in thinking 'Justfab' is a con?

[hellsbells99]

Not sure if I should be posting this in legal. DD now 16 but was 15 when she ordered some boots through this site a couple of months ago. Everything fine. But she clicked on some more boots a couple of weeks ago, these arrived. She says she didn't understand that she'd actually ordered them as she didn't put in any payment details. I have just phoned to return these - website says good can be returned for refund. BUT apparently not! Apparently by her putting her detaisl in initially to purchase 1st pairs of boots, she has signed up to be a member and they are taking £35 out of her account every month - these are called member credits and can be used to purchase items. She is now apparently £70 in credit (next payment having just been taken out) - that is £70 that has been taken out of her account without her realising. We cannot have a refund. Do I phone trading standards....or just strangle my daughter? Is this the biggest con out? She has as a debit card for an account where she puts in birthday.Xmas money and her very low part-time earnings (£10 per week). AIBU in thinking this is a con??? - please don't be too harsh on me as this is my 1st AIBU. Any advice gratefully received

[PhaedraIsMyName]

I'm sure you'll have to cancel your card and then get a new one.

I think to be on the safe side she might want to accidentally on purpose lose/damage her card and report it to the bank and ask for a new one. This will mean that anything which is linked to that card will no longer work.

I realised this when I lost my debit card and Graze could not send me a box as they were debiting the card each week. I would of course add Graze are perfectly respectable and not a rip off.

[ilovesooty]

Using mn to promote your ebook Damien?

[Iwantmyparcel]

Zombie

[Iwantmyparcel]

It should serve as a lesson as to not give people her bank details I'm future at least.

The bank can cancel all payments to that company - shed have to ask them to though. It's a reccurinmg payment authority.

I doubt she will get the money back though.

When I worked in a bank it never ceased to amaze me how many adults fell for these scams. Interestingly there's is an ad for just fat showing at the bottom of my page right now.

[sexikayls]

Hi
I was in the same situation, but successfully managed to get back the full amount of £420. I did this by sending 3 emails. I sent one to Paypal telling them that I did not consent to these fraudulent transactions, and two to Justfab. Please find the emails I sent below and feel free to use them as templates. This company is devious and what they are doing to 1000's of people is outrageous.
Hi Paypal
I purchased some shoes from the above trader (JustFab) last 21 July 2013. I checked my online banking account today and noticed that JustFab have been taking £35 per month out of my account since then (total £420).
I have spoken to JustFab and they are insisting that I am a member of a "VIP" Club which costs £35 per month to be a member of. I dispute their claim, I never agreed to be a member of their VIP Club. I spoke to Betty first, then a lady called "Cindy" whose email address is [email protected] and asked them why I have never received any confirmation informing me that I am a member of a scheme, either through email or post. Cindy said that they didn't have my correct email address but on checking my emails I found that they do have my correct email address and have been sending me regular offers and junkmail since 9/12/2013 but no mention of me being part of a scheme against my will, or giving me the opportunity to opt out. Cindy also lied about the amount of money they had taken from my account, she said it was only £385 not £420. She also apologised and said they would refund me £210 but that I would have to accept the rest of the money they had stolen from me in the form of shoes or clothing! The facts are, that I did not agree to these transactions, there was no credit agreement signed or in place, no confirmation that they were going to take the money. No cooling off period. No goods received for the money they have taken. The fact that they have offered to pay half of the money back and the other half in goods is an admission of guilt and I think this company is dishonest and devious. I have spoken to my bank and they have launched an investigation. I have also reported this matter to the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) and Trading Standards. I am also considering reporting this issue to the Police and the FSA. Please refund this money ASAP and seriously consider any dealings you may have with this company in the future.
Kind regards
Kayleigh

Hi "Cindy"
As requested please find below the unique Paypal numbers for each of the12 unauthorised transactions.
And to confirm the conversation we had today - I purchased some shoes from your company last 21 July 2013. I checked my online banking account today and noticed that JustFab have been taking £35 per month out of my account since then (total £420).
I spoke to you today and you insist that I am a member of a "VIP" Club which costs £35 per month to be a member of. I dispute your claim, I never agreed to be a member of your VIP Club. I spoke to Betty first, then you "Cindy" (email address [email protected]) and asked why I have never received any confirmation informing me that I am a member of a scheme, either through email or post. You said that JustFab didn't have my correct email address but on checking my emails I found that you do indeed have my correct email address, and have been sending me regular offers and junk mail since 9/12/2013 (I have received 8 junk mails from you since the 11/07!). but no mention of me being part of a scheme against my will, or giving me the opportunity to opt out. You also misinformed me about the amount of money you had taken from my account, you said it was only £385 not £420 (as you can see from the below references you have stolen 12 payments from my account including this month on July 7th). You said that your company would refund me £210 but that I would have to accept the rest of the money you had stolen from me in the form of shoes or clothing.
These are the facts,

1. I did not agree to become a member of your "club", or for this money to be taken, and no written confirmation was sent or received (contrary to FSA rules and regulations)
   
2. There was no credit agreement signed or in place (contrary to FSA rules and regulations).
   
3. No written confirmation that JustFab were going to take any payments (contrary to FSA rules and regulations).
   
4. No cooling off period (contrary to FSA rules and regulations)
   
5. No goods or services were received for the money you have taken.
   
6. The fact that you have offered to pay half of the money back, and the other half in goods, is an admission of guilt and I think your company is dishonest and devious.
   
   I have spoken to my bank and Paypal, and both have launched an investigation. I have also reported this matter to the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) and Trading Standards. I am also considering reporting this issue to the Police and the FSA. Please refund all of this money ASAP so I do not need to escalate this matter any further (I will not hesitate to take you to the Small Claims Court and publicise this matter in national/local press, and social media like Facebook and Twitter)
   
   August 13/2013 4UV86017
   September 6/2013 332PX888501U
   October 9/2013 636287515327
   November 7/2013 56X426852230
   December 9/2013 9PA150411
   January 8/2014 697FL299161E
   February 6/2014 3YF6896045L
   March 11/2014 7407600234
   April 7/2014 895X9850210F
   May 8/2014 66TF819104X
   June 10/2014 1GR0463143
   July 7/2014 0559305346
   ...? TOTAL £420.00
   Please respond to this email within 7 days.
   
   Kind regards
   Kayleigh
   
   Hi Chandi
   Thank you for your reply.
   
   Your whole business model is centred around this underhand and devious sales tactic. If you are indeed striving to be as transparent as possible why is there no mention of this scam on your Home page? It is only mentioned on one page of the checkout procedure, and by this point the shopper has no intention of entering into any kind of long term relationship with you, so they are not interested in reading your extensive list of T&Cs, they just want to pay for their purchase and get on with their lives. But you at JustFab know this, which is why you are turning over so much money. You boast of 1000's of members, but how many of these people know they are members! There are literally 1000's of people on the internet all complaining about your deceptive procedures, and whole forums dedicated to people complaining about JustFab.
   So please stop pretending that this situation is born from my inability to grasp your honest and transparent business model, we both know that JustFab is masquerading as another online shoe and clothing retailer, but is really a shoe of the month scheme operating in a devious way to trap people into a long term financial commitment they know nothing about.
   I don't think anyone who looks for your website types into google "justfab shoe of the month scheme"!!!
   Any long term financial commitment needs to be covered in the UK by the Consumer Credit Act, you have not adhered to this legislation. I notice that in Germany where consumer protection is more stringent, that your website is indeed honest and transparent, but you probably don't make as much profit over there as a result.
   My advice to you is to completely rethink your business ethics and sales strategy. Stop tricking people out of their hard earned cash and start being honest with your customers. If you do this, you will spend less time dealing with angry people asking for refunds and more time taking orders, and repeat orders.
   
   Yes I can confirm that I have settled a chargeback from Paypal for all credits dating from 13th August 2013 up until 7th July 2014.
   Total chargebacks 12 @£35
   Total £420
   
   Regards
   Kayleigh
   I hope this helps. My bank were also in the process of getting my money back but Paypal did it on the day I contacted them! So do not put up with this company's awful and dishonest antics, they are scum.

[YMorton]

STAY AWAY!!

When you order a product from JustFab they automatically sign you up to a 'VIP Membership' which charges you 35 every month. I only noticed the 35 charge by accident when checking my account and when I called their customer service department they just patronised me and said that I hadn't read the information correctly when I signed up. After explaining that I never signed up to any VIP service and certainly didnt agree to a 35 per month charge, I was advised that they would refund my money but only if I agreed to keep the account open! I politely declined and asked for a refund to be processed immediately.
The JustFab website advises us that their VIP MEMBER PERKS are the following;
FREE delivery & easy exchanges*
Hundreds of styles to choose from & new styles added monthly
Free to join and no obligation to buy
Quality Guaranteed
Designed in LA
Your own personal stylist

None of the above are things you cant get directly from any website and certainly not worth 35 per month!
I wont be holding my breath for this refund as I have read other reports of the same thing happening and no refunds being received.
In my mind, JustFab are just thieves!

[RooneyMara]

Nice work Hells I am so relieved for you.

[hellsbells99]

Hello all. Hopefully we have a successful outcome. The bank were very nice and said they will try and ensure no future payments are paid to this account and said we are entitled to our money back due to her age. They said to go back to them if we had no success with the company. It was a visa debit RooneyMara. In response to a strongly worded letter that I emailed to Justfab (thanks to somebody's very kind help writing it), the company have agreed to refund all the money as in their words DD "unknowingly entered a contract.........as a minor"- so I will be watching DD's account to see if it does get refunded. Thanks for everybodies help and advice.

[RooneyMara]

They sound like a shower of charlatans tbh. I am sorry your dd got taken in...I think it's safe to say that sort of thing has happened to most of us once or twice.

I hope you get a result, sounds like you're covering all your bases. I recently bought from a fake website, got the money back through visa debit chargeback so if it was visa debit you might well have a case with them.

[hellsbells99]

I have just had to phone Justfab again as the email address stated in their T&Cs doesn't exist! After getting a little ratty, I have been given another email address to email to cancel the account. I am also posting a letter by special delivery too.

[hellsbells99]

Thenks borninastorm. I have told Justfab to stop the payments and cancel the account, and we are going to contact the bank as well.

[borninastorm]

That money saving expert advice also explains how to get your outstanding money back.

[borninastorm]

Here is Martin Lewis' (moneysaving expert) tips on how to fight and win re recurring payments on your card:

how to fight recurrent payments

Hopefully this should have some really good advice for you he's normally spot on with his help.

[hellsbells99]

didn't say I was going to ban her online - just that it would only be under supervision!!!
I know she has been conned and it is not her fault - but if she had read the conditions at all, she would have noticed the bit about being 'over 18'. ......and this she should have taken notice of! She is not daft but she is a typical teenager. I won't really strangle her - she needs to do her gcses first!

[HDEE]

You can't ban her from buying online for one mistake! If she is spending her own money, at 16 she can do as she likes. No doubt she will learn from this. Making mistakes is how we all know how to do better in the future.

[HDEE]

Why do you keep saying you are going to strangle your daughter? Why are you so cross with her? She's still a child, it was a mistake.

[hellsbells99]

I will also ban her from buying anything online again without supervision!

[hellsbells99]

Thanks ATJ - On the phone, they said they would cancel her subscription but not entitled to her money back :(
I am waiting to see if they reply to my email otherwise I will take it further ....and strangle my daughter, although I know she honestly didn't understand this at all.....

[ATJabberwocky]

In there Terms of Service agreement:

"By placing an order through our Site or using the JustFab VIP Membership Programme, you warrant that:
0.you are legally capable of entering into binding contracts;
0.you are at least 18 years old; and
0.you are the authorised user of the credit or debit card used to access the Services."

"If you are contracting as a consumer, you may cancel a Contract at any time within seven working days, beginning on the day after you received the Products or, in the case of JustFab VIP Membership Programme, beginning on the day we send you a Confirmation Receipt. In this case, you will receive a full refund of the price paid for the Products or the subscription fee in accordance with our Refunds and Exchange Policy below.

To cancel a Contract, you must inform us in writing. You must also return the Products to us immediately, in the same condition in which you received them, and at your own cost and risk. You have a legal obligation to take reasonable care of the Products while they are in your possession. If you fail to comply with this obligation, we may have a right of action against you for compensation"

Sorry for the copy and pasting, but you should be able to cancel her subscription, but I don't think you will be able to claim back the money; however, I would remind them that she wasn't old enough to join/sign a contract and did not have parental permission, and that as a good faith gesture they should return the money, otherwise you will take it further.

[SlumberingDormouse]

I had exactly the same thing with a wine company. I believed (and I like to think I'm an intelligent adult!) that I'd bought a case of wine but in fact I'd signed up for a recurring payment exactly like this one. If I didn't order any wine each month it took money out of my account anyway! Thankfully, I discovered that the money was just sitting in the online account and I could get it back. Leaving wasn't easy (lots of trick screens, emotional blackmail, etc) but I managed it and they did refund my 'subscription' costs in full. Good luck.

[hellsbells99]

Thank you freddie - much appreciated! :)

[freddiemisagreatshag]

Hellsbells you have mail

[hellsbells99]

I have just emailed them explaining she is under 18 and asking for a full refund, but I am not holding my breath! The boots that I was arranging to send me are horrible and cheap looking too - just to add to the insult!

[freddiemisagreatshag]

She's under 18. She can't legally enter into a contract except for necessaries. Tell them and make them cancel.