Ziinga.com
Complaint 68327 Details

Sometime in Dec.,2011, I explored the web site ziinga, and was invited to buy a number of bids for a nominal fee.What they are telling me now is that in so doing, I agreed to a so-called platinum membership, which would cost me $99.99 per month for three months! Obviously, I had no intention of doing anything as ridiculous as that. If I signed up, that is, failed to see something in the fine print, and if they can legally hold me to that, then I have another complaint which I believe is more serious. I believe it to be a case of out and out fraud. When I contacted(via email) the Co. and demanded to be refunded my $99.99 which they had billed directly to my checking account, they said they would discontinue further charges, but i would need to agree to pay them another $39.99 for a cancellation fee. This followed a protracted, time consuming effort on my part to engage these people in a conversation to resolve the matter, but all I got back was that they would need the $40. cancellation fee. They did not address the $100. I was already billed. We kept going around in circles. I was never given the opportunity to even come to a compromise with them. Finally, I wrote, said all right, I'll pay the $40., but I want back my $100. They wrote back saying that the whole affair has been resolved, that all I had to do was OK the charge of $40. and that would be the end of it. I wrote back, saying what about my $100. The reply was another circular repeated answer that the whole thing was resolved, I just had to authorize the charge of $40. Next, I called their number for customer service. After a long wait on hold I got the recording that there was nobody available to take my call/leave a message. I tried the number repeatedly, to no avail. In my mind, that's a blatant case of failing to negotiate with me in good faith, and fraudulently advertising that they do have a way individuals can contact them on billing matters, when clearly they just want to wear you out by attrition. Geez, isn't that some sort of FCC violation? Look, if I have no case, please advise me what to do/where to go with this. Thank you.
Addition, from following day 01252012, I finally did reach customer service (360) 637-4848 and spoke with Olivia. After a lot of gymnastics Olivia finally told me that I wasn’t eligible for a refund, because I had used some of their bids (This is a penny auction site. I have no idea where they are located).
She wore me down with her circular, obviously scripted answers, leaving me to move on with the question of the $39. cancellation fee. Whether there was a language barrier problem or Olivia was just playing dumb, I don’t know, but all she would say was that the membership has been cancelled, and I won’t be charged anything more. Several attempts on my part to nail her down on this point only left me exhausted. It was a war of attrition, and I think I lost. In fact, I was debited another $39. after this conversation. I suppose there was some kind of implicit aquiesence that I agreed to this further charge. I remain adamant that I will not quit seeking my money back, now totaling $130., and they still have my credit card number! (That’s a mistake I will never repeat!).