Watch the checkout for ugly surprises when shopping online

BY KERRY TOMLINSON, AMPERE NEWS

*Updated 1-4-24 at 5:37 am ET with new response from PupSocks representative*

You've picked out what you want and now it's time to buy. But some companies are counting on you moving a little too quickly at checkout.

Slow down and double check to make sure there aren't any surprises in there that could end up costing you a lot of money. Like almost $40 a month for something you didn't want or expect. Here's one sneaky way they're doing it.

Watch here:

Tiny Print

I placed an order on the popular site PupSocks based in Atlanta, Georgia, as a gift for family. The company puts your pet's pictures on things like socks and blankets.

But surprise! After clicking to pay, a screen comes up on the PupSocks site saying,"WAIT! SAVE $50 ON EVERYDAY PURCHASES. GET 50% OFF TOP DEALS WITH 'MY COUPON PRO.' Join for free* today!"

My Coupon Pro appears to be an app offering "every day hot deals." If you're not paying attention, you might miss this crucial information very small light grey print below:

"Free for 21 days, then just $38.77 per month. Cancel any time."

But it's not that easy.

Confusing Buttons

You to try to continue with your PupSocks order, but your next step isn't clear. There are two options at the bottom of the page, "Complete order" and "No."

"No" sounds like you won't get your PupSocks order.

But if you click "Complete order," a screen pops up saying you've signed up, then quickly disappears without a trace. Did you sign up for the very expensive My Coupon Pro? And how do you cancel?

Help?

You might contact PupSocks for help to cancel the offer. After almost two weeks, the company responds with an email saying, "There is no specific information about the service you signed up for in our records" and requesting more details to help with cancelling My Coupon Pro.

But after we sent the details, there was no response from PupSocks. Are you still signed up? No one seems to know.

Not So Lush

Another site appears to be doing something similar. Lushly Roses promises bears made of plastic roses for $5, but sneaks in the 'My Coupon Pro' in at checkout.

You might miss the tiny checkmark and tiny print that says, "Join My Coupon Pro for free for 21 days, then just 38.77 a month."

Once again, no information on how to contact My Coupon Pro or cancel. And no response from Lushly Roses for this story.

Who is behind it?

I started the search for the people behind My Coupon Pro.

It leads to two sites called Yowza and Bawlio, and to a person named Christian Johnson. Johnson also appears to be connected to other apps with similar names, like "My Coupon Club."

Yowza and Bawlio both advertise that they will help businesses boost their revenue by 35% with app subscriptions.

"Insanely profitable digital products with one-click post-purchase upsells," boasts Yowza.

Johnson responded immediately to a message. he said, "We do not promote our apps directly (we are a B2B company), so all marketing material and customer charges are made by our merchants." B2B stands for "business to business."

"I will take a look at the two merchants you have mentioned to make sure they are being transparent in their offerings to their customers," he added.

Checking back in

The next step, contacting PupSocks again. This time, a representative said, "Although My Coupon Pro is not a service directly offered by PupSocks itself, we take all feedback seriously and aim for transparency in all our customer interactions."

The rep told me to ask PupSocks Public Relations for more information. But no one responded. Once again, silence.

Who is selling My Coupon Pro to you? Both Johnson and PupSocks say, "Not me."

History of complaints

PupSocks has a long list of complaints from customers on the Better Business Bureau site. The BBB report shows more than 300 complaints in the last three years, an 'F' rating, and a score of 1 out of 5 stars in customer reviews.

An alert on the BBB site says PupSocks has a history of delays in sending people's orders, with some people not getting the product at all, and others not getting their refunds.

In addition, the Georgia Attorney General's office took action against PupSocks for the similar issues, fining the company $15,000 in 2019 and $25,000 in 2022.

Watch out

If you ordered from PupSocks and saw the My Coupon Pro offer screen, you may want to check your credit card bill for surprise charges about three weeks after ordering.

If you find charges and feel you were deceived, ask for a refund and file a complaint if necessary.

In the meantime, keep close watch when you check out online.

*New response from PupSocks representative:

After our story was published, a PupSocks support team representative reached out via email in regards to our PupSocks order and request to have the My Coupon Pro ‘order’ canceled.

On January 4, the representative wrote, “Regarding the My Coupon Pro app, please rest assured that I've taken your request seriously and have canceled any connection or 'orders' related to this service on your behalf.”

The email went on to say, “We are currently reviewing our partnership with offers like My Coupon Pro to ensure they are presented clearly and transparently, without causing confusion or concern for our customers.”

Checkout charges

Other companies have made customers angry with checkout add-ins as well.

Some customers complained last year that travel app Hopper was adding in a tip and 'VIP customer support' totaling more than $20 at time of purchase. People had to toggle the charges off manually.

Hopper told us this week that the tip is now a separate option after checkout, and there is no toggle for VIP support at this time, so customers do not have to manually opt out like in the past.

Electronics giant Dick Smith in Australia generated a long list of complaints fr0m people who were surprised to see a $99 or $149 charge on their credit card bills after a special offer at checkout.

Doing it Right

The BBB of Atlanta, where PupSocks is located, has ad guidelines about free trials and asterisks.

"Information referenced by asterisks must be clearly and conspicuously disclosed," the BBB guidelines state.

Also, the guidelines say that the asterisk should not be used to contradict or substantially change the meaning of an advertising statement.

If you run into an offer that you believe is misleading, you can file a complaint online with places like the Federal Trade Commission, the non-profit group Truth in Advertising, and the Better Business Bureau.