Anyone else been scammed by www.shopperdiscountsandrewards.co.uk?

PapaLazaru · 3 Aug 2011 at 21:05

These sneaky little turds have been debiting me £8 a month since 03/10/2008. Even from a stolen debit card!

Now I order a fair amount of stuff online and I do rconcile my accounts every now and then but I have somehow missed this payment.

Seems that the budget airlines and InterFlora, amongst others, have a tick box on their website and unknowingly, this has signed me up to a £8 a month reward scheme, of which I have no idea.

35 payments = £280!!!!!!!!!! :mad:

Going to call these scam artists tomorrow as my bank cannot stop the payment apparently.

Small Claims Court if I get no joy?

Check your bank statements and look for a card ebit each month for SHOPPERDISCOUNT.

Fuming.

PapaLazaru · 3 Aug 2011 at 21:26

Ricochet J said:
How can you not notice £8 / month debited from your account every month on the same date for the last 3 years?

Well it has happened. But that point is irrelevant. I have never agreed to be signed up to a rolling contract with these people. No mail no email no nothing.

PapaLazaru · 3 Aug 2011 at 21:53

Ricochet J said:
Then write a letter to your bank asking to close the direct debit.

It is not a direct debit payment. It is a card debit.

Fair enough, I feel stupid for not noticing earlier but it must have been hidden behind another website. All the reviews online say the same thing. One tick box on Easyjet or something for a discount.

I would hardly call ticking a tick box on a reputable companies website with no email to confirm anything afterwards entirely legal.

This payment is being taken even when cards have been reported stolen. They have just carried on taking the payment.

Will speak to the CAB tomorrow.

PapaLazaru · 3 Aug 2011 at 21:55

Clum said:
The fact that you actually have physically signed up for it won't mean a thing in court. If a judge deems the website to have coerced you into it in a sneaky fashion and without your concious agreement, he'll possibly order the money returned to you. That's the great thing about small claims court; the law isn't as black and white as in a criminal matter. You probably will have a hard time explaining the length of time it has taken you to notice though!

Exactly my point. They must have my email address and my address as they have taken my details from another companies website.

Like I said, no email no letters regarding this ever. I will also be able to prove I have never used their service as I never have. I don't even know what it is for.

PapaLazaru · 4 Aug 2011 at 07:36

I KNOW I should have checked earlier but that is besides the point.

I can tell you now that I was never redirected to a site to sign up. You may do now, but it did not happen. I am not that stupid.

They have NEVER contacted me in any form. Does that sound like a reputable business? 3 years paying for some kind of discount club and nobody at the company thought during that time is it not odd that this chap has never used us?

I have emailed them requesting the funds back., plus copies of the contract I signed and the contract they sent to me detailing their terms of service.

PapaLazaru · 4 Aug 2011 at 08:26

stockhausen said:
Good on ya PapaLazaru, you're a very brave man - I hope you get your money back.

Thanks

I have just got off the phone to them. Appears that I signed up when ordering flowers from InterFlora, which has been named and shamed as part of this scam a lot.

I explained that I wanted a refund and that I was seeking legal advice. I also requested a copy of the legally binding contract I agreed to and their terms of service. The girl on the phone has cancelled my account and immediately refunded my last three payments. They are also emailing me a claim form.

Sounds like this is happening a lot to them.

Will update in due course. Just all beware. I have been stung good and feel a bit silly for not noticing this sooner.

PapaLazaru · 4 Aug 2011 at 12:11

Duke said:
I saw a similar offer from another e-tailor - they were giving 10% off the next order or something, once I clicked through it mentioned monthly payments so didn't go ahead. I wouldn't really call it a scam tbh.

This is how I am thinking it has happened. By what I am reading online the company now do redirect you to a seperate website. I ordered flowers, there was an offer for £10 off your next purchase or something. Tick the box. No card details no personal information provided. They then send me an email which immediately goes into my junk folder. This email likely tells me what I have done but I never saw it. The simple fact it that it must be bordering on illegal as surely you cannot commit to an ongoing fee by checking a tick box on another companies website?

It is a scam, though in likelyhood one that is just about legal. Scam all the same.

No more comments regarding my lack of statement checking please, my missus has given me enough grief over this already.

PapaLazaru · 4 Aug 2011 at 15:09

Westyfield2 said:
How is it a scam when the OP signed himself up and forget about the payments for three years?

It is the manner of how they sign you up which is why I am I believe quite rightly referring to them as scammers.

I did not explicitly provide this company with my bank card details. This is not a direct debit, it is a recurring card payment. I was never referred to their site either. What they do may be just on the side of legal but it is deceit.

The fact that I did not notice for so long is neither here nor there. They have continued to take my money for services I have never explicitly signed up for nor used.

It has been proven by the fact that my phone call this morning was met with a lot of backtracking and claim forms / refunds.

PapaLazaru · 16 Aug 2011 at 16:10

Enough of the pee taking.

Yes, have somehow missed this £8 a month payment but it is still a scam. Accounts are now to be scrutinised weekly. I have just been too damn busy and too blase.

Will update with my ongoing battle to get my money back.

Managed 3 payments (£24) so far.

PapaLazaru · 3 Sep 2011 at 14:05

After numerous emails back and forth I have just received the following -

Dear PapaLazaru,

Thank you for contacting Shopper Discounts & Rewards

We have received your claim form and confirm that we have issued the additional credits of £8 as per your request as well as the 3 refunds issued when you initially contacted us.

These additional refunds will appear as 35 credits of £8 on your credit or debit card account within the next 10 working days.

If you have any further questions, please contact us on our free phone number: 0800 731 9935 Monday-Friday 8am-8pm and Saturday 9am-4pm, or by email at etc etc.

Papa 1 - Sneaky gits 0 :cool: