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Thanks for giving us the heads-up, Brad. I've used my work procurement card for Code4Lib registrations, and I haven't seen anything like you've described. Peter > On Mar 12, 2015, at 8:08 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