FastSpring, deductions, subscriptions

lilodutoit
Contributor
Contributor

Good day

 

A deduction for $44.85 was made from my account on the 7th of November by a company called FastSpring. The beneficiary organization they were collecting for was called highpaying.net, ostensibly for a "subscription" with them. The thing is that I never created a profile or signed up for any subscriptions with them because they don't accept freelancers from my country, South Africa. So how is it possible that they can be under the impression that I have a subscription with them?

 

I've looked at these PayPal community pages and noticed some others with the same experience, and always quoting the EXACT SAME AMOUNT of $44.85 for "subscriptions". I've checked with all my platforms and none of them charge for subscriptions, and the best part is, that on my PayPal profile, FastSpring has loaded two payment instructions, one for highpaying.net and one for guru.com. I've checked with guru.com, they don't charge a subscription for the basic plan that I'm on. As for highpaying.net, their support email is fake and keeps bouncing back and their website contains no contact details, physical address, support channels, or even a phone number or a company registration number. I also see from your comments, and from the email I received back from FastSpring that someone from tasked.io was copied in on my complaint, so we'll wait and see if this is also a fake email. 

 

I have in the meantime reported highpaying.net with the FTC. 

 

If you have had a similar experience, where an amount of $44.85 was deducted from your account by a company called FastSpring for a subscription you don't have or don't remember having, please contact me directly. I'd like to compile a list of people with the same complaint in order to pursue this matter further with PayPal, FastSpring, highpaying.net, tasked.io, and the FTC and your explanations of what happened to you in this regard would help me greatly in terms of evidence. The mission is to get a refund ASAP. It doesn't matter that it's a relatively small amount, the issue here is that fake/fraudulent companies like highpaying.net and tasked.io illegally STEAL money from our PayPal accounts, and with FastSpring as the front company to this fraud. I never signed up with these platforms,  so how do they know how to access my PayPal account in the first place? Or how do they figure I owe them a subscription fee? No, no, no, there is something illegal going on here. It's a scam, through and through. 

 

If you have a similar story, please contact me directly on my LinkedIn account: <Removed>

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9 REPLIES 9

maviiii28uihj
Contributor
Contributor
Did you get the refund for spring fast? I tried to email them. Same scenario which i never login or open the site
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joebobknows
Contributor
Contributor

unfortunately, I was in the same situation.  Two strange charges for "fishing game" through fastspring, went to website written in Russia & they charge 15-75 euros for a simple fishing game (water & fishing pole ?!).  Seems like fraud, because not something would ever look at, so much buy, and charged two $16.70 charges on the same day (June 2022).  Appealed to paypal and had automatic response nothing unusual and nothing they would do about it.  Bad AI and bad company policy.  No appeal process that I could find.  Immediately removed all my credit card & financial information from Paypal because it's not safe and no recourse.  Will escalate to credit card and avoid Paypal for all future payments.  

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maviiii28uihj
Contributor
Contributor
Update. I got the refund from fastspring emailed them. Also you can email paypal same as you at first they said nothing suspicious but i provide all proof that i did not used any email on site. Then i got back my money you can do that also if you want. Hope that works
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krlmnglndn
Contributor
Contributor
How long was the refund?
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tgh1919
New Community Member

I purchased PhotoRecovery software last year. I did so believing that it was a one-time purchase and only used it for about a week. When I paid for the software, there was no indication that an annual renewal would be charged for the package. I received no email, billing invoice, or receipt that indicated a renewal date or future charges. I retained all three emails I received on or about the purchase date and none have indicated any renewal fee whatsoever. Unfortunately, after filing a complaint with Pay Pal, they denied my case and refused to refund my money.  You can't contact Fast Spring either by phone or email. None of their links or addresses work.  I will resort to other legal actions, petty or not. This is not about the money but the principle. I don't appreciate getting ripped off. Especially if PayPal appears to be aiding and abetting.

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lilodutoit
Contributor
Contributor

I had a similar situation about a year ago. Fastspring is a 3rd party revenue collector who collects money on behalf of their "clients". What I did was post on every social media page I am on, LinkedIn, FB, Twitter, everywhere that Fastspring as well as the name of the company on behalf of whom they had taken money out of my account are a bunch of frauds etc., etc., just type on every public forum you can find and make sure to mention Fastspring as well as the client on whose behalf they collected the money. Have you tried to contact the organization company? I.e. the company you bought from via Fastspring? Name and shame them as well. Also try to contact the original company about this. 

 

It is strange to me though that you cannot find any contact details for Fastspring  I managed to contact them and told them to go check out what I've written on the various platforms about them. Here is a link to their "support" site: https://fastspring.com/consumer-support/

 

Long story short, I got my money back from the origination company, not Fastspring, so make sure you use both those names in your public name and shame. And make sure all of them know that you have posted this information, that they proceed with fraudulent transactions and that they are a bunch of thieves and that people should steer clear of them or any company associated with them when it comes to payment. 

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maviiii28uihj
Contributor
Contributor

I used this email to contact fastspring. Also I got my money back from them here's the email [removed] remove space I can't send email without space it's not allowed also add .com on the last email

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krlmnglndn
Contributor
Contributor
Thank you so much. I hope that I would also get a refund. I really need this for my hospitalization.. a don't have a job and this $39 would really help me for my medication.
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sonettguy
New Community Member

Fastspring handles my Mailbird subscription. Confusing, I know. -s

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