum, sucking scammers and all sorts of other things that happened to roll off my tongue—making sense or no sense, it did not matter. I was on a roll.

As I said before, every month the company changed its name and phone number—EVERY stinking month. What does that say about them? I called every phone number, and EVERY time I got the same customer service representative named Jordan. Jordan is in Lehi, Utah. Can you believe that? Even though on my bank statements it shows money withdrawn from Arizona and Nebraska.

Jordan tried to tell me that they are not a scamming company that they provide an actual service.

“What service did you provide me?” I asked.

“We send you links to finding grants that you may be eligible to receive. The other service you signed up for (I did not) was for web training service. We guide you in creating the best website for your company and how to build it and clean it (I do not have company web site and would not spend $72.93 a month to have it “cleaned” ) We send this to your information to your email account.”

“I have never received EVEN one email from you,” I said.

“Really? That’s strange. Let me have my supervisor talk to you.”

So I did. We talked. He insists his service and company is real.

“Why is your name different every month on my statements?”

“We use different merchant accounts  and it just depends on which merchant account we go through.”

Do you know expensive it is to switch merchant accounts each month? There is a fee the company has to pay each time it switches.

“You should have received emails with links and also emails letting you know the amount to expect that will be withdrawn from your account—a statement,” he said.

“I have never received anything. No service. No statement.”

“Hmm … that’s weird.”

“You think?”

Anyway, supposedly this company closed my “Membership” to these two different programs I signed up for and are “looking into refunding me”. I will not hold my breath.

I did though fill out nineteen, yes nineteen, different dispute forms and took them to my bank on Monday morning. Guess what? I have received almost $400.00 back in fraud charges. Better than I had ever expected to receive. Thank you America First Credit Union!

I will be better in my future. I will be more vigilant. I will open my statements, and I promise you this will never happen to me again. Guaranteed.