[mdlug-discuss] Rip Off Waiting To Happen

[Aaron Kulkis]

Peter Bart wrote:
> On Fri, 29 Jan 2010 07:24:03 -0500
> Aaron Kulkis <akulkis00 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> Peter Bart wrote:
>>> Good Morning Everyone,
>>> 	So nothing quite gets my goat like getting ripped off.
>>> Twice today I was asked; after completing an online purchase; if I
>>> would like to get a coupon towards a future purchase. Of course I
>>> say! What's not really spelled out is you're buying a subscription
>>> that will cost far more than the piddly little coupon I wanted.
>>> This company "partners" with well known sites, but is a separate
>>> company. The are known as www.webloyalty.com
>>> www.shopperdiscountsandrewards.com www.reservationrewards.com
>>> www.buyerassurance.com www.travelvaluesplus.com
>>> www.walletshield.com www.completesavings.com. See for yourself, and
>>> be careful!!
>>>
>>> <http://www.bbb.org/connecticut/business-reviews/buying-clubs-and-group-purchasing-service/webloyaltycom-in-norwalk-ct-77000102>
>>> <http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/providing-3rd-parties-with-credit-card-information-resulting-in-unauthoried-charges-c269252.html>
>>> <http://thehive.modbee.com/node/16794>
>>> <http://blog.consumerwebwatch.org/2009/06/webloyaltycom_faces_senate_scr_1.html>
>> Thanks Peter,
>> They have been added to the lits:
>>
>> in /etc/hosts:
>> 			#black-hole flash ads & ripoff artists
>>
>> 127.0.0.1  localhost	kulkilap	\
>> 			c1.zedo.com c2.zedo.com c3.zedo.com \
>> 			c4.zedo.com  c5.zedo.com \
>> 			banners.adultfriendfinder.com \
>> 			ad.yieldmanager.com \
>> 			pagead2.googlesyndication.com \
>> 			googleads.g.doublecklick.net \
>> 			www.webloyalty.com \
>> 			www.shopperdiscountsandrewards.com \
>> 			www.reservationrewards.com \
>> 			www.buyerassurance.com \
>> 			www.travelvaluesplus.com \
>> 			www.walletshield.com \
>> 			www.completesavings.com 
> 
>     I wish I had saved the url, or could at least remember the start of
>     it. I don't think what you did will do much good, because I think
>     the address; in my case started out
>     <https://www.ticketmaster.com/????> and
>     <https://www.barnesandnoble.com/????>. Like I said.... The window opens after checkout
> and looks for all the world like the site you were just on.
> Complete with that companies logo, banners, etc.


Looking at the number of complaints on the bbb site you listed,
it looks like they are a prime candidate for a class-action
lawsuit.  You probably wouldn't get much out of it, but if the
end result is knowing that they've been put out of business,
or at least had all of their ill-gotten gains stripped from
them, then it might be at least gratifying.