18 Apr 08 I am sure IC3.gov have a file on this organisation already
I was asked to provide some more details from my experience, so here is an extract from correspondence with ic3.gov:
After having been a client of web hosting company Gisol for a couple of years, I was suddenly contact by them via phone informing me that they were migrating their administrative system to a new platform and would no longer accept payments via american express. I informed the calling person that I had paid for hosting for another 5 months and I therefore didn’t need to provide credit card details until the hosting was up for renewal. The representative then informed me that emails had been sent out informing me (and other clients) about the migration months in advance that the new administrative package would require validation of a credit card or the account would not remain active. No billing was to take place until renewal was due. It was not impossible that they had sent email as I receive large amount of spam and potentially could have missed something.
Through a series of questions I verified that the person was actually calling from the company. Given that he passed this check and that I had been long term client for several years without any similar incidents, I accepted the explanation and provided details for an alternate account. Shortly thereafter I found out that they had billed my VISA card for 36months hosting upfront at a rate of $49/month (despite their advertised highest hosting package is $7.95 per month).
I contacted my credit card provider but they refused to help as they claimed that I have volunteraly given them my credit card details. My position is that it was agreed that no billing ws going to take place. The card details were required only to keep the account active Since then I discovered that 1) their old admin platform still was active, they just created a new acocunt for me in a new system. The old account could still be logged on to. I also recently received notices that this account was about to expire (which proves the old admin platoform is stil fully functional) and 2) both the old and new platform both accept AMEX details. So the claim that they had to use another credit card was incorrect. Furthermore, using the new admin platform, I could in my personal settings adjust from 36 months billing to monthly with the system indicating that credit would be made. No such has however been made to the card. I have little hope of recovering any money but hope to assist in preventing other people from being defrauded.
I am sure you have a file on this organisation already as a search on google for gisol and fraud retrieves numerous described cases of similar practices.
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