Credit Cards - UNAUTHORIZED CHARGES - how common?

Question

You sign up for a new Credit Card...
the agent tells you about some "Special Programs" that
are available to you...
for example:
1- Payment Protection
2- Identity Protection

You know you DO NOT want them...
You know you would NOT and HAVE NOT authorized them...
Yet, they appear as charges on your FIRST STATEMENT.

This has happened to me before, and has just happened again...
the (monthly) charges are $11.99 for one and $16.49 for the other...

I'm in the process of cancelling both...

How common is this for charges that you DO NOT want and
you never authorized to appear on your statement anyway?

I've contacted the "Identity Protection" Plan and have cancelled that one....
(was able to do this over the phone)

The "Payment Protection" Plan, I called and the recording says "our system is being upgraded to 'give you better service' please call back tomorrow." (which I will do).

The point is, even though I never authorized these, the Agent obviously signed me up for them as if I did.
Pretty sneaky and unethical and should be against the law.

Answer 1

I think the telemarketers get paid extra to sell these programs. So there is an incentive for them to add these even if you didn't authorized them.

You should cancel these in writing and request written verification that they are cancelled. These things tend to come back to haunt if you cancel by phone. I would also request refund of the fees as you didn't order them.

Answer 2

Not sure. Did you put it in WRITING that you didn't want them, and make copies of the letter? Most 'opt out' programs require it in writing. Check your fine print and see if you did legitimately turn down the two programs they offered.

Answer 3

yep, but just tell them that you have no problem, starting a class action lawsuit, reporting them to the State Attorney
General of their State, Federal Trade Commission
(which I would do anyway).

Answer 4

call them back and ask for refunds