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I had received (without prior permission, nor any notification of) the FYE Backstage VIP Pass. I say I was not informed because when purchasing a few last minute christmas gifts, the clerk asked if I would like to save 15% on my NEXT purchase (notice the 'next', because there was no savings advertised for the current one) to which I replied no thank you. I guess the clerk just decided to add the card on and then after wrapping all the presents I found at least 2-3 packets of the same information, as well as cards detailing information on the VIP Backstage Pass. I promptly discarded these packets due to the fact that I had made no purchase of them (to my knowledge) and I was under the impression they were some sort of promotional product I need not worry myself with. After about a month or so, I check my credit card online statement (which should have been a balance of 0.00$, I had just made a payment) only to find that a product marked as FYE VIP Pass had charged me a total of 11.99$. I am beside myself with rage, the company CIC Triple Advantage has previously attempted to access my account for a total of 3 months in the past, and I made one complaint to the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and POOF, the whole mess was gone and I received my money back in full. I do not want to have to do this again, and I am hoping this works and clears out this charge and any further charges to my credit. This is fraud in the highest form and companies that commit it should be stripped and shut down.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
My name is Sean. I was a previous sales associate working for FYE (Trans World Entertainment). I am very familiar with this VIP discount card you all are talking about. It's called a "Backstage Pass Card." There are two versions of it the BSP and the BSPVIP. The Backstage Pass is only a $25.00 fee a year to have the card, and you save 10% off your purchase everytime oyu come in to FYE. The Backstage Pass VIP is a discount card that works for FYE, but also thousands of other locations in the area, such as restaurants, airfare, hotels, etc. You also save the same 10% discount for FYE as well. It was originally $9.99 a month to keep the card, prior to November 2009, but after November, the company changed the card's renewal fee to $11.99 a month. To even get the BSPVIP card, you'll have to pay by a credit card, so if you WANT TO keep it, it'll be a $11.99 renewal fee.
The information above is listed in the fine print on the card's booklet, as well as the receipt you HAD TO sign to even be charged for the card. If you were signed up for the card, the company's rules were you had to sign two receipts -- One approving of the transaction, and another one which AGREES to the FINE PRINT that if you DO NOT CANCEL AFTER THE FIRST MONTH, it will be an $11.99 charge to your card to KEEP the discount card. You also get a $20.00 FYE gift card if you kept it for two months, meaning, you get the first month free and you pay $11.99 to keep the card for the month.
To even sign up for the card though you need the following information for our records and computers: First & Last Name, Full Address (City, State, Zip), Phone Number, Email Address. Without the above information, it would be a fraud to even charge someone with the card UNLESS you STILL signed both receipts WITHOUT reading the fine print on them. (Note: ALWAYS read the fine print!) The sales associate might have put in fake information to charge you though, so who knows.
The experience I have had with this card isn't pleasant, nor is the time I have had working for FYE or Trans World Entertainment. I have seen the true colors of this company for whom they really are, and I'll be honest -- It has disappointed me. To one of the commenters above, yes, there is a quota each sales associate has to obtain a day and a week for these Backstage Pass VIP cards. Actually, we have a quota for a lot of things; reserves, bsp, bspvip, special orders, magazine subscriptions, etc... This is part of the reason why I left the company, because of this quota. It was rather demeaning to my own being having to sell these discount cards to people that obviously didn't want them.
I do not support FYE, Trans World Entertainment, nor these Backstage Pass VIP cards. To put this all on a lighter note, I believe that the experiences you guys have had might have been a misunderstanding, or just crooked sales associates trying to make their quota, because believe me -- I have had my managers and district managers breathing down my neck if I didn't make the quota or make "good numbers."
I apologize to everyone that has had a hard time with the company. I am on your side and I'm quite familiar with the frustration. I just wish that you all will understand that it probably wasn't the sales associates fault. It might have been pressure to push harder for the company or the risk of losing your job. It's a shame honestly. It really is.
Now I see why Redninja is such an advocate! I had no idea you worked for them! Is this your job, to sit here and defend? Why don't you get to work on the cashiers who conveniently forget to tell the stupid customer there is a monthly fee?!
I feel the same way about this VIP crap! I was in a hurry, shopping for a picky 10 year old in a massive crowd-- all fighting for overpriced dvd's and cd's-- when the cashier asked me to sign up for the rewards program! She knew I was distracted and was in a hurry so she quickly asked for my zip code and phone number. I never gave my actual address and she had my name from my credit card. She looked me right in the eye and said to go online and finish the registration. Here I thought it was like a bonus card-- one you'd use at a grocery store. She NEVER mentioned there is a monthly fee!
Of course my bank statement came and there it was... $11.99. I *immediately* cancelled. He said he was sending a $20 gift card for being an "active member" for 2 months. (I shopped there ONCE) Another month went by... no gift card but yet another charge for the membership! About a week later the gift card arrived. How nice! I was *thrilled*! And so was my 10 year old! Here I thought it was sent for being inconvenienced! LOL! Yeah... it wasn't.
I called to cancel the membership, yet again, only to find the offices were closed until Monday. Typical.
I immediately took my son back to FYE to quickly use the card. Well... we get there and the friggen store had CLOSED! Not just closed for the night, but no longer in business! I was LIVID to say the least! I drove 28+ miles to another location to find that that store was also in mid closing sales--- which meant there wasn't much left.
So...REDNINJA, congrats to you for being so smart! You *never have done something inadvertently? BULL-----! I'd love to see you stand there, in public, and thoroughly read the crap most cashiers hand people. LMAO
"Get a life"? Really? Do you normally go to random sites and tell people how it is? You're an idiot.
are you stupid?
you save the 10% on the purchase RIGHT THEN!
the computer automatically does it. plus it saves you 10% every time you shop.
and, i find it hard to believe that you gave her your full name, address, birth date, phone number and email...
then signed a seperate piece of paper that CONFIRMS that you are signing up for the 30 day free trial.
Get a life. stop lying.
I just checked my checking account and I see a debit pending for $9.99 to FYE. What the heck is this FYE - VIP Backstage Pass? My husband doesn't know either. We have no idea what FYE is! Is it a retail store? Do they sell tickets to concerts? Backstage Pass? Backstage pass to what? I'm a V.I.P.?
We are Amercian diplomats in Slovakia and have been here since July of 09. Neither of us have flown back to the states for anything. Today is Saturday. Come Monday, I plan to open a can all over this FYE outfit! From the blogs and complaints I'm reading online, it might behoove the American people that I lawyer up on this one!
This happened to me as well. In my situation, I gave no information to the cashier besides my debit card. I did not give my address or phone number. The only slip I signed was my receipt. I never asked to be signed up for a program of any kind, and yet I have had money taken out of my account for the past two months. I called the number to cancel last month, but I was still charged again this month.
FYE
I just got back 2 years worth of $11.99 a month FYE charged me while I was enrolled in their scam without my knowledge. I'll tell you how I did it.
There are a lot of problems with what fye is doing with their programs but I will just cover how to get your money back.
First, call fye, have your service canceled, ask them how long you have been signed up, where you were signed up and how much money they have debited from you since your sign up. Make sure you get a cancellation number. They won't help you with anything else so don't try to get them to refund you. The true culprit is the business that signed you up without your knowledge and it should be illegal. They essentially stole and misused your credit or debit card number.
Once I found out I was being debited by fye, I had them cancel the subscription then I started at the bottom. I called the store where I was signed up. Make sure you get the store manager. If they are not available, find out when they will be in and call back. Only the manager will be able to help you.
Be polite. It may be their fault, but if you yell at them they will be less likely to want to help you. Explain your situation to them, that you did not sign up for the service and that you want them to deal with it. In my situation the manager said she would email the company to sort it out. Make sure you tell them how much money was taken from you by fye and how long you have been signed up without your knowledge.
If for some reason they refuse to help you make sure you mention that you intend to file a report with the federal trade commission, the better business bureau, the mall or building that their shop is in and the police, since this is credit card fraud. They will most likely take you seriously at this point. Again, be polite but persistent.
Make sure you follow up with the manager regularly, call them maybe once or twice a week to keep them honest. It took the manager 2 weeks to give me a final answer and in the end she said the company would refund all of my money, 2 days later I got an email from fye saying the money would be refunded, 2 more days and all at once, 24, $11.99 deposits hit my bank account.
Be patient, if they are wrong there is a way to get your money back, but be prepared to follow through with your promise if they don't help you. My next plan was to call the mall the business is located in and inform them of the credit card number theft, then the police, the the FTC and BBB.
The problem was the cashier. He/she did not properly inform you of the terms. Although I find it interesting that you freely gave your full name, address and phone number without question. And that you signed TWO slips without wondering what you were signing.