Glen Bolofsky first wanted to help people fight parking tickets. Now he's hoping to solve another popular consumer nuisance: billing disputes with credit card companies.
Hardly a latter-day Robin Hood, Bolofsky is betting that his latest creation, DisputeMyCharge.com, could become as popular--and profitable--as his Parkingticket.com business. For a fee, DisputeMyCharge will aid people in resolving disputed credit card charges by communicating directly with merchants.
By using the site, Bolofsky says, consumers can avoid the lengthy charge dispute guidelines offered by many credit card issuers and go directly to merchants for potential refunds.
"People need to have an advocate who is experienced on their side," he said. "Even many lawyers don't know all the regulations, and credit card companies aren't anxious to let this kind of info out. Our attorneys and law enforcement officials have the knowledge and background to navigate through the byzantine process of getting those refunds."
DisputeMyCharge, which went live in mid-January, has already proven successful in hundreds of individual appeals. Much like Parkingticket, which uses some simple legal know-how to appeal parking violations in a number of U.S. cities, the credit card site's approach is uncomplicated but apparently works.
Using the site, a customer enters the dollar amount of the disputed credit card charge, the name of the merchant involved in the transaction and the nature of the disagreement.
The service then generates a confidential letter that demands that the merchant refund the money in question, and the individual simply mails the document to any involved parties. By highlighting cardholder rights that most credit card issuers won't publicize, Bolofsky says the letters have a staggering 95 percent success rate.
Blofsky's other creation, Parkingticket, claims to have resolved more than $100 million in fines since launching in 2001, and because it typically charges 50 percent of a ticket's original cost to provide its services, the privately held company is turning a profit.
DisputeMyCharge demands a flat rate of $9.95 for disputes of less than $100 and offers a money-back guarantee for $3 more. For disputes of more than $100, the company uses a sliding
In the article the company says that usually the credit card conpanies with side with the merchant, this is untrue. In fact, credit card compnanies will ALMOST ALWAYS side with the consumer. You just have to call them up complain and get your money back.
If this scam is just like the parkingticket.com one then there will be tons more of unsatisfied customers. The scam is in the guarenteed refund. They set the rules so tight you have no chance of getting your money back. See my email from them when I tried to get my refund after I was found guilty.
I've heard this again and again. Time to fight back. Besides an email complaint to BBB. I intend to file a class action lawsuit on these scammers. If you have a similar story email me at espnfan@lycos.com ALso plan to host a website telling all the denial of refund stories. Interested? let me know.
Thanks Chris
Hi,
This email is to inform you that in accordance with our Terms & Conditions, your request for a refund on ticket #341813113 was not approved for the following reasons: A review of the paperwork you submitted shows that our Copyrighted document(s) have been edited or modified in the following way(s):
The parkingticket.com Copyright Mark does not appear on the Dismissal Letter. Refund Request not filed within 30 days of date of final Hearing Determination If you have any questions or feel this is in error, please contact us promptly by responding to this email. Please note, we answer all emails on a first-come, first-served basis. Thank you, The Support Team parkingticket.com
PARKINGTICKET.COMt is not at for what they are promising they are to do for you, but only to get you MONEY . After you go through their test, and pay their fees, if the city find you guilty, and you return back to their site to claim your refund - you are liikly not to get it BACK. Remember - you will not get it back, period. I faxed them over all evidence from the city, there was a lucid proof that I paid the city my ticket. They had a copy of my ticket, but not the original - and they denied my refund. Just because it was not a copy of the very original ticket. AND THIS HAPPENED TWICE. DO NOT USE THEN!!!!!! you have nobody to talk to neither, only emails, and their respond comes in few days ... You end up paying both - the CITY, and their 'FALSE SELLING POINT'..........
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I've heard this again and again. Time to fight back. Besides an email complaint to BBB. I intend to file a class action lawsuit on these scammers. If you have a similar story email me at espnfan@lycos.com ALso plan to host a website telling all the denial of refund stories. Interested? let me know.
Thanks
Chris
Hi,
This email is to inform you that in accordance with our Terms & Conditions, your request for a refund on ticket #341813113 was not approved for the following reasons:
A review of the paperwork you submitted shows that our Copyrighted document(s) have been edited or modified in the following way(s):
The parkingticket.com Copyright Mark does not appear on the Dismissal Letter. Refund Request not filed within 30 days of date of final Hearing Determination
If you have any questions or feel this is in error, please contact us promptly by responding to this email. Please note, we answer all emails on a first-come, first-served basis.
Thank you,
The Support Team
parkingticket.com
Remember - you will not get it back, period.
I faxed them over all evidence from the city, there was a lucid proof that I paid the city my ticket. They had a copy of my ticket, but not the original - and they denied my refund.
Just because it was not a copy of the very original ticket. AND THIS HAPPENED TWICE.
DO NOT USE THEN!!!!!! you have nobody to talk to neither, only emails, and their respond comes in few days ... You end up paying both - the CITY, and their 'FALSE SELLING POINT'..........