Hi Brad,
Mine was a one-time only charge.
Cheers,
Becky
On Fri, Mar 13, 2015 at 1:30 PM, Brad Busenius <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
> Thanks Mark!
>
> Becky, did I misunderstand about your charge? Was yours also reoccurring?
>
> Brad
>
> On 3/13/15 10:43 AM, Becky Yoose wrote:
>
>> Thank you, Mark.
>>
>> On Fri, Mar 13, 2015 at 10:41 AM, Mark A. Matienzo <
>> [log in to unmask]>
>>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Becky, Brad,
>>>
>>> I passed on links to this thread to Louisa Kwasigroch at DLF, who may be
>>> able to let you know if any other registered attendees had this issue.
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>> Mark
>>>
>>> --
>>> Mark A. Matienzo <[log in to unmask]>
>>> Director of Technology, Digital Public Library of America
>>>
>>> On Fri, Mar 13, 2015 at 11:26 AM, Becky Yoose <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi Brad,
>>>>
>>>> If there was an option for an annual subscription for ACTIVE as part of
>>>>
>>> the
>>>
>>>> registration process, I'm wondering why this wasn't brought up during
>>>> the
>>>> registration period. What you are describing would have been suspicious
>>>>
>>> to
>>>
>>>> anyone signing up for the conference.
>>>>
>>>> If I remember correctly, DLF was the one who handled the fiances for
>>>>
>>> 2013,
>>>
>>>> so if someone from DLF is on the list, can they doublecheck to see if
>>>>
>>> there
>>>
>>>> was anything like Brad described below?
>>>>
>>>> Thanks,
>>>> Becky
>>>>
>>>> On Fri, Mar 13, 2015 at 10:17 AM, Brad Busenius <[log in to unmask]
>>>> >
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> They are separate charges. WithdrawalACT*Council is probably the charge
>>>>> for the conference. I probably have that one too. The Active charge
>>>>>
>>>> came
>>>
>>>> later as an annual subscription. They used the conference registration
>>>>>
>>>> as a
>>>>
>>>>> way to trick people into opting in to their unrelated service. I assume
>>>>> most people noticed this and opted out. I did not notice and therefore
>>>>>
>>>> did
>>>>
>>>>> not opt out. That's what I think happened, anyhow. I am looking for
>>>>> confirmation on this. I've had to piece things together.
>>>>>
>>>>> Brad
>>>>>
>>>>> On 3/12/15 7:48 PM, Becky Yoose wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> A follow-up - the charge name that is listed on my statement for 2013
>>>>>> registration is WithdrawalACT*Council on Library which is different
>>>>>>
>>>>> than
>>>
>>>> what you have listed in your statement. :-(
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>>> Becky
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Sent from the ball and chain
>>>>>> On Mar 12, 2015 7:22 PM, "Becky Yoose" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Hello Brad,
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I'm sorry to hear about the suspicious charges! Per your request, I
>>>>>>> checked the history of the the account I used to pay for 2013 and did
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> not
>>>>
>>>>> find a reoccurring charge like the one you described. I wonder what
>>>>>>> happened with your account...
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>>>> Becky
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Sent from the ball and chain
>>>>>>> On Mar 12, 2015 7:09 PM, "Brad Busenius" <[log in to unmask]>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hi everybody,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I hope this is the right place to inquire about this. I have some
>>>>>>>> information about a possible problem with the company handling
>>>>>>>> registration
>>>>>>>> for code4lib. I recently noticed a suspicious charge on my credit
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> card
>>>
>>>> for
>>>>>>>> the amount of $64.95. The charge showed up as ACT*ACTIVE-NETWORK.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> After
>>>>
>>>>> some investigation I found out this was from a company called ACTIVE
>>>>>>>> Network, LLC. Apparently this company handles registration for
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> events.
>>>
>>>> To my dismay I found out that I had been charged for this annually
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> since
>>>>
>>>>> 2013. I'm very embarrassed that 1. I didn't notice this during the
>>>>>>>> registration process and 2. I didn't catch the charges earlier.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Anyhow,
>>>>
>>>>> after a quick email search I found something surprising; I had
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> received
>>>>
>>>>> emails from this company at my /work/ email address. I never noticed
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> the
>>>>
>>>>> emails because they looked like junkmail, however, upon reviewing
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> them I
>>>>
>>>>> discovered that at some point I had supposedly registered for a free
>>>>>>>> trial
>>>>>>>> that ended after a month, at which point I was automatically
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> enrolled
>>>
>>>> into
>>>>>>>> an annual subscription. Needless to say, I//did /not/ ever sign up
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> for
>>>
>>>> any
>>>>>>>> trial or subscription, at least not to my knowledge.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Since I have only used my personal credit card for work purposes 3
>>>>>>>> times,
>>>>>>>> it was easy to tie this to code4lib 2013. I looked at my receipt for
>>>>>>>> code4lib 2013 and saw that something called RegOnline (owned by
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Lanyon
>>>
>>>> Solutions Inc) was used to process my event registration. Though I'm
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> not
>>>>
>>>>> sure this is the same company, RegOnline, Lanyon Solutions Inc, and
>>>>>>>> ACTIVE
>>>>>>>> Network, LLC all share the same physical address. I suspect these
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> three
>>>>
>>>>> companies are one and the same and will refer to them as ACTIVE
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Network,
>>>>
>>>>> LLC for the rest of this email.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I did a little investigating and found out that ACTIVE Network, LLC.
>>>>>>>> uses
>>>>>>>> unscrupulous business practices to trick people into singing up for
>>>>>>>> their
>>>>>>>> annual subscription. The crux of this is an "automatic opt-in" they
>>>>>>>> employ
>>>>>>>> while processing enrollments for third parties. Though I'm very
>>>>>>>> embarrassed
>>>>>>>> I didn't catch this, in my own defense I wasn't expecting it while
>>>>>>>> registering for an academic conference. I'm not blaming anyone nor
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> am
>>>
>>>> I
>>>>
>>>>> angry with anyone on this list. I only send this email to inquire
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> and
>>>
>>>> inform:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> 1. To see if anyone else has had a similar experience.
>>>>>>>> 2. To warn other people from code4lib to check their bank
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> statements.
>>>
>>>> 3. To plead with the community to stop using ACTIVE Network, LLC and
>>>>>>>> anything affiliated with them for registration.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Let me be frank for a moment. ACTIVE Network, LLC engages in highly
>>>>>>>> unethical business practices. I did not intend to enroll in any
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> annual
>>>
>>>> subscriptions when I registered for code4lib and I never would have
>>>>>>>> agreed
>>>>>>>> to anything of the sort had I noticed what was happening.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Additionally,
>>>>
>>>>> the
>>>>>>>> subscription isn't at all relevant to code4lib. I'm not even sure
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> what
>>>
>>>> value is being provided by the subscription. I think it has
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> something
>>>
>>>> to do
>>>>>>>> with coupons for outdoor exercise equipment but I'm not even sure.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Also,
>>>>
>>>>> these guys are bad. They lost class action lawsuits in Iowa and
>>>>>>>> Vermont. In
>>>>>>>> fact, this whole thing is just bad all around. Since noticing the
>>>>>>>> fraudulent charges this morning, I've already disputed them with my
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> bank
>>>>
>>>>> and filed a formal complaint against ACTIVE Network, LLC with the
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> better
>>>>
>>>>> business bureau. Apparently I'm not the only one:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> 1. http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/bodywork/the-fit-list/
>>>>>>>> Active-Network-Consumer-Complaints.html
>>>>>>>> 2.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> http://www.yelp.com/biz/active-network-san-diego?sort_by=date_desc
>>>
>>>> 3. http://legalnewsline.com/news/253622-active-network-will-
>>>>>>>> pay-160k-to-consumers-after-action-by-vermont-ag
>>>>>>>> 4. https://encrypted.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Iowa%20ACTIVE%
>>>>>>>> 20Network%2C%20LLC#hl=en&q=Active+Network+scam
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I apologize if I've made an error in my investigation or if I've
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> done
>>>
>>>> something inappropriate by emailing this list. I can't imagine that
>>>>>>>> anyone
>>>>>>>> would have intended anything like this but I thought you should all
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> be
>>>
>>>> aware.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Sincerely,
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Brad Busenius
>>>>>>>> Web Administrator
>>>>>>>> The University of Chicago Library
>>>>>>>> (773) 702-4391
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
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