Fraudulant Activity via VistaPrint Purchase

This is a consumer warning for those that have or plan to order free busines cards from VistaPrint.

Last month, I ordered free business cards from VistaPrint.com. The only out-of-pocket expenses I had to incur was $5.25 for P&H. A few weeks later, they arrived, and I thought the matter closed. Not so. Yesterday, my wife calls me and says there is a $12.95 charge from "AP9*BUSINESSMAX" that was drafted out this past Monday. She asks me if I made any local or internet purchases on or around that date, to which I said "No". The last internet purchase I made was the VistaPrint order over a month ago. After doing some reseach, I found some interesting and very alarming information on "AP9*BUSINESSMAX". It turns out when certain (all?) people order the FREE business cards through VistaPrint, their credit card information is forwarded to another company that makes fraudulant withdraws from your account. You can read more about it here, here, and here. In all instances that I have read, the banks are reluctant to reimburse the consumer for the purchase they didn't authorize. Most of these were due to the claims being over 30/60-days old. I believe this rip-off is due to some small, inocuous verbage when you order the supposedly FREE business cards, but I am not sure. I usually proofread things with a fine-toothed comb before spending my money, and I never recall reading such bologna.

Whether or not my bank sides with me, I will be sending letters to the BBB, Texas State Attorney General's Office, and RipOffReport.com.

Buyer beware!

Update: I called the toll-free number that showed up on the bank transaction, and talked to a customer service rep for AP9*BUSINESSMAX. I admit she was cordial, but repeatedly affirmed the only way they could have received the information was if I had enrolled in the $10 cashback survey. I explained to her that I recall seeing the offer, but I declined as I was not going to commit to anything like that until I received my original purchase. She insisted a few more times, and I rebutted eached time. She then said they have another "special" for $12.95 for a full year, to which I told her I was NOT INTERESTED in any of their offers! Finally, she said they will reimburse my account in full within the next 2-3 business days. We'll see.