Re: [CODE4LIB] code4lib registration repercussions?
Thanks Mark for bringing this to my attention. Brad, I¹m sorry you are dealing with this. I reviewed the order form DLF created via RegOnline for Code4Lib 2013. There is not a place where a subscription/membership was offered or a place to opt out within the form itself. The DLF used RegOnline for several other events besides Code4Lib, including DLF Forums, and I¹m not aware of reports of unwanted credit card charges. If anyone else notices something like this, please let me know. We did switch from RegOnline to Eventbrite in 2013, but that was because we liked Eventbrite more. Since I came on in 2013 and didn¹t use RegOnline, I¹ve reached out to a former colleague to see if she recalls any issues. Louisa Kwasigroch Director of Development Outreach CLIR + DLF On 3/13/15, 12:42 PM, Jenn Riley jenn.ri...@mcgill.ca wrote: I think Mark is on to something. Was this one of the years CODE4LIB used DLF for registration? I recall DLF having a similar issue due to the company they contracted with for registration a few years back - at least one DLF registrant got caught out by it. As I recall, DLF changed registration vendors after that. Louisa should be able to confirm and as Mark says, provide moire information. Jenn --- Jenn Riley Associate Dean, Digital Initiatives | Vice Doyenne, Initiatives numériques McGill University Library | Bibliothèque Université McGill 3459 McTavish Street | 3459, rue McTavish Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 0C9 | Montréal (QC) Canada H3A 0C9 (514) 398-3642 jenn.ri...@mcgill.ca On 2015-03-13 11:41 AM, Mark A. Matienzo mark.matie...@gmail.com wrote: Becky, Brad, I passed on links to this thread to Louisa Kwasigroch at DLF, who may be able to let you know if any other registered attendees had this issue. Cheers, Mark -- Mark A. Matienzo m...@matienzo.org Director of Technology, Digital Public Library of America On Fri, Mar 13, 2015 at 11:26 AM, Becky Yoose b.yo...@gmail.com wrote: Hi Brad, If there was an option for an annual subscription for ACTIVE as part of the registration process, I'm wondering why this wasn't brought up during the registration period. What you are describing would have been suspicious to anyone signing up for the conference. If I remember correctly, DLF was the one who handled the fiances for 2013, so if someone from DLF is on the list, can they doublecheck to see if there was anything like Brad described below? Thanks, Becky On Fri, Mar 13, 2015 at 10:17 AM, Brad Busenius bbusen...@uchicago.edu wrote: They are separate charges. WithdrawalACT*Council is probably the charge for the conference. I probably have that one too. The Active charge came later as an annual subscription. They used the conference registration as a way to trick people into opting in to their unrelated service. I assume most people noticed this and opted out. I did not notice and therefore did not opt out. That's what I think happened, anyhow. I am looking for confirmation on this. I've had to piece things together. Brad On 3/12/15 7:48 PM, Becky Yoose wrote: A follow-up - the charge name that is listed on my statement for 2013 registration is WithdrawalACT*Council on Library which is different than what you have listed in your statement. :-( Thanks, Becky Sent from the ball and chain On Mar 12, 2015 7:22 PM, Becky Yoose b.yo...@gmail.com wrote: Hello Brad, I'm sorry to hear about the suspicious charges! Per your request, I checked the history of the the account I used to pay for 2013 and did not find a reoccurring charge like the one you described. I wonder what happened with your account... Thanks, Becky Sent from the ball and chain On Mar 12, 2015 7:09 PM, Brad Busenius bbusen...@uchicago.edu wrote: Hi everybody, I hope this is the right place to inquire about this. I have some information about a possible problem with the company handling registration for code4lib. I recently noticed a suspicious charge on my credit card for the amount of $64.95. The charge showed up as ACT*ACTIVE-NETWORK. After some investigation I found out this was from a company called ACTIVE Network, LLC. Apparently this company handles registration for events. To my dismay I found out that I had been charged for this annually since 2013. I'm very embarrassed that 1. I didn't notice this during the registration process and 2. I didn't catch the charges earlier. Anyhow, after a quick email search I found something surprising; I had received emails from this company at my /work/ email address. I never noticed the emails because they looked like junkmail, however, upon reviewing them I discovered that at some point I had supposedly registered for a free trial that ended after a month, at which point I was automatically enrolled into an annual subscription. Needless to say, I//did /not/ ever sign up for any trial or subscription,
Re: [CODE4LIB] code4lib registration repercussions?
Hi Brad, Mine was a one-time only charge. Cheers, Becky On Fri, Mar 13, 2015 at 1:30 PM, Brad Busenius bbusen...@uchicago.edu wrote: Thanks Mark! Becky, did I misunderstand about your charge? Was yours also reoccurring? Brad On 3/13/15 10:43 AM, Becky Yoose wrote: Thank you, Mark. On Fri, Mar 13, 2015 at 10:41 AM, Mark A. Matienzo mark.matie...@gmail.com wrote: Becky, Brad, I passed on links to this thread to Louisa Kwasigroch at DLF, who may be able to let you know if any other registered attendees had this issue. Cheers, Mark -- Mark A. Matienzo m...@matienzo.org Director of Technology, Digital Public Library of America On Fri, Mar 13, 2015 at 11:26 AM, Becky Yoose b.yo...@gmail.com wrote: Hi Brad, If there was an option for an annual subscription for ACTIVE as part of the registration process, I'm wondering why this wasn't brought up during the registration period. What you are describing would have been suspicious to anyone signing up for the conference. If I remember correctly, DLF was the one who handled the fiances for 2013, so if someone from DLF is on the list, can they doublecheck to see if there was anything like Brad described below? Thanks, Becky On Fri, Mar 13, 2015 at 10:17 AM, Brad Busenius bbusen...@uchicago.edu wrote: They are separate charges. WithdrawalACT*Council is probably the charge for the conference. I probably have that one too. The Active charge came later as an annual subscription. They used the conference registration as a way to trick people into opting in to their unrelated service. I assume most people noticed this and opted out. I did not notice and therefore did not opt out. That's what I think happened, anyhow. I am looking for confirmation on this. I've had to piece things together. Brad On 3/12/15 7:48 PM, Becky Yoose wrote: A follow-up - the charge name that is listed on my statement for 2013 registration is WithdrawalACT*Council on Library which is different than what you have listed in your statement. :-( Thanks, Becky Sent from the ball and chain On Mar 12, 2015 7:22 PM, Becky Yoose b.yo...@gmail.com wrote: Hello Brad, I'm sorry to hear about the suspicious charges! Per your request, I checked the history of the the account I used to pay for 2013 and did not find a reoccurring charge like the one you described. I wonder what happened with your account... Thanks, Becky Sent from the ball and chain On Mar 12, 2015 7:09 PM, Brad Busenius bbusen...@uchicago.edu wrote: Hi everybody, I hope this is the right place to inquire about this. I have some information about a possible problem with the company handling registration for code4lib. I recently noticed a suspicious charge on my credit card for the amount of $64.95. The charge showed up as ACT*ACTIVE-NETWORK. After some investigation I found out this was from a company called ACTIVE Network, LLC. Apparently this company handles registration for events. To my dismay I found out that I had been charged for this annually since 2013. I'm very embarrassed that 1. I didn't notice this during the registration process and 2. I didn't catch the charges earlier. Anyhow, after a quick email search I found something surprising; I had received emails from this company at my /work/ email address. I never noticed the emails because they looked like junkmail, however, upon reviewing them I discovered that at some point I had supposedly registered for a free trial that ended after a month, at which point I was automatically enrolled into an annual subscription. Needless to say, I//did /not/ ever sign up for any trial or subscription, at least not to my knowledge. Since I have only used my personal credit card for work purposes 3 times, it was easy to tie this to code4lib 2013. I looked at my receipt for code4lib 2013 and saw that something called RegOnline (owned by Lanyon Solutions Inc) was used to process my event registration. Though I'm not sure this is the same company, RegOnline, Lanyon Solutions Inc, and ACTIVE Network, LLC all share the same physical address. I suspect these three companies are one and the same and will refer to them as ACTIVE Network, LLC for the rest of this email. I did a little investigating and found out that ACTIVE Network, LLC. uses unscrupulous business practices to trick people into singing up for their annual subscription. The crux of this is an automatic opt-in they employ while processing enrollments for third parties. Though I'm very embarrassed I didn't catch this, in my own defense I wasn't expecting it while registering for an academic conference. I'm not blaming anyone nor am I angry with anyone on this list. I only send this email to inquire and inform: 1. To see if anyone else has had a similar experience. 2. To warn other people from code4lib to check their bank
Re: [CODE4LIB] code4lib registration repercussions?
Thanks Mark! Becky, did I misunderstand about your charge? Was yours also reoccurring? Brad On 3/13/15 10:43 AM, Becky Yoose wrote: Thank you, Mark. On Fri, Mar 13, 2015 at 10:41 AM, Mark A. Matienzo mark.matie...@gmail.com wrote: Becky, Brad, I passed on links to this thread to Louisa Kwasigroch at DLF, who may be able to let you know if any other registered attendees had this issue. Cheers, Mark -- Mark A. Matienzo m...@matienzo.org Director of Technology, Digital Public Library of America On Fri, Mar 13, 2015 at 11:26 AM, Becky Yoose b.yo...@gmail.com wrote: Hi Brad, If there was an option for an annual subscription for ACTIVE as part of the registration process, I'm wondering why this wasn't brought up during the registration period. What you are describing would have been suspicious to anyone signing up for the conference. If I remember correctly, DLF was the one who handled the fiances for 2013, so if someone from DLF is on the list, can they doublecheck to see if there was anything like Brad described below? Thanks, Becky On Fri, Mar 13, 2015 at 10:17 AM, Brad Busenius bbusen...@uchicago.edu wrote: They are separate charges. WithdrawalACT*Council is probably the charge for the conference. I probably have that one too. The Active charge came later as an annual subscription. They used the conference registration as a way to trick people into opting in to their unrelated service. I assume most people noticed this and opted out. I did not notice and therefore did not opt out. That's what I think happened, anyhow. I am looking for confirmation on this. I've had to piece things together. Brad On 3/12/15 7:48 PM, Becky Yoose wrote: A follow-up - the charge name that is listed on my statement for 2013 registration is WithdrawalACT*Council on Library which is different than what you have listed in your statement. :-( Thanks, Becky Sent from the ball and chain On Mar 12, 2015 7:22 PM, Becky Yoose b.yo...@gmail.com wrote: Hello Brad, I'm sorry to hear about the suspicious charges! Per your request, I checked the history of the the account I used to pay for 2013 and did not find a reoccurring charge like the one you described. I wonder what happened with your account... Thanks, Becky Sent from the ball and chain On Mar 12, 2015 7:09 PM, Brad Busenius bbusen...@uchicago.edu wrote: Hi everybody, I hope this is the right place to inquire about this. I have some information about a possible problem with the company handling registration for code4lib. I recently noticed a suspicious charge on my credit card for the amount of $64.95. The charge showed up as ACT*ACTIVE-NETWORK. After some investigation I found out this was from a company called ACTIVE Network, LLC. Apparently this company handles registration for events. To my dismay I found out that I had been charged for this annually since 2013. I'm very embarrassed that 1. I didn't notice this during the registration process and 2. I didn't catch the charges earlier. Anyhow, after a quick email search I found something surprising; I had received emails from this company at my /work/ email address. I never noticed the emails because they looked like junkmail, however, upon reviewing them I discovered that at some point I had supposedly registered for a free trial that ended after a month, at which point I was automatically enrolled into an annual subscription. Needless to say, I//did /not/ ever sign up for any trial or subscription, at least not to my knowledge. Since I have only used my personal credit card for work purposes 3 times, it was easy to tie this to code4lib 2013. I looked at my receipt for code4lib 2013 and saw that something called RegOnline (owned by Lanyon Solutions Inc) was used to process my event registration. Though I'm not sure this is the same company, RegOnline, Lanyon Solutions Inc, and ACTIVE Network, LLC all share the same physical address. I suspect these three companies are one and the same and will refer to them as ACTIVE Network, LLC for the rest of this email. I did a little investigating and found out that ACTIVE Network, LLC. uses unscrupulous business practices to trick people into singing up for their annual subscription. The crux of this is an automatic opt-in they employ while processing enrollments for third parties. Though I'm very embarrassed I didn't catch this, in my own defense I wasn't expecting it while registering for an academic conference. I'm not blaming anyone nor am I angry with anyone on this list. I only send this email to inquire and inform: 1. To see if anyone else has had a similar experience. 2. To warn other people from code4lib to check their bank statements. 3. To plead with the community to stop using ACTIVE Network, LLC and anything affiliated with them for registration. Let me be frank for a moment. ACTIVE Network, LLC engages in highly unethical business practices. I did not intend to enroll in any
Re: [CODE4LIB] code4lib registration repercussions?
Yes, they are mainly for marathons and such, however, apparently they do some other things too. The registration was done with the RegOnline software which is owned by Lanyon Solutions Inc. Both of these entities share the same address with Active. I found this press release from Acitve: http://www.activenetwork.com/news-and-events/active-press-releases/2014/active-network-business-solutions-group-joins-forces-with-lanyon-forming-a-leading-global-meetings-events-and-hospitality-technology-company Active, might be okay for people who seek out their subscription and actually use their discounts or whatever it is they're offering. I don't know about that. The issue I'm trying to shed light on is their unscrupulous signup process and their [unintended?] association with code4lib. It was not appropriate that I could signup for a paid annual subscription for their services while registering for an academic conference. That should not have even been a possibility. The majority of people probably avoided this during registration, as they should have since we all need to be careful when paying for anything online nowadays, however, it's always possible that somebody might miss something like this. In my case, I was distracted, busy, and inundated with emails while registering. Perhaps I made a mistake but it shouldn't have been an option in the first place. Brad Busenius Web Administrator The University of Chicago Library (773) 702-4391 On 3/12/15 7:43 PM, Riley Childs wrote: ACTIVE is a company that handles sports event registration, unless code4lib had some sort of Athletic component I doubt that they were involved with this unknown charge and they are an upstanding company in my dealings with them though HyTek Team/Meet Manager. All in all I didn't investigate myself, but my dealings with ACTIVE have always been good. //Riley Sent from my Windows Phone -- Riley Childs Senior Charlotte United Christian Academy Library Services Administrator IT Services Administrator (704) 537-0331x101 (704) 497-2086 rileychilds.net @rowdychildren I use Lync (select External Contact on any XMPP chat client) CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email and any files transmitted with it are the property of Charlotte United Christian Academy. This e-mail, and any attachments thereto, is intended only for use by the addressee(s) named herein and may contain confidential information that is privileged and/or exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not one of the named original recipients or have received this e-mail in error, please permanently delete the original and any copy of any e-mail and any printout thereof. Thank you for your compliance. This email is also subject to copyright. No part of it nor any attachments may be reproduced, adapted, forwarded or transmitted without the written consent of the copyright ow...@cucawarriors.com From: Brad Buseniusmailto:bbusen...@uchicago.edu Sent: 3/12/2015 8:09 PM To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDUmailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU Subject: [CODE4LIB] code4lib registration repercussions? Hi everybody, I hope this is the right place to inquire about this. I have some information about a possible problem with the company handling registration for code4lib. I recently noticed a suspicious charge on my credit card for the amount of $64.95. The charge showed up as ACT*ACTIVE-NETWORK. After some investigation I found out this was from a company called ACTIVE Network, LLC. Apparently this company handles registration for events. To my dismay I found out that I had been charged for this annually since 2013. I'm very embarrassed that 1. I didn't notice this during the registration process and 2. I didn't catch the charges earlier. Anyhow, after a quick email search I found something surprising; I had received emails from this company at my /work/ email address. I never noticed the emails because they looked like junkmail, however, upon reviewing them I discovered that at some point I had supposedly registered for a free trial that ended after a month, at which point I was automatically enrolled into an annual subscription. Needless to say, I//did /not/ ever sign up for any trial or subscription, at least not to my knowledge. Since I have only used my personal credit card for work purposes 3 times, it was easy to tie this to code4lib 2013. I looked at my receipt for code4lib 2013 and saw that something called RegOnline (owned by Lanyon Solutions Inc) was used to process my event registration. Though I'm not sure this is the same company, RegOnline, Lanyon Solutions Inc, and ACTIVE Network, LLC all share the same physical address. I suspect these three companies are one and the same and will refer to them as ACTIVE Network, LLC for the rest of this email. I did a little investigating and found out that ACTIVE Network, LLC. uses unscrupulous business practices to trick people into singing up for their annual
Re: [CODE4LIB] code4lib registration repercussions?
They are separate charges. WithdrawalACT*Council is probably the charge for the conference. I probably have that one too. The Active charge came later as an annual subscription. They used the conference registration as a way to trick people into opting in to their unrelated service. I assume most people noticed this and opted out. I did not notice and therefore did not opt out. That's what I think happened, anyhow. I am looking for confirmation on this. I've had to piece things together. Brad On 3/12/15 7:48 PM, Becky Yoose wrote: A follow-up - the charge name that is listed on my statement for 2013 registration is WithdrawalACT*Council on Library which is different than what you have listed in your statement. :-( Thanks, Becky Sent from the ball and chain On Mar 12, 2015 7:22 PM, Becky Yoose b.yo...@gmail.com wrote: Hello Brad, I'm sorry to hear about the suspicious charges! Per your request, I checked the history of the the account I used to pay for 2013 and did not find a reoccurring charge like the one you described. I wonder what happened with your account... Thanks, Becky Sent from the ball and chain On Mar 12, 2015 7:09 PM, Brad Busenius bbusen...@uchicago.edu wrote: Hi everybody, I hope this is the right place to inquire about this. I have some information about a possible problem with the company handling registration for code4lib. I recently noticed a suspicious charge on my credit card for the amount of $64.95. The charge showed up as ACT*ACTIVE-NETWORK. After some investigation I found out this was from a company called ACTIVE Network, LLC. Apparently this company handles registration for events. To my dismay I found out that I had been charged for this annually since 2013. I'm very embarrassed that 1. I didn't notice this during the registration process and 2. I didn't catch the charges earlier. Anyhow, after a quick email search I found something surprising; I had received emails from this company at my /work/ email address. I never noticed the emails because they looked like junkmail, however, upon reviewing them I discovered that at some point I had supposedly registered for a free trial that ended after a month, at which point I was automatically enrolled into an annual subscription. Needless to say, I//did /not/ ever sign up for any trial or subscription, at least not to my knowledge. Since I have only used my personal credit card for work purposes 3 times, it was easy to tie this to code4lib 2013. I looked at my receipt for code4lib 2013 and saw that something called RegOnline (owned by Lanyon Solutions Inc) was used to process my event registration. Though I'm not sure this is the same company, RegOnline, Lanyon Solutions Inc, and ACTIVE Network, LLC all share the same physical address. I suspect these three companies are one and the same and will refer to them as ACTIVE Network, LLC for the rest of this email. I did a little investigating and found out that ACTIVE Network, LLC. uses unscrupulous business practices to trick people into singing up for their annual subscription. The crux of this is an automatic opt-in they employ while processing enrollments for third parties. Though I'm very embarrassed I didn't catch this, in my own defense I wasn't expecting it while registering for an academic conference. I'm not blaming anyone nor am I angry with anyone on this list. I only send this email to inquire and inform: 1. To see if anyone else has had a similar experience. 2. To warn other people from code4lib to check their bank statements. 3. To plead with the community to stop using ACTIVE Network, LLC and anything affiliated with them for registration. Let me be frank for a moment. ACTIVE Network, LLC engages in highly unethical business practices. I did not intend to enroll in any annual subscriptions when I registered for code4lib and I never would have agreed to anything of the sort had I noticed what was happening. Additionally, the subscription isn't at all relevant to code4lib. I'm not even sure what value is being provided by the subscription. I think it has something to do with coupons for outdoor exercise equipment but I'm not even sure. Also, these guys are bad. They lost class action lawsuits in Iowa and Vermont. In fact, this whole thing is just bad all around. Since noticing the fraudulent charges this morning, I've already disputed them with my bank and filed a formal complaint against ACTIVE Network, LLC with the better business bureau. Apparently I'm not the only one: 1. http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/bodywork/the-fit-list/ Active-Network-Consumer-Complaints.html 2. http://www.yelp.com/biz/active-network-san-diego?sort_by=date_desc 3. http://legalnewsline.com/news/253622-active-network-will- pay-160k-to-consumers-after-action-by-vermont-ag 4. https://encrypted.google.com/search?hl=enq=Iowa%20ACTIVE% 20Network%2C%20LLC#hl=enq=Active+Network+scam I apologize if I've made an error in my investigation or if I've done something
Re: [CODE4LIB] code4lib registration repercussions?
Hi Brad, If there was an option for an annual subscription for ACTIVE as part of the registration process, I'm wondering why this wasn't brought up during the registration period. What you are describing would have been suspicious to anyone signing up for the conference. If I remember correctly, DLF was the one who handled the fiances for 2013, so if someone from DLF is on the list, can they doublecheck to see if there was anything like Brad described below? Thanks, Becky On Fri, Mar 13, 2015 at 10:17 AM, Brad Busenius bbusen...@uchicago.edu wrote: They are separate charges. WithdrawalACT*Council is probably the charge for the conference. I probably have that one too. The Active charge came later as an annual subscription. They used the conference registration as a way to trick people into opting in to their unrelated service. I assume most people noticed this and opted out. I did not notice and therefore did not opt out. That's what I think happened, anyhow. I am looking for confirmation on this. I've had to piece things together. Brad On 3/12/15 7:48 PM, Becky Yoose wrote: A follow-up - the charge name that is listed on my statement for 2013 registration is WithdrawalACT*Council on Library which is different than what you have listed in your statement. :-( Thanks, Becky Sent from the ball and chain On Mar 12, 2015 7:22 PM, Becky Yoose b.yo...@gmail.com wrote: Hello Brad, I'm sorry to hear about the suspicious charges! Per your request, I checked the history of the the account I used to pay for 2013 and did not find a reoccurring charge like the one you described. I wonder what happened with your account... Thanks, Becky Sent from the ball and chain On Mar 12, 2015 7:09 PM, Brad Busenius bbusen...@uchicago.edu wrote: Hi everybody, I hope this is the right place to inquire about this. I have some information about a possible problem with the company handling registration for code4lib. I recently noticed a suspicious charge on my credit card for the amount of $64.95. The charge showed up as ACT*ACTIVE-NETWORK. After some investigation I found out this was from a company called ACTIVE Network, LLC. Apparently this company handles registration for events. To my dismay I found out that I had been charged for this annually since 2013. I'm very embarrassed that 1. I didn't notice this during the registration process and 2. I didn't catch the charges earlier. Anyhow, after a quick email search I found something surprising; I had received emails from this company at my /work/ email address. I never noticed the emails because they looked like junkmail, however, upon reviewing them I discovered that at some point I had supposedly registered for a free trial that ended after a month, at which point I was automatically enrolled into an annual subscription. Needless to say, I//did /not/ ever sign up for any trial or subscription, at least not to my knowledge. Since I have only used my personal credit card for work purposes 3 times, it was easy to tie this to code4lib 2013. I looked at my receipt for code4lib 2013 and saw that something called RegOnline (owned by Lanyon Solutions Inc) was used to process my event registration. Though I'm not sure this is the same company, RegOnline, Lanyon Solutions Inc, and ACTIVE Network, LLC all share the same physical address. I suspect these three companies are one and the same and will refer to them as ACTIVE Network, LLC for the rest of this email. I did a little investigating and found out that ACTIVE Network, LLC. uses unscrupulous business practices to trick people into singing up for their annual subscription. The crux of this is an automatic opt-in they employ while processing enrollments for third parties. Though I'm very embarrassed I didn't catch this, in my own defense I wasn't expecting it while registering for an academic conference. I'm not blaming anyone nor am I angry with anyone on this list. I only send this email to inquire and inform: 1. To see if anyone else has had a similar experience. 2. To warn other people from code4lib to check their bank statements. 3. To plead with the community to stop using ACTIVE Network, LLC and anything affiliated with them for registration. Let me be frank for a moment. ACTIVE Network, LLC engages in highly unethical business practices. I did not intend to enroll in any annual subscriptions when I registered for code4lib and I never would have agreed to anything of the sort had I noticed what was happening. Additionally, the subscription isn't at all relevant to code4lib. I'm not even sure what value is being provided by the subscription. I think it has something to do with coupons for outdoor exercise equipment but I'm not even sure. Also, these guys are bad. They lost class action lawsuits in Iowa and Vermont. In fact, this whole thing is just bad all around. Since noticing the fraudulent charges this morning, I've
Re: [CODE4LIB] code4lib registration repercussions?
Thanks for giving us the heads-up, Brad. I've used my work procurement card for Code4Lib registrations, and I haven't seen anything like you've described. Peter On Mar 12, 2015, at 8:08 PM, Brad Busenius bbusen...@uchicago.edu wrote: Hi everybody, I hope this is the right place to inquire about this. I have some information about a possible problem with the company handling registration for code4lib. I recently noticed a suspicious charge on my credit card for the amount of $64.95. The charge showed up as ACT*ACTIVE-NETWORK. After some investigation I found out this was from a company called ACTIVE Network, LLC. Apparently this company handles registration for events. To my dismay I found out that I had been charged for this annually since 2013. I'm very embarrassed that 1. I didn't notice this during the registration process and 2. I didn't catch the charges earlier. Anyhow, after a quick email search I found something surprising; I had received emails from this company at my /work/ email address. I never noticed the emails because they looked like junkmail, however, upon reviewing them I discovered that at some point I had supposedly registered for a free trial that ended after a month, at which point I was automatically enrolled into an annual subscription. Needless to say, I//did /not/ ever sign up for any trial or subscription, at least not to my knowledge. Since I have only used my personal credit card for work purposes 3 times, it was easy to tie this to code4lib 2013. I looked at my receipt for code4lib 2013 and saw that something called RegOnline (owned by Lanyon Solutions Inc) was used to process my event registration. Though I'm not sure this is the same company, RegOnline, Lanyon Solutions Inc, and ACTIVE Network, LLC all share the same physical address. I suspect these three companies are one and the same and will refer to them as ACTIVE Network, LLC for the rest of this email. I did a little investigating and found out that ACTIVE Network, LLC. uses unscrupulous business practices to trick people into singing up for their annual subscription. The crux of this is an automatic opt-in they employ while processing enrollments for third parties. Though I'm very embarrassed I didn't catch this, in my own defense I wasn't expecting it while registering for an academic conference. I'm not blaming anyone nor am I angry with anyone on this list. I only send this email to inquire and inform: 1. To see if anyone else has had a similar experience. 2. To warn other people from code4lib to check their bank statements. 3. To plead with the community to stop using ACTIVE Network, LLC and anything affiliated with them for registration. Let me be frank for a moment. ACTIVE Network, LLC engages in highly unethical business practices. I did not intend to enroll in any annual subscriptions when I registered for code4lib and I never would have agreed to anything of the sort had I noticed what was happening. Additionally, the subscription isn't at all relevant to code4lib. I'm not even sure what value is being provided by the subscription. I think it has something to do with coupons for outdoor exercise equipment but I'm not even sure. Also, these guys are bad. They lost class action lawsuits in Iowa and Vermont. In fact, this whole thing is just bad all around. Since noticing the fraudulent charges this morning, I've already disputed them with my bank and filed a formal complaint against ACTIVE Network, LLC with the better business bureau. Apparently I'm not the only one: 1. http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/bodywork/the-fit-list/Active-Network-Consumer-Complaints.html 2. http://www.yelp.com/biz/active-network-san-diego?sort_by=date_desc 3. http://legalnewsline.com/news/253622-active-network-will-pay-160k-to-consumers-after-action-by-vermont-ag 4. https://encrypted.google.com/search?hl=enq=Iowa%20ACTIVE%20Network%2C%20LLC#hl=enq=Active+Network+scam I apologize if I've made an error in my investigation or if I've done something inappropriate by emailing this list. I can't imagine that anyone would have intended anything like this but I thought you should all be aware. Sincerely, Brad Busenius Web Administrator The University of Chicago Library (773) 702-4391
Re: [CODE4LIB] code4lib registration repercussions?
Thank you, Mark. On Fri, Mar 13, 2015 at 10:41 AM, Mark A. Matienzo mark.matie...@gmail.com wrote: Becky, Brad, I passed on links to this thread to Louisa Kwasigroch at DLF, who may be able to let you know if any other registered attendees had this issue. Cheers, Mark -- Mark A. Matienzo m...@matienzo.org Director of Technology, Digital Public Library of America On Fri, Mar 13, 2015 at 11:26 AM, Becky Yoose b.yo...@gmail.com wrote: Hi Brad, If there was an option for an annual subscription for ACTIVE as part of the registration process, I'm wondering why this wasn't brought up during the registration period. What you are describing would have been suspicious to anyone signing up for the conference. If I remember correctly, DLF was the one who handled the fiances for 2013, so if someone from DLF is on the list, can they doublecheck to see if there was anything like Brad described below? Thanks, Becky On Fri, Mar 13, 2015 at 10:17 AM, Brad Busenius bbusen...@uchicago.edu wrote: They are separate charges. WithdrawalACT*Council is probably the charge for the conference. I probably have that one too. The Active charge came later as an annual subscription. They used the conference registration as a way to trick people into opting in to their unrelated service. I assume most people noticed this and opted out. I did not notice and therefore did not opt out. That's what I think happened, anyhow. I am looking for confirmation on this. I've had to piece things together. Brad On 3/12/15 7:48 PM, Becky Yoose wrote: A follow-up - the charge name that is listed on my statement for 2013 registration is WithdrawalACT*Council on Library which is different than what you have listed in your statement. :-( Thanks, Becky Sent from the ball and chain On Mar 12, 2015 7:22 PM, Becky Yoose b.yo...@gmail.com wrote: Hello Brad, I'm sorry to hear about the suspicious charges! Per your request, I checked the history of the the account I used to pay for 2013 and did not find a reoccurring charge like the one you described. I wonder what happened with your account... Thanks, Becky Sent from the ball and chain On Mar 12, 2015 7:09 PM, Brad Busenius bbusen...@uchicago.edu wrote: Hi everybody, I hope this is the right place to inquire about this. I have some information about a possible problem with the company handling registration for code4lib. I recently noticed a suspicious charge on my credit card for the amount of $64.95. The charge showed up as ACT*ACTIVE-NETWORK. After some investigation I found out this was from a company called ACTIVE Network, LLC. Apparently this company handles registration for events. To my dismay I found out that I had been charged for this annually since 2013. I'm very embarrassed that 1. I didn't notice this during the registration process and 2. I didn't catch the charges earlier. Anyhow, after a quick email search I found something surprising; I had received emails from this company at my /work/ email address. I never noticed the emails because they looked like junkmail, however, upon reviewing them I discovered that at some point I had supposedly registered for a free trial that ended after a month, at which point I was automatically enrolled into an annual subscription. Needless to say, I//did /not/ ever sign up for any trial or subscription, at least not to my knowledge. Since I have only used my personal credit card for work purposes 3 times, it was easy to tie this to code4lib 2013. I looked at my receipt for code4lib 2013 and saw that something called RegOnline (owned by Lanyon Solutions Inc) was used to process my event registration. Though I'm not sure this is the same company, RegOnline, Lanyon Solutions Inc, and ACTIVE Network, LLC all share the same physical address. I suspect these three companies are one and the same and will refer to them as ACTIVE Network, LLC for the rest of this email. I did a little investigating and found out that ACTIVE Network, LLC. uses unscrupulous business practices to trick people into singing up for their annual subscription. The crux of this is an automatic opt-in they employ while processing enrollments for third parties. Though I'm very embarrassed I didn't catch this, in my own defense I wasn't expecting it while registering for an academic conference. I'm not blaming anyone nor am I angry with anyone on this list. I only send this email to inquire and inform: 1. To see if anyone else has had a similar experience. 2. To warn other people from code4lib to check their bank statements. 3. To plead with the community to stop using ACTIVE Network, LLC and anything affiliated with them for registration.
Re: [CODE4LIB] code4lib registration repercussions?
Becky, Brad, I passed on links to this thread to Louisa Kwasigroch at DLF, who may be able to let you know if any other registered attendees had this issue. Cheers, Mark -- Mark A. Matienzo m...@matienzo.org Director of Technology, Digital Public Library of America On Fri, Mar 13, 2015 at 11:26 AM, Becky Yoose b.yo...@gmail.com wrote: Hi Brad, If there was an option for an annual subscription for ACTIVE as part of the registration process, I'm wondering why this wasn't brought up during the registration period. What you are describing would have been suspicious to anyone signing up for the conference. If I remember correctly, DLF was the one who handled the fiances for 2013, so if someone from DLF is on the list, can they doublecheck to see if there was anything like Brad described below? Thanks, Becky On Fri, Mar 13, 2015 at 10:17 AM, Brad Busenius bbusen...@uchicago.edu wrote: They are separate charges. WithdrawalACT*Council is probably the charge for the conference. I probably have that one too. The Active charge came later as an annual subscription. They used the conference registration as a way to trick people into opting in to their unrelated service. I assume most people noticed this and opted out. I did not notice and therefore did not opt out. That's what I think happened, anyhow. I am looking for confirmation on this. I've had to piece things together. Brad On 3/12/15 7:48 PM, Becky Yoose wrote: A follow-up - the charge name that is listed on my statement for 2013 registration is WithdrawalACT*Council on Library which is different than what you have listed in your statement. :-( Thanks, Becky Sent from the ball and chain On Mar 12, 2015 7:22 PM, Becky Yoose b.yo...@gmail.com wrote: Hello Brad, I'm sorry to hear about the suspicious charges! Per your request, I checked the history of the the account I used to pay for 2013 and did not find a reoccurring charge like the one you described. I wonder what happened with your account... Thanks, Becky Sent from the ball and chain On Mar 12, 2015 7:09 PM, Brad Busenius bbusen...@uchicago.edu wrote: Hi everybody, I hope this is the right place to inquire about this. I have some information about a possible problem with the company handling registration for code4lib. I recently noticed a suspicious charge on my credit card for the amount of $64.95. The charge showed up as ACT*ACTIVE-NETWORK. After some investigation I found out this was from a company called ACTIVE Network, LLC. Apparently this company handles registration for events. To my dismay I found out that I had been charged for this annually since 2013. I'm very embarrassed that 1. I didn't notice this during the registration process and 2. I didn't catch the charges earlier. Anyhow, after a quick email search I found something surprising; I had received emails from this company at my /work/ email address. I never noticed the emails because they looked like junkmail, however, upon reviewing them I discovered that at some point I had supposedly registered for a free trial that ended after a month, at which point I was automatically enrolled into an annual subscription. Needless to say, I//did /not/ ever sign up for any trial or subscription, at least not to my knowledge. Since I have only used my personal credit card for work purposes 3 times, it was easy to tie this to code4lib 2013. I looked at my receipt for code4lib 2013 and saw that something called RegOnline (owned by Lanyon Solutions Inc) was used to process my event registration. Though I'm not sure this is the same company, RegOnline, Lanyon Solutions Inc, and ACTIVE Network, LLC all share the same physical address. I suspect these three companies are one and the same and will refer to them as ACTIVE Network, LLC for the rest of this email. I did a little investigating and found out that ACTIVE Network, LLC. uses unscrupulous business practices to trick people into singing up for their annual subscription. The crux of this is an automatic opt-in they employ while processing enrollments for third parties. Though I'm very embarrassed I didn't catch this, in my own defense I wasn't expecting it while registering for an academic conference. I'm not blaming anyone nor am I angry with anyone on this list. I only send this email to inquire and inform: 1. To see if anyone else has had a similar experience. 2. To warn other people from code4lib to check their bank statements. 3. To plead with the community to stop using ACTIVE Network, LLC and anything affiliated with them for registration. Let me be frank for a moment. ACTIVE Network, LLC engages in highly unethical business practices. I did not intend to enroll in any annual subscriptions when I registered for code4lib and I never would have agreed to anything of the sort
Re: [CODE4LIB] code4lib registration repercussions?
This has happened to me as well, but it was from registering for an athletic event (I don't even remember what it was any more) not for anything code4lib related. They are indeed a sketchy company. -Original Message- From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of Becky Yoose Sent: Friday, March 13, 2015 8:44 AM To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] code4lib registration repercussions? Thank you, Mark. On Fri, Mar 13, 2015 at 10:41 AM, Mark A. Matienzo mark.matie...@gmail.com wrote: Becky, Brad, I passed on links to this thread to Louisa Kwasigroch at DLF, who may be able to let you know if any other registered attendees had this issue. Cheers, Mark -- Mark A. Matienzo m...@matienzo.org Director of Technology, Digital Public Library of America On Fri, Mar 13, 2015 at 11:26 AM, Becky Yoose b.yo...@gmail.com wrote: Hi Brad, If there was an option for an annual subscription for ACTIVE as part of the registration process, I'm wondering why this wasn't brought up during the registration period. What you are describing would have been suspicious to anyone signing up for the conference. If I remember correctly, DLF was the one who handled the fiances for 2013, so if someone from DLF is on the list, can they doublecheck to see if there was anything like Brad described below? Thanks, Becky On Fri, Mar 13, 2015 at 10:17 AM, Brad Busenius bbusen...@uchicago.edu wrote: They are separate charges. WithdrawalACT*Council is probably the charge for the conference. I probably have that one too. The Active charge came later as an annual subscription. They used the conference registration as a way to trick people into opting in to their unrelated service. I assume most people noticed this and opted out. I did not notice and therefore did not opt out. That's what I think happened, anyhow. I am looking for confirmation on this. I've had to piece things together. Brad On 3/12/15 7:48 PM, Becky Yoose wrote: A follow-up - the charge name that is listed on my statement for 2013 registration is WithdrawalACT*Council on Library which is different than what you have listed in your statement. :-( Thanks, Becky Sent from the ball and chain On Mar 12, 2015 7:22 PM, Becky Yoose b.yo...@gmail.com wrote: Hello Brad, I'm sorry to hear about the suspicious charges! Per your request, I checked the history of the the account I used to pay for 2013 and did not find a reoccurring charge like the one you described. I wonder what happened with your account... Thanks, Becky Sent from the ball and chain On Mar 12, 2015 7:09 PM, Brad Busenius bbusen...@uchicago.edu wrote: Hi everybody, I hope this is the right place to inquire about this. I have some information about a possible problem with the company handling registration for code4lib. I recently noticed a suspicious charge on my credit card for the amount of $64.95. The charge showed up as ACT*ACTIVE-NETWORK. After some investigation I found out this was from a company called ACTIVE Network, LLC. Apparently this company handles registration for events. To my dismay I found out that I had been charged for this annually since 2013. I'm very embarrassed that 1. I didn't notice this during the registration process and 2. I didn't catch the charges earlier. Anyhow, after a quick email search I found something surprising; I had received emails from this company at my /work/ email address. I never noticed the emails because they looked like junkmail, however, upon reviewing them I discovered that at some point I had supposedly registered for a free trial that ended after a month, at which point I was automatically enrolled into an annual subscription. Needless to say, I//did /not/ ever sign up for any trial or subscription, at least not to my knowledge. Since I have only used my personal credit card for work purposes 3 times, it was easy to tie this to code4lib 2013. I looked at my receipt for code4lib 2013 and saw that something called RegOnline (owned by Lanyon Solutions Inc) was used to process my event registration. Though I'm not sure this is the same company, RegOnline, Lanyon Solutions Inc, and ACTIVE Network, LLC all share the same physical address. I suspect these three companies are one and the same and will refer to them as ACTIVE Network, LLC for the rest of this email. I did a little investigating and found out that ACTIVE Network, LLC. uses unscrupulous business practices to trick people into singing up for their annual subscription. The crux of this is an automatic opt-in they employ while processing enrollments for third parties. Though
Re: [CODE4LIB] code4lib registration repercussions?
I think Mark is on to something. Was this one of the years CODE4LIB used DLF for registration? I recall DLF having a similar issue due to the company they contracted with for registration a few years back - at least one DLF registrant got caught out by it. As I recall, DLF changed registration vendors after that. Louisa should be able to confirm and as Mark says, provide moire information. Jenn --- Jenn Riley Associate Dean, Digital Initiatives | Vice Doyenne, Initiatives numériques McGill University Library | Bibliothèque Université McGill 3459 McTavish Street | 3459, rue McTavish Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 0C9 | Montréal (QC) Canada H3A 0C9 (514) 398-3642 jenn.ri...@mcgill.ca On 2015-03-13 11:41 AM, Mark A. Matienzo mark.matie...@gmail.com wrote: Becky, Brad, I passed on links to this thread to Louisa Kwasigroch at DLF, who may be able to let you know if any other registered attendees had this issue. Cheers, Mark -- Mark A. Matienzo m...@matienzo.org Director of Technology, Digital Public Library of America On Fri, Mar 13, 2015 at 11:26 AM, Becky Yoose b.yo...@gmail.com wrote: Hi Brad, If there was an option for an annual subscription for ACTIVE as part of the registration process, I'm wondering why this wasn't brought up during the registration period. What you are describing would have been suspicious to anyone signing up for the conference. If I remember correctly, DLF was the one who handled the fiances for 2013, so if someone from DLF is on the list, can they doublecheck to see if there was anything like Brad described below? Thanks, Becky On Fri, Mar 13, 2015 at 10:17 AM, Brad Busenius bbusen...@uchicago.edu wrote: They are separate charges. WithdrawalACT*Council is probably the charge for the conference. I probably have that one too. The Active charge came later as an annual subscription. They used the conference registration as a way to trick people into opting in to their unrelated service. I assume most people noticed this and opted out. I did not notice and therefore did not opt out. That's what I think happened, anyhow. I am looking for confirmation on this. I've had to piece things together. Brad On 3/12/15 7:48 PM, Becky Yoose wrote: A follow-up - the charge name that is listed on my statement for 2013 registration is WithdrawalACT*Council on Library which is different than what you have listed in your statement. :-( Thanks, Becky Sent from the ball and chain On Mar 12, 2015 7:22 PM, Becky Yoose b.yo...@gmail.com wrote: Hello Brad, I'm sorry to hear about the suspicious charges! Per your request, I checked the history of the the account I used to pay for 2013 and did not find a reoccurring charge like the one you described. I wonder what happened with your account... Thanks, Becky Sent from the ball and chain On Mar 12, 2015 7:09 PM, Brad Busenius bbusen...@uchicago.edu wrote: Hi everybody, I hope this is the right place to inquire about this. I have some information about a possible problem with the company handling registration for code4lib. I recently noticed a suspicious charge on my credit card for the amount of $64.95. The charge showed up as ACT*ACTIVE-NETWORK. After some investigation I found out this was from a company called ACTIVE Network, LLC. Apparently this company handles registration for events. To my dismay I found out that I had been charged for this annually since 2013. I'm very embarrassed that 1. I didn't notice this during the registration process and 2. I didn't catch the charges earlier. Anyhow, after a quick email search I found something surprising; I had received emails from this company at my /work/ email address. I never noticed the emails because they looked like junkmail, however, upon reviewing them I discovered that at some point I had supposedly registered for a free trial that ended after a month, at which point I was automatically enrolled into an annual subscription. Needless to say, I//did /not/ ever sign up for any trial or subscription, at least not to my knowledge. Since I have only used my personal credit card for work purposes 3 times, it was easy to tie this to code4lib 2013. I looked at my receipt for code4lib 2013 and saw that something called RegOnline (owned by Lanyon Solutions Inc) was used to process my event registration. Though I'm not sure this is the same company, RegOnline, Lanyon Solutions Inc, and ACTIVE Network, LLC all share the same physical address. I suspect these three companies are one and the same and will refer to them as ACTIVE Network, LLC for the rest of this email. I did a little investigating and found out that ACTIVE Network, LLC. uses unscrupulous business practices to trick people into singing up for their annual subscription. The crux of this is an automatic opt-in they employ while
Re: [CODE4LIB] code4lib registration repercussions?
Hello Brad, I feel really awful this happened to you and happy that you are contesting the unscrupulous charges to your account. If there's anything I can do please contact me directly. I also thank you for alerting others who may have been unwittingly conned into these false charges. ./fxk On 3/12/15 8:08 PM, Brad Busenius wrote: Hi everybody, I hope this is the right place to inquire about this. I have some information about a possible problem with the company handling registration for code4lib. I recently noticed a suspicious charge on my credit card for the amount of $64.95. The charge showed up as ACT*ACTIVE-NETWORK. After some investigation I found out this was from a company called ACTIVE Network, LLC. Apparently this company handles registration for events. To my dismay I found out that I had been charged for this annually since 2013. I'm very embarrassed that 1. I didn't notice this during the registration process and 2. I didn't catch the charges earlier. Anyhow, after a quick email search I found something surprising; I had received emails from this company at my /work/ email address. I never noticed the emails because they looked like junkmail, however, upon reviewing them I discovered that at some point I had supposedly registered for a free trial that ended after a month, at which point I was automatically enrolled into an annual subscription. Needless to say, I//did /not/ ever sign up for any trial or subscription, at least not to my knowledge. Since I have only used my personal credit card for work purposes 3 times, it was easy to tie this to code4lib 2013. I looked at my receipt for code4lib 2013 and saw that something called RegOnline (owned by Lanyon Solutions Inc) was used to process my event registration. Though I'm not sure this is the same company, RegOnline, Lanyon Solutions Inc, and ACTIVE Network, LLC all share the same physical address. I suspect these three companies are one and the same and will refer to them as ACTIVE Network, LLC for the rest of this email. I did a little investigating and found out that ACTIVE Network, LLC. uses unscrupulous business practices to trick people into singing up for their annual subscription. The crux of this is an automatic opt-in they employ while processing enrollments for third parties. Though I'm very embarrassed I didn't catch this, in my own defense I wasn't expecting it while registering for an academic conference. I'm not blaming anyone nor am I angry with anyone on this list. I only send this email to inquire and inform: 1. To see if anyone else has had a similar experience. 2. To warn other people from code4lib to check their bank statements. 3. To plead with the community to stop using ACTIVE Network, LLC and anything affiliated with them for registration. Let me be frank for a moment. ACTIVE Network, LLC engages in highly unethical business practices. I did not intend to enroll in any annual subscriptions when I registered for code4lib and I never would have agreed to anything of the sort had I noticed what was happening. Additionally, the subscription isn't at all relevant to code4lib. I'm not even sure what value is being provided by the subscription. I think it has something to do with coupons for outdoor exercise equipment but I'm not even sure. Also, these guys are bad. They lost class action lawsuits in Iowa and Vermont. In fact, this whole thing is just bad all around. Since noticing the fraudulent charges this morning, I've already disputed them with my bank and filed a formal complaint against ACTIVE Network, LLC with the better business bureau. Apparently I'm not the only one: 1. http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/bodywork/the-fit-list/Active-Network-Consumer-Complaints.html 2. http://www.yelp.com/biz/active-network-san-diego?sort_by=date_desc 3. http://legalnewsline.com/news/253622-active-network-will-pay-160k-to-consumers-after-action-by-vermont-ag 4. https://encrypted.google.com/search?hl=enq=Iowa%20ACTIVE%20Network%2C%20LLC#hl=enq=Active+Network+scam I apologize if I've made an error in my investigation or if I've done something inappropriate by emailing this list. I can't imagine that anyone would have intended anything like this but I thought you should all be aware. Sincerely, Brad Busenius Web Administrator The University of Chicago Library (773) 702-4391 -- Fame is a vapor; popularity an accident; the only earthly certainty is oblivion. -- Mark Twain
[CODE4LIB] code4lib registration repercussions?
Hi everybody, I hope this is the right place to inquire about this. I have some information about a possible problem with the company handling registration for code4lib. I recently noticed a suspicious charge on my credit card for the amount of $64.95. The charge showed up as ACT*ACTIVE-NETWORK. After some investigation I found out this was from a company called ACTIVE Network, LLC. Apparently this company handles registration for events. To my dismay I found out that I had been charged for this annually since 2013. I'm very embarrassed that 1. I didn't notice this during the registration process and 2. I didn't catch the charges earlier. Anyhow, after a quick email search I found something surprising; I had received emails from this company at my /work/ email address. I never noticed the emails because they looked like junkmail, however, upon reviewing them I discovered that at some point I had supposedly registered for a free trial that ended after a month, at which point I was automatically enrolled into an annual subscription. Needless to say, I//did /not/ ever sign up for any trial or subscription, at least not to my knowledge. Since I have only used my personal credit card for work purposes 3 times, it was easy to tie this to code4lib 2013. I looked at my receipt for code4lib 2013 and saw that something called RegOnline (owned by Lanyon Solutions Inc) was used to process my event registration. Though I'm not sure this is the same company, RegOnline, Lanyon Solutions Inc, and ACTIVE Network, LLC all share the same physical address. I suspect these three companies are one and the same and will refer to them as ACTIVE Network, LLC for the rest of this email. I did a little investigating and found out that ACTIVE Network, LLC. uses unscrupulous business practices to trick people into singing up for their annual subscription. The crux of this is an automatic opt-in they employ while processing enrollments for third parties. Though I'm very embarrassed I didn't catch this, in my own defense I wasn't expecting it while registering for an academic conference. I'm not blaming anyone nor am I angry with anyone on this list. I only send this email to inquire and inform: 1. To see if anyone else has had a similar experience. 2. To warn other people from code4lib to check their bank statements. 3. To plead with the community to stop using ACTIVE Network, LLC and anything affiliated with them for registration. Let me be frank for a moment. ACTIVE Network, LLC engages in highly unethical business practices. I did not intend to enroll in any annual subscriptions when I registered for code4lib and I never would have agreed to anything of the sort had I noticed what was happening. Additionally, the subscription isn't at all relevant to code4lib. I'm not even sure what value is being provided by the subscription. I think it has something to do with coupons for outdoor exercise equipment but I'm not even sure. Also, these guys are bad. They lost class action lawsuits in Iowa and Vermont. In fact, this whole thing is just bad all around. Since noticing the fraudulent charges this morning, I've already disputed them with my bank and filed a formal complaint against ACTIVE Network, LLC with the better business bureau. Apparently I'm not the only one: 1. http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/bodywork/the-fit-list/Active-Network-Consumer-Complaints.html 2. http://www.yelp.com/biz/active-network-san-diego?sort_by=date_desc 3. http://legalnewsline.com/news/253622-active-network-will-pay-160k-to-consumers-after-action-by-vermont-ag 4. https://encrypted.google.com/search?hl=enq=Iowa%20ACTIVE%20Network%2C%20LLC#hl=enq=Active+Network+scam I apologize if I've made an error in my investigation or if I've done something inappropriate by emailing this list. I can't imagine that anyone would have intended anything like this but I thought you should all be aware. Sincerely, Brad Busenius Web Administrator The University of Chicago Library (773) 702-4391
Re: [CODE4LIB] code4lib registration repercussions?
Hello Brad, I'm sorry to hear about the suspicious charges! Per your request, I checked the history of the the account I used to pay for 2013 and did not find a reoccurring charge like the one you described. I wonder what happened with your account... Thanks, Becky Sent from the ball and chain On Mar 12, 2015 7:09 PM, Brad Busenius bbusen...@uchicago.edu wrote: Hi everybody, I hope this is the right place to inquire about this. I have some information about a possible problem with the company handling registration for code4lib. I recently noticed a suspicious charge on my credit card for the amount of $64.95. The charge showed up as ACT*ACTIVE-NETWORK. After some investigation I found out this was from a company called ACTIVE Network, LLC. Apparently this company handles registration for events. To my dismay I found out that I had been charged for this annually since 2013. I'm very embarrassed that 1. I didn't notice this during the registration process and 2. I didn't catch the charges earlier. Anyhow, after a quick email search I found something surprising; I had received emails from this company at my /work/ email address. I never noticed the emails because they looked like junkmail, however, upon reviewing them I discovered that at some point I had supposedly registered for a free trial that ended after a month, at which point I was automatically enrolled into an annual subscription. Needless to say, I//did /not/ ever sign up for any trial or subscription, at least not to my knowledge. Since I have only used my personal credit card for work purposes 3 times, it was easy to tie this to code4lib 2013. I looked at my receipt for code4lib 2013 and saw that something called RegOnline (owned by Lanyon Solutions Inc) was used to process my event registration. Though I'm not sure this is the same company, RegOnline, Lanyon Solutions Inc, and ACTIVE Network, LLC all share the same physical address. I suspect these three companies are one and the same and will refer to them as ACTIVE Network, LLC for the rest of this email. I did a little investigating and found out that ACTIVE Network, LLC. uses unscrupulous business practices to trick people into singing up for their annual subscription. The crux of this is an automatic opt-in they employ while processing enrollments for third parties. Though I'm very embarrassed I didn't catch this, in my own defense I wasn't expecting it while registering for an academic conference. I'm not blaming anyone nor am I angry with anyone on this list. I only send this email to inquire and inform: 1. To see if anyone else has had a similar experience. 2. To warn other people from code4lib to check their bank statements. 3. To plead with the community to stop using ACTIVE Network, LLC and anything affiliated with them for registration. Let me be frank for a moment. ACTIVE Network, LLC engages in highly unethical business practices. I did not intend to enroll in any annual subscriptions when I registered for code4lib and I never would have agreed to anything of the sort had I noticed what was happening. Additionally, the subscription isn't at all relevant to code4lib. I'm not even sure what value is being provided by the subscription. I think it has something to do with coupons for outdoor exercise equipment but I'm not even sure. Also, these guys are bad. They lost class action lawsuits in Iowa and Vermont. In fact, this whole thing is just bad all around. Since noticing the fraudulent charges this morning, I've already disputed them with my bank and filed a formal complaint against ACTIVE Network, LLC with the better business bureau. Apparently I'm not the only one: 1. http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/bodywork/the-fit-list/ Active-Network-Consumer-Complaints.html 2. http://www.yelp.com/biz/active-network-san-diego?sort_by=date_desc 3. http://legalnewsline.com/news/253622-active-network-will- pay-160k-to-consumers-after-action-by-vermont-ag 4. https://encrypted.google.com/search?hl=enq=Iowa%20ACTIVE% 20Network%2C%20LLC#hl=enq=Active+Network+scam I apologize if I've made an error in my investigation or if I've done something inappropriate by emailing this list. I can't imagine that anyone would have intended anything like this but I thought you should all be aware. Sincerely, Brad Busenius Web Administrator The University of Chicago Library (773) 702-4391
Re: [CODE4LIB] code4lib registration repercussions?
ACTIVE is a company that handles sports event registration, unless code4lib had some sort of Athletic component I doubt that they were involved with this unknown charge and they are an upstanding company in my dealings with them though HyTek Team/Meet Manager. All in all I didn't investigate myself, but my dealings with ACTIVE have always been good. //Riley Sent from my Windows Phone -- Riley Childs Senior Charlotte United Christian Academy Library Services Administrator IT Services Administrator (704) 537-0331x101 (704) 497-2086 rileychilds.net @rowdychildren I use Lync (select External Contact on any XMPP chat client) CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email and any files transmitted with it are the property of Charlotte United Christian Academy. This e-mail, and any attachments thereto, is intended only for use by the addressee(s) named herein and may contain confidential information that is privileged and/or exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not one of the named original recipients or have received this e-mail in error, please permanently delete the original and any copy of any e-mail and any printout thereof. Thank you for your compliance. This email is also subject to copyright. No part of it nor any attachments may be reproduced, adapted, forwarded or transmitted without the written consent of the copyright ow...@cucawarriors.com From: Brad Buseniusmailto:bbusen...@uchicago.edu Sent: 3/12/2015 8:09 PM To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDUmailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU Subject: [CODE4LIB] code4lib registration repercussions? Hi everybody, I hope this is the right place to inquire about this. I have some information about a possible problem with the company handling registration for code4lib. I recently noticed a suspicious charge on my credit card for the amount of $64.95. The charge showed up as ACT*ACTIVE-NETWORK. After some investigation I found out this was from a company called ACTIVE Network, LLC. Apparently this company handles registration for events. To my dismay I found out that I had been charged for this annually since 2013. I'm very embarrassed that 1. I didn't notice this during the registration process and 2. I didn't catch the charges earlier. Anyhow, after a quick email search I found something surprising; I had received emails from this company at my /work/ email address. I never noticed the emails because they looked like junkmail, however, upon reviewing them I discovered that at some point I had supposedly registered for a free trial that ended after a month, at which point I was automatically enrolled into an annual subscription. Needless to say, I//did /not/ ever sign up for any trial or subscription, at least not to my knowledge. Since I have only used my personal credit card for work purposes 3 times, it was easy to tie this to code4lib 2013. I looked at my receipt for code4lib 2013 and saw that something called RegOnline (owned by Lanyon Solutions Inc) was used to process my event registration. Though I'm not sure this is the same company, RegOnline, Lanyon Solutions Inc, and ACTIVE Network, LLC all share the same physical address. I suspect these three companies are one and the same and will refer to them as ACTIVE Network, LLC for the rest of this email. I did a little investigating and found out that ACTIVE Network, LLC. uses unscrupulous business practices to trick people into singing up for their annual subscription. The crux of this is an automatic opt-in they employ while processing enrollments for third parties. Though I'm very embarrassed I didn't catch this, in my own defense I wasn't expecting it while registering for an academic conference. I'm not blaming anyone nor am I angry with anyone on this list. I only send this email to inquire and inform: 1. To see if anyone else has had a similar experience. 2. To warn other people from code4lib to check their bank statements. 3. To plead with the community to stop using ACTIVE Network, LLC and anything affiliated with them for registration. Let me be frank for a moment. ACTIVE Network, LLC engages in highly unethical business practices. I did not intend to enroll in any annual subscriptions when I registered for code4lib and I never would have agreed to anything of the sort had I noticed what was happening. Additionally, the subscription isn't at all relevant to code4lib. I'm not even sure what value is being provided by the subscription. I think it has something to do with coupons for outdoor exercise equipment but I'm not even sure. Also, these guys are bad. They lost class action lawsuits in Iowa and Vermont. In fact, this whole thing is just bad all around. Since noticing the fraudulent charges this morning, I've already disputed them with my bank and filed a formal complaint against ACTIVE Network, LLC with the better business bureau. Apparently I'm not the only one: 1. http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/bodywork/the-fit-list
Re: [CODE4LIB] code4lib registration repercussions?
A follow-up - the charge name that is listed on my statement for 2013 registration is WithdrawalACT*Council on Library which is different than what you have listed in your statement. :-( Thanks, Becky Sent from the ball and chain On Mar 12, 2015 7:22 PM, Becky Yoose b.yo...@gmail.com wrote: Hello Brad, I'm sorry to hear about the suspicious charges! Per your request, I checked the history of the the account I used to pay for 2013 and did not find a reoccurring charge like the one you described. I wonder what happened with your account... Thanks, Becky Sent from the ball and chain On Mar 12, 2015 7:09 PM, Brad Busenius bbusen...@uchicago.edu wrote: Hi everybody, I hope this is the right place to inquire about this. I have some information about a possible problem with the company handling registration for code4lib. I recently noticed a suspicious charge on my credit card for the amount of $64.95. The charge showed up as ACT*ACTIVE-NETWORK. After some investigation I found out this was from a company called ACTIVE Network, LLC. Apparently this company handles registration for events. To my dismay I found out that I had been charged for this annually since 2013. I'm very embarrassed that 1. I didn't notice this during the registration process and 2. I didn't catch the charges earlier. Anyhow, after a quick email search I found something surprising; I had received emails from this company at my /work/ email address. I never noticed the emails because they looked like junkmail, however, upon reviewing them I discovered that at some point I had supposedly registered for a free trial that ended after a month, at which point I was automatically enrolled into an annual subscription. Needless to say, I//did /not/ ever sign up for any trial or subscription, at least not to my knowledge. Since I have only used my personal credit card for work purposes 3 times, it was easy to tie this to code4lib 2013. I looked at my receipt for code4lib 2013 and saw that something called RegOnline (owned by Lanyon Solutions Inc) was used to process my event registration. Though I'm not sure this is the same company, RegOnline, Lanyon Solutions Inc, and ACTIVE Network, LLC all share the same physical address. I suspect these three companies are one and the same and will refer to them as ACTIVE Network, LLC for the rest of this email. I did a little investigating and found out that ACTIVE Network, LLC. uses unscrupulous business practices to trick people into singing up for their annual subscription. The crux of this is an automatic opt-in they employ while processing enrollments for third parties. Though I'm very embarrassed I didn't catch this, in my own defense I wasn't expecting it while registering for an academic conference. I'm not blaming anyone nor am I angry with anyone on this list. I only send this email to inquire and inform: 1. To see if anyone else has had a similar experience. 2. To warn other people from code4lib to check their bank statements. 3. To plead with the community to stop using ACTIVE Network, LLC and anything affiliated with them for registration. Let me be frank for a moment. ACTIVE Network, LLC engages in highly unethical business practices. I did not intend to enroll in any annual subscriptions when I registered for code4lib and I never would have agreed to anything of the sort had I noticed what was happening. Additionally, the subscription isn't at all relevant to code4lib. I'm not even sure what value is being provided by the subscription. I think it has something to do with coupons for outdoor exercise equipment but I'm not even sure. Also, these guys are bad. They lost class action lawsuits in Iowa and Vermont. In fact, this whole thing is just bad all around. Since noticing the fraudulent charges this morning, I've already disputed them with my bank and filed a formal complaint against ACTIVE Network, LLC with the better business bureau. Apparently I'm not the only one: 1. http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/bodywork/the-fit-list/ Active-Network-Consumer-Complaints.html 2. http://www.yelp.com/biz/active-network-san-diego?sort_by=date_desc 3. http://legalnewsline.com/news/253622-active-network-will- pay-160k-to-consumers-after-action-by-vermont-ag 4. https://encrypted.google.com/search?hl=enq=Iowa%20ACTIVE% 20Network%2C%20LLC#hl=enq=Active+Network+scam I apologize if I've made an error in my investigation or if I've done something inappropriate by emailing this list. I can't imagine that anyone would have intended anything like this but I thought you should all be aware. Sincerely, Brad Busenius Web Administrator The University of Chicago Library (773) 702-4391
