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Online Customer Upset With Savings Program

Hidden Online Fees (Added: June 05, 2009)

Are you being billed for charges you don't know about? (more)

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Published: June 05, 2009

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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Are you being billed for charges you don't know about?

An NBC 4 viewer said her credit card statement showed a monthly fee that she never agreed to pay.

NBC 4's Patrick Preston went to the company for answers.

"I didn't sign up for anything. Just ordered some flowers (and) had them sent to my grandma's house," said Katie Orlando.

That was the beginning of Orlando's experience ordering from ProFlowers.com in February. But it was far from the end.

"I was just reviewing my bank statement and I saw this charge for $14.95 for EZSaver, and I had no idea what it was," Orlando said.

It turns out that EZ Saver has charged Orlando each of the past five months -- a total of $75 for a purported savings club she doesn't remember signing up for and hasn't heard from since -- other than at billing time.

"I feel like I was taken advantage of," Orlando said.

NBC 4 checked with the Ohio Attorney General's office, which said there have been dozens of complaints for the same unauthorized billing issues from around the state. But the majority of complaining customers have recovered their money.

NBC 4 called ProFlowers.com and received a written response from representative Erin Christensen, saying that "ProFlowers (does) not intend to charge customers who do not wish to be members. ProFlowers informs customers to read the terms and conditions before entering their information and submitting it for enrollment.

"All terms and conditions are listed directly to the left of the submit button. Customers can cancel at any time and we have a no questions asked cancellation policy."

Orlando received an assurance from the company that they would pay her back the money she was charged, but she said the experience has taught her an important lesson.

"Every time I order something online, I will make sure that I'm not clicking any boxes, any free shipping, and what's actually behind that," Orlando said.

For additional information, stay with nbc4i.com and NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com -- Where Accuracy Matters.
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