Hahaha! LOL!Even Bill can't resist pulling the "Free Trials" scam. Too funny.
Suit Alleges Scam by Microsoft, Best Buy
SEATTLE -- A Los Angeles man is suing Microsoft Corp. and Best Buy Co. Inc., saying the companies fraudulently charged Best Buy customers for MSN Internet access accounts they never signed up for.
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, seeks to be certified as a class-action complaint.
The plaintiff, Samuel Kim, contends in the May 6 complaint that he made a purchase at a Best Buy electronics store in February. As part of a promotion with Microsoft, Best Buy gave him a free trial compact disc for Internet access through Microsoft's MSN service, the suit said.
At the checkout, the CD was scanned for "inventory" purposes, the complaint alleged.
But Kim's suit contends that information from the CD as well as the customer's credit or debit card automatically triggered MSN to create an Internet access subscription in the plaintiff's name. Once the free trial period ended, MSN charged his account, even though Kim never activated a subscription, the complaint said.
When Kim complained to MSN, he was told that many other consumers also had called to complain about similar problems, according to the lawsuit.
Best Buy, based in Eden Prairie, Minn., did not immediately return a telephone call for comment. Microsoft spokesman Jim Desler said his company is reviewing the complaint. He added that Kim's "allegations do not appear to be consistent with the program we have in place with Best Buy."
The suit seeks to represent California consumers who had MSN accounts established for them through the scanning of a a Best Buy trial CD since May 6, 1999.
The suit seeks an injunction against the companies, repayment for the amounts billed to consumers -- as well as profits earned through the practice -- and revenue payments between the two for cross-promotional agreements.
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