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on 4/15/10They don't actually sell the software. They sell the license number. I ordered from them and I am regretting it. This does NOT seem like a legitimate situation. I installed the software onto my computer and when I entered the license number I was told that the license number I used was expired. They make you agree to no refunds and no charge backs without a $50 fee - so that's how they make their money, I guess. I'm stuck.
I also got scammed. I got a three-hour download that simply didn't work. My email complaints were brushed off with just a sentence. Now they are completely ignored. If it is too good to be true, it is untrue. The following is a lift from their 'guarantee':
"Due to the enormous amount of scammers out there, stealing our software from us we had to revoke our money back guarantee policy. This decision was not taken lightly, but we were left with no other choice. People were stealing over 10% of our orders by faking install problems, or filing chargebacks when there was no problems with their software.
Therefore we had to revoke the money back guarantee, and instill a new chargeback policy as well. If you file a chargeback with your credit card, your account will go to a collection agency with an additional $50 penalty added to the balance. This is the fee our bank charges us for the investigation, plus a $50 penalty for our labor involved in the investigation. If the chargeback is reversed and found in our favor, you will still be responsible for the $100 penalty. We diligently defend all chargebacks with tracking and all email correspondence and a copy of this page printed out.
Chargebacks will no longer be tolerated. Just email us and we will be more than happy to help you in any way we can!"
This is how the scammer keeps scammed customers from fighting back. I am going to send this to my credit card co. And get their opinion.
I ran into a similar problem with a company called www.leasetrader.com. They charged my wife for an inspection they claimed had been scheduled (justifying the charge) -- but that was false. When we initiated a chargeback through Visa LeaseTrader wrote back and threatened to put the charge on our credit report, to sue us for the money, and other less specific threats. LeaseTrader sent that letter to us through Visa so the Visa rep saw the threats too. She commented that it was a violation of Visa's terms of service for a vendor to interfere with Visa's chargeback process.
We needed our credit report to remain intact so we wrote to Visa and told them that we were going to rescind the chargeback -- because we'd rather pay the fee than have LeaseTrader make all that hassle for us.
However we also complained to Visa that we were surprised that they did not defend their customers better from Merchants who violated Visa's TOS by threatening Visas customers. We accused Visa of protecting unscrupulous merchants. We sent Visa a sworn statement from the vehicle owner that the inspection had never been scheduled -- in fact that nobody had even called in an attempt to schedule.
The charge never went back on our Visa card. We believe that Visa probably did confront LeaseTrader -- or perhaps their bite is worse than their bark.
My point is that if you contact the software manufacturer and get a letter from them that you were sold pirated software and send it to Visa along with a complaint and a copy of the agreement you signed -- telling them that the company name IS cheapestLEGALsoftware -- and that you bought in good faith that they were not lying.
However you will still have a problem if they go to a collection agency -- to not only send the same information to the collection agency -- but also to accuse the collection agency of being involved in a conspiracy with cheapestlegalsoftware to defraud people of their money. If the collection agency sees a confirmation letter from the software vendor that you have purchased pirated software -- they will have to back off and possibly reimburse you for the expense of the time you've wasted. If the collection agency was to continue to pursue you and not remove the blotch on your credit record you could probably sue them in small claims court for harassment and conspiracy to commit fraud. If after seeing the documentation from the software vendor they continue to contact you by email or regular mail they are also potentially liable for mail fraud given that they are knowingly representing a company that fraudulently got that money from you.
Jaime L Snyder
128 Blue Ridge Cir
Newark, DE 19702-2982 (302) 368-1639
The above information is what we dug up on the company who billed our credit card. The number sounds like it is answered by a fax/modem.
Whatever you do -- contact Visa and ask them about this. DO NOT assume my legal assumptions are correct. I'm not saying this as legal advice -- just suggesting things you can check for yourself with knowledgeable professionals and determine if they are true.