For several days I kept getting calls (at least six) identified on my caller ID as CELEBRATION, but when I answered there was no one there. One time I called back, but the phone just rang and rang. Then, today, Oct 11, 2007,I decided to see what the deal was. A woman who identified herself as Julia Smith, employee 21064 of a company called Value Benefits of America. Strangely, with such an American name she clearly had an Asian-type accent that seemed like it was from India. She gave me the customer service call from this number for this company 866-916-8814 and a website www.freebeegas.com. I tried it later, and it was answered by a woman with an American accent who answered, "customer service Value Benefitis of America." I hung up and didn't ask her any questions. Earlier in the week I had responded to an email that seemed legitimate offering a $500 spending spree and a $125 gas card spendable at any retail store. I toyed around with it but bailed out of the website when they asked for my credit card. So I figured this was a follow up to that. Sure enough, Julia offered the same deal on the condition of paying $2.25 charged to a credit card within ten days of receiving my package. She said nothing else would be charged unless I chose to become a member for only $69.95 a month. She asked for my name, birth date, and address and the expiration date of of a VISA, MASTERCARD, or AMERICAN EXPRESS credit card, but not my card number. Eventually she connected me to a verifying supervisor, who identified himself as "Roy Phillips." He too had the same Asian or Indian accent. When I asked where he was calling from or if he was calling from India, he became defensive and challenging, asking me why I would make such an assumption. I told him I just wanted to make sure that this was all legitimate. He said he had an "Asian accent," was calling from DeMoine Iowa. At that point I got on the internet as he suggested to check out the website and noticed the company listed its headquarters in Largo, Florida. When I mentioned that the company was in Largo, Florida (not in Iowa), he couldn't understand the word Largo and I had to repeat it two or three times. At that point I became even more suspicious. However, I played along until he finally said he was recording information, including my credit card number. When he started the automated call requesting this information, if I didn't give it fast enough, he would interrupt me and come back on the line asking for the same information. I repeated my name and address but never gave him the credit card number. Then I hung up. He called back three more times. Twice I let it ring until it went to voice mail. The third time I had my son answer and tell him to put our number on their no-call list. He begged to talk to me but my son just hung up. If this is a legitimate company and offer, they have a real PR problem with "Roy Phillips" and his defensiveness and hostility and need to fire that guy. He was just TOO desperate to get my credit card information.
Yes I received the welcome card and the dealership downloaded and made me copies of the vouchers I would need to send in to FreeBeeGas along with the receipts for $100.00 of purchased gas each month. I have been sending in the receipts for the last 5 months along with notes asking where and when am I going to receive anything from them. As of today 2/09/09 I have not heard nor have I received a darn thing from anyone. Ourisman/Rockmont Chevrolet on RT. 355 in Rockville, Md. is the dealership. I guess the next step is to complain to the sales department at Ourisman.
I just spent half an hour on the phone with a guy with a thick Indian accent who claimed his name was "Sean Morgan." He said that I had given his company ("Super Savings Today") my card information, which I never did, and had authorized a $4.95 charge to receive $300 in gas vouchers. He said the gas vouchers were sent back to his office (which he claimed were in California, but if you look at the website for the company it is listed as Florida) because of a 1-digit error in my zip code. They somehow had my name and address, and said he would transfer me to a secure line where I simply had to give my name, address, and card information for them to "verify" and make sure no one else could use it, and that at that point I could request to cancel the service. He said I had to first give them this information before they could give me a service number to go and cancel. When he passed me on to the line I hung up since it was going to record all of my information. He called me back right away and asked why I hung up.
He tried convincing me over and over again that the information was needed simply so that no one else would misuse my information. After I made it clear to him that I would not give him my card information (since, according to them, they already had it) he politely said goodbye and God bless, and said that if any charges came up on my account to not blame it to his company.
The whole time you could tell he was starting to lose his patience and kept trying to politely say "I am trying to explain this to you but you are not listening and that is what's wrong with you." I looked through my account and there are no $4.95 transactions, and I'll definately keep my eye open for anything new. Beware of these telemarketing scams!
i also went to dealership for free gas. i've sent in vouchers since sept 08, this is now end of feb 09 and i haven't received anything. i tried calling 800# but its disconnected