Complain about a product or service

emode.com

Sarah of Brooklyn (9/18/03):
I went to the e-mode.com website in answer to an advertisement offering "free" IQ testing. It turns out that taking the test is free, however, to find out the results one had to pay a "one-time fee" of $19.95.

In good faith, I provided my credit card information, and received the results of my IQ test. On my billing statement the following month was the fee for the IQ test, which I paid. However, the following month I was billed an additional $19.95. I contacted the company to complain, and they advised they would credit my account for the $19.95. On this month's billing statement, they did indeed creit my account for $19.95, however they are continuing to charge me $9.95 per month for a service I did not agree to purchase.

We decided to try this ourselves and, on Sept. 18, 2003, while awaiting the arrival of Hurricane Isabel, we went to emode.com to investigate. To make a long story short, we couldn't resist taking the IQ test for a spin around the block. Some time later, we finished the test and, contrary to Sarah's experience, got the results after providing our name, email address and so forth. We could have opted to get a more complete psychographic profile and a "7-day premium test membership" for $14.95 but did not do so.

We suggest Sarah try once more. This time she should specify that she also wants her monthly "premium test membership" canceled.

Oh, the test? It was a fun 15 minutes or so (we forgot to time it) and yes, the numerical result was almost exactly what we recall from high school and college tests. No, we're not telling.

Charles writes (4/17/04):
I read the complaint from Sarah and your response, but there is something that has been missed here. If one buys the full report, then one is automatically signed up for a 7-day trial. What is not noticed is the tiny faint text at the bottom of the screen stating that billing will automatically begin at the end of 7 days. I have sent written complaints by email but have never received a response.

Kerryn of Bentleigh, Victoria, Australia (3/28/04):
I did not realise when I joined and paid for what I thought were a batch of IQ tests, that I would be billed each month unless I "cancelled my subscription". This company has been billing me for 3 months and I was unaware that I had given them permission to do this. When I emailed the company on March 4 to request immediate removal, I got a standard form reply with 'directions' to the Cancel My Subscription link. I followed these directions but there was no CMS link anywhere on the page.

I complained to Amercian Express in Australia. The guy told me that they'd had many complaints about Emode, and in fact he'd had the same problem himself after purchasing IQ tests! Finally I found the Cancel link - it was NOT where they said it would be! Anyhow I thought it was all taken care of, until I saw another bill on my AMEX card. Again I have complained to Amercian Express.

The IQ tests were great and I even joined one of their discussion boards - but I did not realise this was a monthly subscription!

Matthew of Seattle WA (3/16/04):
As a previous reader wrote, I too was intrigued to take the online "free IQ Test" and did so, only to be shocked that I had to pay for the results of that test I had just spent 20 minutes taking. Intrigue overtook common sense and I put in my credit card number to see the results of that one test only! The next statment, I found the charge I had agreed to, the next month's statement was a $12.95 subscription fee.

I had not been back to the site since getting the test results, and so I called (the recorded message was to email any questions or concerns rather than talk to a human being) so I emailed them to request a refund and to cancel my Phantom Subscription and got a reply that did not mention any refund and gave me directions of how to Unsubscribe. Of course, by this time I had received another statement and another $12.95 charge (again I had not gone back to the site since taking the test!).

Franco of Tempe AZ (1/1//04):
I joined this web-set (e-mode.com) and their social network "tickle". I was promised that this was a free service and I could meet compatible women. They let me post my profile for free, so I could meet compatible women! I have received several e-mails from women who want to meet me. When I have attempted to e-mail them back. I receive an e-mail from emode customer service stating that in order for me to reply to the e-mail from these lonely women, I must e-mail them from the "tickle" website.

When I attempt to do this, I immediately am told that I first have to pay $$$ to send e-mails. I feel very sorry for those poor women who have paid $$$ to get in touch with a good-looking guy like me. This is BS. It is true: there is no such thing as "free love" anymore. There is only commercial greed! My heart is borken and all these beautiful women are deprived of my company.

Nothing's free but true love and home-grown tomatoes, Franco. Sorry.

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