Advertising Specialty Institute, Incorporated

Review: I cancelled my subscription to the ASI service last year. Yesterday, a charge for $59.58 was taken from my [redacted] card without my authorization. I tracked the transaction down to discover that it was made by ASI. I called them to ask why they had made an unauthorized deduction from my account--since it was cancelled last year. They were very unprofessional - refused to replace the funds into my account and said they had no record of my cancellation and that would not give me the money back. I was shocked.Desired Settlement: I want my money returned to my account immediately and a letter acknowledging that my account was cancelled so that this never happens again.

Business

Response:

[redacted]

The Revdex.com

Dear [redacted]:

Thank you for taking the time to talk with me this morning. As we discussed, Advertising Specialty Institute’s response to [redacted]’s complaint #[redacted] was faxed to the Revdex.com yesterday. It was due 10 days from mail date March 6, 2014 but the 16th was a Sunday, so I sent it yesterday on Monday the 17th. You told me this morning that the fax did not arrive, so here is an email with the same response content. Please let me know if you have questions or need additional information from Advertising Specialty Institute.

[redacted] contacted ASI on September 3, 2013 requesting she be listed as an ASI distributor member. ASI reviewed [redacted]’s request to join as a distributor member and processed her application for membership immediately, issuing her asi #[redacted]: Design Club of [redacted] and primary [redacted].

[redacted] spoke with an ASI representative who explained to her the specifics about her distributor membership package, as well as the payment expectations. At the time of application, [redacted] was asked for a valid credit card with the understanding it would be placed on her account with ASI to use for future charges. [redacted] provided ASI with a credit card.

[redacted] paid ASI’s distributor membership fee of $29.99 for the month of Sept. 2013. For all following months, her monthly charge of $29.99 was not paid timely because each time ASI attempted to charge her credit card it declined; months of Oct. 2013, Nov. 2013 and Dec. 2013. Payments eventually went through to cover each monthly payment, but each missed their due dates.

[redacted]’s credit card declined again during the months of Jan. 2014 and Feb. 2014 for $29.99 each. Her card eventually went through for two payments, covering the months of January and February, it was paid on March 3, 2014 in the total amount of $59.98. This is the $59.98 amount which [redacted] claims was taken from her [redacted] card without her authorization which is not correct.

ASI’s records indicate that the first time [redacted] advised ASI that she wanted to cancel her ASI distributor membership was on March 4, 2014. Her comment that she was “shocked” is inconsistent with her communications with ASI. Several times when ASI tried to contact [redacted] about her membership and charges that were due she was not available. ASI learned that [redacted] works a full-time job not associated with her distributor membership. For this reason it was difficult to reach [redacted] to discuss her membership and account status.

ASI attempted to send [redacted] her new distributor welcome kit 3 separate times via UPS and each time it was returned undeliverable. [redacted] then requested that ASI send the welcome kit to her full-job job address which was done.

ASI cancelled [redacted]’s distributor membership on March 6, 2014 which was 2 days after she placed the cancel request with ASI on March 4, 2014. This is considered timely cancellation processing.

After receiving the Revdex.com complaint, ASI reviewed the file for asi/[redacted]. A decision was made to refund [redacted] the $59.98 via her credit card and to close this matter, despite the chronology above which indicates the charges were owed to ASI.

Regards,

[redacted], BASI

Vice President of Member Services & Support

Advertising Specialty Institute | Promoting Success™

Email: [redacted]

Phone: ###-###-####

Fax: ###-###-####

Web: www.asicentral.com

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

The statement made by this company does not contain the most relevant information. I placed a called [redacted] to terminate my membership via voicemail. She sent an email back stating that she would contact me. I cancelled primarily because I was being bombarded by vendor solicitations for orders. On 11/6, I received an email from a [redacted] stating that my card was declining the membership fee payment. I called back to ask why my request for cancellation had not been handled - left a second voicemail for [redacted]. I then got an email from a [redacted] saying that my card was declining the fee. There are a lot of people in this company - but no one was listening to me.

If my request for cancellation had been processed when I requested it - none of this would have happened.

I did receive a refund of the $59.98 that was recently taken from my credit card in MARCH.

Regards,