UMG Buyers Edge and UMG My Advisor Scam
Credit Card Holders Beware
I entered the first name on the statement, UMG Buyers Edge, and found 11 results. Nine of those 11 were complaints against the company for both the Buyers Edge and UMG My Advisor. Apparently, the charges are often paired together as they were on my husband's credit card. The scam is not particularly new, as one complaint was dated November 4, 2004. A discussion from that date on RuneGame.com Forums gave the following information: "UMG* Buyers Edge 4 Help has been involved with internet fraud buy charging your bank account for stuff you never signed up for. They dont [sic] take much...just $9.99 per month or so. But this adds up to quite abit [sic] if you are not aware and this goes on for several months like this person found out :" The post goes on to quote information from the My3cents.com website of a complaint filed after the person's credit card had been charged $10.00 per month for 11 months.
In a blog found at larseighner.com dated June 2006, the blogger's account was charged $11.99. Then credited, then charged four times in one month. In the blogger's own words, "When I went to the detail page I discovered UMG*Buyers Edge had tapped my debit card for $11.99…So I google UMG Buyers Edge, whereby I discovered UMG is United Marketing Group, which googled up revealed that this is a very common scam for them. They work copromotions [sic] with apparently reputable businesses, even banks. You get nothing from them and they suddenly zap you for the $11.99. On the good side, people reported some luck getting the $11.99 refunded. On the bad side, a few months after the $11.99 is refunded, they zap you with four $11.99 charges all at once." I suppose even on-line scams have to adjust for the rising price of fuel since the charge appears to have gone up eight dollars in a month or two. Other complaints about the UMG Buyers Edge and UMG My Advisor can be found at ComplaintService.com. I was unable to locate any information about the company on the Better Business Bureau's website.
I then entered "United Marketing Group" in my search engine and found ten pages of material all directed to www.unitedmarketing.com. Just by reading the description of each entry, I was able to determine that UMG concentrates heavily on acquiring contacts through third-party companies by promising them billing services, bonuses and other endorsements. They attempt to attract these companies by offering premium travel discounts the companies can use to reward their clients or employees.
In addition to travel programs, it would appear the UMG Buyers Edge and UMG My Advisor scams are also supporting a high-tech auto hotline, protective dental plan, magazine subscription program, prescription savings plan, financial advice, "one-call" credit card registration, and the list goes on and on. One entry stated that UMG handles the billing and processing for many of their clients. Apparently, UMG Buyers Edge is a "comprehensive program designed to address lifestyle…" while the UMG My Advisor is designed to help members with "common financial issues…" My husband has yet to discover what he is a "member" of and what his "financial issues" as applicable to his "lifestyle" are. I must admit that I did not actually follow the link to the website because I was afraid of what charges I might find on my next bill. I did note that each of the entries had "Copyright 2004" written beside it, which just happens to coincide with the earliest complaint against the company that I found.
At this point, all my husband can do is keep in contact with the credit card company and keep a watchful eye on his billing statement. If you should find these unauthorized charges on your statement, be sure to call both the phone numbers listed beside each entry and your credit card company. Many credit card companies also require that disputes of charges be submitted in writing. And keep in mind that other victims of this scam have discovered that just because you are given a "transaction" number and promise of credit by UMG Buyers Edge and UMG My Advisor, this does not always mean the charges will go away.
Published by April Gilford
I am a freelance writer, editor, and psychology transcriber. Publications include Montgomery's Journey Magazine, The Birmingham News, The Southeast Sun, Utmost Christian Writers, and others. I am also an awa... View profile
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- The corporate office address appears on-line as: United Marketing Group 929 N. Plum Grove Road Schaumburg, IL 60173 (847) 240-2005
- Visit ComplaintService.com to read other complaints or to file your own.
- Charges may not disappear just because you were given a transaction number.
- Be sure to follow all guidelines for filing a dispute with your credit card company.
118 Comments
Post a CommentTo all of you complaining and saying this is fraud....Go f*ck yourself and die in a grease fire
ull are just dumb ass. once the attorney general finds out the they arent fraudulent its goinf to make ull look stupid for not listening to the terms of services. dumb ass. hahahahahahahahahahhhahahahahhaha
@NeutralParty..Your an Idiot.And not neutral
The Attorney General of Illinois has been investigating this company...soon the company will be raided and those responsible will be arrested.
Unless you authorize the charge, UMG buyers edge and my advisor can't charge your card anything. I worked in a call center for over a year and over time as a salesperson, you find great ways of getting people to say yes to things they don't want to or don't understand. Your husband must have been sold on the trial membership which continues into the full membership after X amount of days unless he calls to cancel, so next time tell him to listen to exactly what he is signing up for.
Unless of course your information was passed on without disclosure (that's OBVIOUSLY fraudulent).
The issue is the companies and sales people that pass on the information. BUYERS EDGE and MY ADVISOR are not responsible for people getting signed up for their "trial memberships". The companies responsible are those marketing for them.
Don't blame these companies for your mistakes. They are designed to benefit people and market trial memberships so you can test the waters. Just because they charge x.xx/ month doesn't mean it wasn't authorized. It probably was and the person being charged agreed to the terms not knowingly. I myself would not benefit from these type of programs, therefore do not allow any of my information to be sent to them if i purchase something over the phone or online. LISTEN CAREFULLY TO DISCLOSURES AND YOU'LL FIND THAT YOU WON'T RUN INTO THESE PROBLEMS. JUST because other companies market these type of clubs to their customers does not mean they are scams. Grow up and own up to your mistakes before you run your mouth about "fraud". Either that or do some research into what "fraud" actually is.
UMG BUYERS EDGE IS SOMETHING SERIOUS. This company is ripping off people from everywhere. I blame the vendors that are allowing this company to affilate themselves with them when purchasing on-line. Acai Berry Products is who I had placed an order with when I became a victim. It all started in the fall of 2009 and how about they stopped taking my $14.95 for a month then started back again after I canceled and received a cancellation number. There has to be a class action suit or some type of legal action that can be taken aganinst this company and vendors for sharing debit card and credit card information.
haha you'll should listen to the terms of service before you plame someone else for your mistake. hahaha
Thank you for sharing!
I had the same problem: a mysterious subscription charge 0f 14.95.
When I called to cancel, they said it was an offer made to me by SKYMALL.
I very much remember my ONLY purchase through skymall and this was never part of what I agreed to. i just wanted to buy a fountain for my pet
REASON ENOUGH TO NEVER BUY AT SKYMALL AGAIN.
BEWARE.
My Mom is 84 yrs old and she called me to investigate a mysterious charge of 19.95 on her bank statement. It was UMG Buyers Edge 888-326-7156. Called to find out that a company called Voice FX claimed that my Mom gave permission for them to withdraw the funds for some computer voice program or application or something!! My Mom has never even touched a computer! Why would she be buying computer programs!!! UMG said they would refund the 19.95 within 7 to 10 business days . . . . we'll see!!!!!!