Just found out I'm being scammed.
Remember the old Citibank card in connection with Shell ? When they finished, their accounts were taken over by OPUS credit card. I naven't used mine much, just one purchase in June and nothing 'til last week.
Got a statemant last week which showed £9.95 due following another previous statement for the same amount in November, which I paid without querying . This time, suspicious, I Googled the firm asking for the money, Valuesaver Stafford. and came up with this.
OPUS - Posted 26.09.2011AVOID THIS CARD COMPANY AS THERE ARE INVOLVED WITH A SCAM WHICH INVOLVES THEM GIVING YOUR CARD DEATAILS TO A COMPANY CALLED VALUESAVER STAFFORD AND THEY DEBIT YOUR CARD EACH MONTH FOR A PRODUCT YOU DON'T WANT AND ITS UP TO YOU TO OPT OUT ....IT TAKES YOU TIME AND MONEY TO OPT OUT AND ALL THE PROBLEMS ARE CAUSED BY OPUS AGENTS....... I CUT MY OPUS CARD IN HALF BETTER STILL DO NOT GET INVOLVED WITH THIS OPUS COMPANY
» Read more of this Topic | » Add a Review Value for Money Your RatingOpus Credit Card - Posted 12.09.2011Avoid avoid avoid ....this company took over from Shell and Citi and are involving people in a scam with a company called Valuesaver Stafford where your card is debited and later an Opus sales person tries to sell you Identity protection .....just say no and cut your card up as there are many better credit card companies that would not do this...what a scam and it will cost you time and money to put things right
So, I'll be on the phone to Opus on Tuesday, probably with some bad language.
I note the writer above has cut his card up...I assume this won't stop the demands/interest/late payment fees ?
Anybody else on here been hit by these rogues ?
Ted
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No, though I had a Shell Citi card. I think the account was just withdrawn? I don't recall it being moved to another provider anyway, maybe I need to check...
The thing with credit card mandates is that they can't be cancelled with the card issuer, in the way that you can cancel a direct debit authority with a bank. That ignores of course the fact that you might not have authorised it in the first place...
Cutting the physical card up achieves nothing.
Thanks for the warning.
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Recurring payment authorities - formerly known as continuous payment authorities - can be applied to a debit card/current bank account as well.
They are harder to get rid of than a rash, so the best advice is never, ever, sign one:
www.lovemoney.com/news/scams-and-rip-offs/scams/4280/watch-out-for-this-appalling-scam
Last edited by: Iffy on Sat 31 Dec 11 at 17:36
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My Shell Citibank account was moved to Opus and I cancelled it.
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So did I.
Moved to Capital One. 3% cashback for the first 3 months, although a max of £100 I think.
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Never got involved in this type of thing as i don't like plastic so only have the bare minimum, but the of hundreds of emails i receive weekly and delete if i can be bothered suddenly took a sinister turn last week.
Got a letter properly addressed and franked in the box with another of the usual twaddle stories about some long dead geezer with a similar name to me and untold millions waiting to be claimed.
Presumably the scammer thinks i'm worth the expense of a letter.
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I kept the Opus card, purely as a back up. I'm not a big user of cards and I always settle in full at bill time. I used it once, for the Caravan insurance, by phone. I couldn't remember the PIN for everyday use, so I didn't bother with it again 'til last week when I bought a tankful of DERV on it to ease the battering the debit card was getting over Christmas.
I have never taken out a mandate to these people or any other regular payment. It's just fraud in my book.
II'll be speaking very firmly to Opus about the giving out of my card details to these fraudsters.
The card will be cut up and the account closed when it's settled with them and I've got my £9.95 back.
These scum presumably make a lot of money from people less able to look after their affairs...and that makes me mad !
Ted
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Update...
Had another look at the Complaints.com forum and decided to have a go at Valuesaver. Posters have reported that if you phone Opus they just tell you to write in...then they don't reply.....dead end !
There was an eleven figure number which I thought was Valuesaver's account bo but as it began with 0800, I gave it a try. It was answered promptly by a charming young lady who told me it was an insurance which I was given free for three months trial. If I didn't want it after that, I needed to contact them. She asked for my account no. I asked where that was and she said it was in the introductory pack from them.
When I told her I had never received anything from them or spoken to anyone she immediately said she'd arrange for it all to be cancelled and the money refunded to my card.
I suppose they rely on the folks who don't notice the charge and just let the payments rack up. She somewhat took the wind out of my sails and we parted amicably with my thanks.....no fight today then !
Unusual that they had a Freephone no and I guess her instructions were to be nice and helpful to save matters going any further.
Something to look out for in future.
Ted
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Another scam. - Manatee
