Legal Investigation Concerning the Following Membership Clubs or Charges: TLG*GREATFN Scam, TLG*SHOPPER Scam, TLG*PRIVGRD Scam, TLG*EVRYDAY Scam, LiveWell Scam, Shoppers Advantage Scam, Travelers Advantage Scam, Great Fun! Scam, Great Options Scam, CompleteHome Scam, Everyday Values Scam, Everyday Privileges Gold Scam, HealthSaver Scam, Just For Me Scam, Privacy Guard Scam, IdentitySecure Scam, CardCops Scam, PC Safety/Plus Scam, Hot-Line Scam, Auto Vantage Scam, Buyers Advantage Scam, Trilegiant Corporation, Apollo Global Management, or Affinion Group, LLC
Fraudulent Trilegiant TLG, Apollo, Affinion Membership Club Schemes
The Leading National Consumer Protection Law Firm Gilman Law LLP is investigating claims and complaints in the Apollo, Trilegiant, Affinion Lawsuit involving deceptively marketed membership discount clubs operated by Trilegiant Corporation, Inc., Affinion Group, LLC, and their controlling owner Apollo Global Management, LLC (“Trilegiant”). The consumer protection lawyers at Gilman Law LLP are investigating allegations that Trilegiant colluded with numerous merchants in an effort to sell “memberships” to discount “clubs.” The firm is accepting claims from consumers who believe they were deceptively enrolled and repeatedly billed by one of the following membership discount clubs operated by Trilegiant, Apollo, or Affinion:
Trilegiant, Apollo, Affinion Membership Club Scam
- LiveWell
- Shoppers Advantage
- Travelers Advantage
- Great Fun!
- Great Options
- CompleteHome
- Everyday Values
- Everyday Privileges Gold
- HealthSaver
- Just For Me
- Privacy Guard
- IdentitySecure
- CardCops
- PC Safety/Plus
- Hot-Line
- Auto Vantage
- Buyers Advantage
If you have fallen prey to one of these so-called Trilegiant, Apollo, or Affinion membership clubs, please review your credit card or charge card statements for charges from one or more of the following entities, including, but not limited to:
- TLG*GREATFN
- TLG*SHOPPER
- TLG*PRIVGRD
- TLG*EVRYDAY
- TLG*LIVEWELL
If you or someone you know believes you were victimized by one of these discount membership clubs, Gilman Law LLP may be able to help you obtain refunds and other damages. For a free evaluation of your case, please fill out the online form on the left or call Toll Free at 1-888-252-0048.
Trilegiant’s Questionable Practices
Gilman Law LLP’s investigation involves allegations that Trilegiant paid hundreds of reputable online retailers and websites for customers’ billing information, including credit card and debit card numbers, through a process known as “data pass.” Online vendors who may have collaborated in Trilegiant’s data pass schemes include:
- 1-800-Flowers.com, Inc.
- United Online, Inc.
- Memory Lane, Inc.
- Classmates International, Inc.
- FTD Group, Inc.
- Days Inns Worldwide, Inc.
- Wyndham Worldwide Corporation
- PeopleFindersPro, Inc.
- Beckett Media LLC
- Buy.com, Inc.
- Rakuten USA, Inc.
- IAC/InterActiveCorp
- Shoebuy.com, Inc.
Trilegiant, Apollo, and Affinion allegedly used aggressive, misleading sales tactics to charge millions of American consumers for membership clubs the consumers did not want by presenting consumers with “Post-Transaction Offers” on websites operated by the above named retailers. In a Post-Transaction Offer, a website will display a membership program offer to the user that promises incentives such as upfront gifts, cash back rewards, etc. Because of the position of these ads in the checkout process, consumers generally believe they are required to complete the form in order to finish the transaction, or are simply completing part of their original transaction.
Once consumers unknowingly enroll in Trilegiant’s membership/club programs, the credit card companies continue to charge the consumer’s credit card each month until the consumer opts out. This is known as a “Negative Option.” Trilegiant also allegedly put systems in place to deter paying refunds to consumers; for example, requiring consumers to submit their opt-out request in writing, or simply canceling the services without a refund.
If it is found that these allegations have merit, Trilegiant may have run afoul of various state and federal consumer protection laws, including The Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act. Passed by the U.S. Congress in 2010, this law banned the data-pass and negative option billing practices that Trilegiant has allegedly engaged in.
Previous Allegations against Trilegiant, Apollo, and Affinion
Trilegiant, Apollo, Affinion Attorney General Lawsuit Settlement
This is not the first time questions have been raised about Trilegiant’s practices. In 2006, the company reached an agreement with attorneys general in 16 states by which it was required to cease certain business practices, including offering “free” or “no obligation” trial memberships in the same membership clubs listed above through direct mail solicitations. To read more about the previous Trilegiant Attorney General Investigation, please visit this Attorney General Website. Trilegiant, Apollo and Affinion were accused of failing to disclose that cashing a check for a nominal amount that accompanied the direct mailing would automatically enroll the consumer in the Membership Program. The consumer’s account was then charged automatic monthly fees until they affirmatively acted to cancel. It would appear that Trilegiant has since branched out to internet marketing, and is evading the 2006 settlements by engaging in the same and similar practices via internet transactions.
Legal Help for Victims of Fraudulent Discount Membership Clubs
The Consumer Protection Law Firm Gilman Law LLP is offering its assistance to any consumer whose credit card has been assessed a “membership fee” for one of the above named Trilegiant, Apollo, or Affinion discount clubs as a result of the deceptive practices outlined above. For a free evaluation of your case, please contact our office at (239) 221-8401 to speak with a consumer protection attorney immediately, or follow the link below to submit a free consultation form.
