Complain about a product or service

MSN Negative Option

MSN • Billing Problems • Broadband • Sales Promotions • MSN Messenger • Negative Option • Rebate Problems • Service Problems

Diane of Waco, TX, writes (6/7/01):
In January of 2001, my husband went to Best Buy to purchase a Direct TV satelite dish. After purchasing the dish and setting up for installment, he was approached with the "opportunity" to sign up for MSN internet service. He explained that his wife, not himself, was the owner and user of the computer in the house, and he thought that I was quite pleased with the service that I had.

The salesperson told him to take the paperwork home and let me read it and, if I choose to give it a try, to call the 1-800 number on the paper and initiate the account. Upon his return home, he explained all of this to me, and I stated to him, "I have had AT&T for three years and am happy where I am." I promptly threw the papers in the trash.

It was in May that while sorting through bills, I found my husband's credit card statement. Upon inspection, I found that we were being charged nearly $30 for MSN service. After asking my husband and verifiying that he had signed no papers, I looked back through our statements and found that their had been one additional charge. We contacted MSN and explained the situation, they sent us to the Investigative Billing Back Shop.

We were asked to in writing explain what we were purchasing at the time, the store, and all pertinent information, including my E-mail address. My husband wrote this all down and faxed it to a number he had been given. After coming home from work one day, the phone rang and it was the Investigative Billing Back shop. "We are sorry, but without the information we requested, we can not help you." I asked him what he was talking about, as we had already faxed him the information requested.

He said he either needed my MSN E-mail address, the information provided on the forms that were provided by Best Buy, or our credit card number. Since I did not have an account with MSN, I did not have a E-mail address, as I had thrown the papers away on the day they came into the house. I did not have the information required, and I certainly was not going to give them my credit card number.

Angry, I hung up and got on my computer, and retrieved every phone number available to MSN. I began calling one after the other (and getting the runaround, until I mentioned contacting the Attorney Generals office of Texas.) Then the story changed dramatically.

I was put in touch with a young lady that was so very sorry for the inconvenience, and that she promised that the account would be closed and our money refunded. My statement to her was. "Since you never received in writting our permission, nor do you have evidence of our having ever called the 1-800 number to activate this account, then there is NO account. What you people have practiced is fraud and theft." I was once again promised that the situation would be delt with promptly.

My question is, how can any company use your credit card number to activate an account without your express permission? And how can a company release your credit card number without your permission? I have sent forms in on both companies to the Attorney General's Office. People need to know that they have state and federal resources to turn to to help them in these situations. I had my husband cancel his Credit card and get a new on so no further charges could be made against it.

EVERYONE NEEDS TO CHECK THEIR STATEMENTS CLOSELY AND QUESTION ALL UNRECOGNIZED CHARGES.I have not received the new ammended statement, so I don't know if this has been taken care of yet, but they won't get another dime from us. Neither MSN or BEST BUY. And I tell everyone that will listen, so they won't get sucked into the same situation.

We were told that our credit card would be creditied for the first two months of charges, but that we might be charged again, and that I might have to go through the phone call again to get it credited. I have spent at least three to four hours on the phone, It raised my blood pressure quite a bit, my frustration level was at it's peak. If there had been a vent for my anger, it would have never survived. I don't like being played for a sucker, and what they don't realize is that I WILL fight back, and not fairly. And I will win. LET THEM EARN THEIR MONEY HONESTLY, JUST LIKE WE HAVE TOO. UNTIL THEN, THEY WON'T GET MY BUSINESS, OR MY MONEY.Still angry, you betcha! And am probably going to stay that way for a while. I'm tired of those that think they deserve a free ride.

Ronald of Tiburon, CA, writes (4/23/01):
MSN started up service without my wife's knowledge and then refused to cancel service after being requested. In March 2000, my wife's FirstCard was billed $6.95. She called MSN at 800-386-5550, extension 7, to discontinue service. When the bills kept coming, she attempted to call MSN again, usually waiting 30-40 minutes before giving up. Finally, she asked FirstCard to intercede.

FirstCard reversed the June, July, August, October, November, and December charges. (She forgot to call in September.) She never would have had to do this if MSN had either canceled the service the one time she was able to reach it or 2) MSN answered the telephone in subsequent months. Eventually my wife gave up, and asked me to call.

I got through on 1/24/01, and received cancellation number 60340124. I was told that MSN had no record of her March 2000 request. On 3/1/01, I discovered that my wife's inactive Wells Fargo account had an MSN credit card charge dated 12/26/00 for $19.95. I called 800-386-5550 and spoke with Fresa, who gave me a cancellation number for the Wells Fargo account. On 3/9/01, I called MSN again and spoke with Lisa, who told me that she could find no cancellation notice for my wife's Wells Fargo account. She gave me a new cancellation number. Lisa speculated that MSN began billing my wife when her previous employer ceased operations (February 2000).

Lisa said that I should FAX to MSN Investigative Reporting, since 1) MSN changed the billing to my wife without her knowledge, 2) she was being billed twice, and 3) she had been trying to cancel MSN since March 2000. My wife did not use MSN, since her personal account had been on AOL. I sent a fax to MSN Investigative Reporting on 3/9/01, but received no response. I faxed again on 3/26/01, but received no response. On 4/23/01 I called MSN at 800-386-5550. I was told that MSN had turned down my request for a refund because they had no record of either my wife or I calling to cancel the service. I am offended for two reasons 1) they did not have the courtesy to contact me and 2) they, in effect, called my wife and me liars.

In effect, MSN stole $322.80 (12 months at $19.95 and 12 months at $6.95) from my wife by not canceling her service when requested.

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