Member Works

According to an investigation by the Attorney General's Office of Minnesota, MemberWorks is another name for TheftWorks, as described below:

Minnesota alleged that the telemarketers omitted essential information, and used scripts containing "false statements or half-truths" to mislead and confuse consumers. Telemarketers told consumers they would send them a "trial packet" in the mail. Minnesota alleged that the company construed acceptance of this trial packet as an agreement to charge the consumer's credit card or bank account after 30 days unless the consumer canceled. Minnesota said many consumers were unaware they had incurred an obligation because they had not disclosed their account numbers and did not know that the MemberWorks ' companies already had them. Minnesota alleged that in many cases the telemarketer considered a consumer to have consented when he provided the telemarketer with his date of birth, and "never obtain[ed] any form of express authorization from the consumer for the membership charge."

See http://www.ag.state.mn.us/consumer/privacy/pr/pr_memberworks_41900.html for full details.

Memberworks aka MWI

address: 9500 West Dodge Rd, Omaha, NE 68114
address: 11165 Mill Valley Road, Omaha, NE 68154
address: 7234 Southwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77074
address: 9 West Broad St, Stamford, CT 06902
address: 327 Hillsborough St, Raleigh, NC 27603
address: P. O. Box 24128, Omaha, NE 68124
phone: 402-661-2000
phone: 402-492-2575
phone: 281-552-6100
phone: 203-674-7432
phone: 203-964-0239
phone: 402-661-2445
phone: 203-324-7635 (corporate offices)
phone: 203-964-0239 (corporate offices)
fax: 203-674-7026 (per domain registration)
fax: 203-674-7080 (corporate offices)
phone: 800-211-9749 (24Protect Plus)
phone: 800-313-3540
phone: 800-544-3738 (Privacy Plus)
phone: 800-568-2386
phone: 800-808-3795
phone: 800-955-2625 (per domain registration)
phone: 877-503-4052
phone: 888-241-0073 (Simple Escapes

)
phone: 800-847-7860 (Lifestyle Rewards, Montreal)
web site: http://memberworks.com/
web site: http://membershipme.com
web site: http://24protectplus123.com
corporate profile: http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=mbrs&script=100.

This company runs a bunch of membership programs:

MWI Essentials

MWI Connections

Leisure Advantage

Homeworks

Valuemax Shopping Service

Simple Escapes

24Protect Plus

and more, according to the BBB:

24 Assist - Canada
24 Protect
American Express Health Services
BusinessMax
Card Protect Plus - Canada
Cardmember Protection Service
Countrywide Dental & Health
First Fun
First USA CWD
GM Travel
HealthMax Advantage
Healthtrends
Home & Garden Rewards
Lifestyles Rewards - Canada
Market Plaza
PremierHealth
Quick Assist - Canada
Sears CDHP
Sears Health Connections
Sears Healthtrends
Sears PremierHealth
SmartSource
Travel Arrangements
Travel Club AMEX
Travel Source - Canada
WWF X-perience

BBB Reports

Heartland BBB: http://www.heartlandbbb.org/Reliability_Report.asp?compid=7000028
Heartland BBB: http://www.heartlandbbb.org/Reliability_Report.asp?compid=4009469 (Connections)
Heartland BBB: http://www.heartlandbbb.org/Reliability_Report.asp?compid=4009477 (24Protect)
Houston BBB: http://dell.hurdmanivr.com/hous/common.html?location=/home/common/www/mis67/report.php&bureau=hous&compid=35000835
Kitchener BBB: http://dell.hurdmanivr.com/kitch/report.html?compid=23077

Other Reports

Lawsuits for unauthorized credit card charges: http://www.sptimes.com/News/061901/TampaBay/Lawsuits_allege_unaut.shtml (St. Petersburg Times, 6/19/2001)
Credit Card Charges: http://www.kwch.com/iteam/MGB3LQ1DH0D.html (KWCH, 4/25/2002)
Credit Card Cramming: http://www.wivb.com/Global/story.asp?S=903650 (WIVB, 8/20/2002)
lawsuit: http://www.jameshoyer.com/problem_membershipclubs.html

Complaints

Consumer Group USA Chat Forum: http://www.consumergroup.com/wwwboard/wwwboard.html
MemberWorks Complaint1
Ripoff Report: http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff43864.htm
http://kadyellebee.com/mt/past/2001/10/000971.php
http://www.darkangelzone.com/journal.php?comments=12

MemberWorks Propaganda

Per the FTC, at least four states -- Minnesota, New York, Nebraska, and California -- have obtained either an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance ("AVC") or a court settlement with MemberWorks. Nebraska obtained an AVC in February 2001 that applies nationwide. The AVC requires MemberWorks to provide refunds to consumers alleging unauthorized charges and includes detailed conduct provisions applicable to MemberWorks' marketing of membership programs. See MemberWorks Complaints for details.

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