WARNING about cheap-copy.com (copywriting service)

Hello,

I want to tell you about my experience with cheap-copy.com a copywriting service for website content / sales letters etc.

I have contaced this person in August about the re-write of content for the website of my company. After some initial talks I had a good feeling about him and that he knows what he is doing. So we agreed on a price for the whole project and I prepaid via our VISA card (the prepayment was a condition from his side).

Since this time, when asking about the status of the project he always claimed that he is working on it but it would take some more time. After I´ve asked for results, just a proof that he did anything, he always told me that he "doesn´t like working with a gun on his head".

So time passed and several emails were going back and forth, until I´ve got an email from him at the end of November saying that "if I need any changes he will be on holidays for some days now". The email, however, didn´t include the attachement (the finished project) he claimed it should have. So I wrote him back about that I did not receive anything and got a reply saying that he wonders why the file didn´t went through but that he also can do a refund of my payment if I wish. (please note that he did not even attempt a second time to send me the file) Since I was very scared already at this time I told him that he should please issue the refund and he said that the refund has been processed at the 6. December and that it should be back on our credit card soon.

So the waiting did go on and no refund arrived till the end of December. Since VISA in Germany only allows chargebacks for one month, this timeframe was over for along time already and all attempts to recover the payment this way failed (VISA said it is to late) After emailing him again he said that it is the first refund he processed and that he could have done it wrong - he will try it once again soon. After emailing him at the start of January once again I was only able to reach his wife, who told me that he is ill and she has no idea how to do the refund. So I´ve emailed her our direct bank-connection with the order to do a wire-transfer and that we will carry all fees - no reply since then and on the telephonenumber I found in the whois record, only an answering machine is picking up since days. (no call back either)

My very last idea to see if he is really ill or just ignores me and wants to keep the money, was to contact him via his website from a different email, asking for a big project to be done. And guess what who personalized (no auto-response) replied just some hours later with a quote and a direct-link for the payment!

What I also noticed is that they now have switched from a merchant account (the one I previously paid through) to 2Checkout. I can only guess why.

Watch out about this company, it seems definetely to be a scam!

 

what a scumbag. would this have been averted if you paid through paypal?

 

PayPal wouldn´t have helped in this case as well, since they do not allow buyer complains about services.

 

Then Visa is WRONG!!! Whoever you talked to is an idiot. You can charge back up to 6 months. Here is the key... Did you SIGN anything? Without a signature on file, Visa will do the charge back up to 6 months out.

Believe me, as a merchant we see this all the time. The best thing you could have done when you bought this guys services was to use your CC like you did. The consumer ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS wins....

Anyway, call your card company back and ask to speak to someone that knows what the hell they are talking about.

 

Thanks for your tips Mia and Smyrl,

unfortunately I have a long and still ongoing discussion with VISA Germany and my issuing bank already. Since I am from Germany the VISA regulations are different and my contract clearly states that I must control all transactions and latestly complain 1 month afterwards, even if it was a fraudulent order. There are some court-cases where VISA had to do it 3 months afterwards because the customer was on holidays and couldn´t control his statement, but for me it was actually 4 months later when I complained and there is no way anymore. VISA USA is completely different in this case and I know that being a merchant account owner too - but unfortunately VISA Germany is a PRETTY different story.

I will keep you updated what happens next - I´ve played all my options already and let´s see what comes back.

 

This is really odd because we had someone 8 months out dispute $2500 in services via Visa from Germany. They were able to because we did not have a signature on file. Of course the "frauud" was on their end, because the service they got, they just decided not to pay for it 8 months after we sold it to them.

Anyway, I think it is worth a try. Read through the chargeback forms as they usually always say 30 days, "unless", there is no signature on file.

Good luck.

 

Mia, thanks again. I am in communication via written letters with VISA, the issuing bank AND the process of my bank (the ones that do the VISA transactions for the bank). They are ALL refusing to do anything about it and say "you´d have to review it earlier". They also cannot provide me with a signature for the transaction (I´ve asked them to show me the signature I did for this), but still say if I did it over the internet then there is no signature needed. All 3 of them say exactly the same after I´ve sent about 3-4 letters to each and even threatened to take them to court but all still refuse to do a chargeback.

 

btw, the bank is "ING" and their processor is Atos Worldline. Both of them do also business in the USA, but probably with a very different attitude over here in Germany!

 

100% of the time if you tell them you did not receive any product, you will get your money back- no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Go after him. Make phone calls every day, until you get the result you want.

 

schlottke, that what I told VISA as well, but as you see they refuse.

I´ve send cheap-copy.com to a collection agency already, let´s see.

 

Boy I would love it if the CC companies would finally recogizne an internet transaction as a "signature". From my perspective that would likely save me thousands a year. This is really odd as I have yet to find a merchant/cc/bank that does.

 

yes, it is really odd and you´ve probably found the right bank here then! It´s unbelieveable for me as well.

 

WHy not file a case against them?

 

Just seen this thread and wanted to back it up.

I had exactly the same experience with this company - in fact the copywriter is Grady Smith of 1245 E Lincoln Avenueith of Fort Collins CO 80524.

I paid by credit card after engaging his service via a phone call. After sending the product to have copy written - a big series of dvd's - nothing happened.

In spite of several attempts to get some response I had to go back the the credit card company.

Very fortunately they gave me a full refund in the end.

But the man is certainly not to be trusted for business as far as my experience tells me.

 

ive seen their website, but after taking a quick search on google i found there wqas something spooky going on with them.