When Josue Romero ordered a dozen roses from ProFlowers, he thought that was all he was getting. Instead he ended up signing up for a monthly Easy Saver Rewards program costing him $14.95 a month.
"I've never worked with Easy Savers," said Josue Romero, "I go though my statement monthly, and I know everything that I charge, and Easy Savers is a company I've never, ever worked with."
But Romero signed up for the rewards Web site when he finished his transaction with ProFlowers. At the end of the checkout, a window pops up offering a $15 reward. All you have to do to get the discount on your next purchase is give your e-mail address.
"And then ProFlowers, who you've already given your credit card information, will transmit the credit card information or debit card information to this company," said attorney Jim Patterson about the relationship between ProFlowers and Encore Marketing, the owner of Easy Rewards.
Patterson has filed a class action complaint against Encore Marketing and Provide-Commerce, the owner of ProFlowers, on behalf of Josue Romero. He said Romero never received any confirmation e-mail, never received any offers or anything of value from Easy Rewards in exchange for his $14.95 charge.
"The great rewards program doesn't exist, at least in our opinion," said Patterson.
"We vehemently deny the allegation in the lawsuit and will defend ourselves and our practices to the full extent of the law," said Provide-Commerce Marketing Director Sandi Adam in an e-mail.
Adam said ProFlowers has offered the rewards program since 2006.
Romero said he decided to contact an attorney when he searched online and found numerous complaints against the ProFlowers program.
"If you're not quick to look at your statement or even view your statement, these charges are going to keep hitting you and keep going and going and going until you actually figure out that you're getting a charge that you're unaware of," said Romero.
Attempts to get comments from Encore Marketing and Easy Saver Rewards were unanswered.
