JoeCanuck

General Section => General Joe Talk => Topic started by: Pete The Greek on February 18, 2012, 07:59:36 PM

Title: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: Pete The Greek on February 18, 2012, 07:59:36 PM
Just a heads up.  Credit card fraud has been reported by various Transformer and GI JOE collectors after buying GIJCC and Botcon memberships.

http://www.joecustoms.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=32284
http://www.hisstank.com/forum/g-i-joe-news-rumors/202849-possible-credit-card-fraud.html
http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-general-discussion/543525-fandom-card-issues-2-2012-a.html

Fun Publications/Master Collector or whatever the hell they are called have failed to deal with the situation. Instead, they sent out some BS basically stating that it's OUR FAULT and we are stupid for not protecting our credit card info. 

Quote
We have been receiving feedback that there has been a higher than usual number of fraud complaints posted on online Transformers forums.

While we have nothing to suggest that there was an issue with the TCC and Fun Publications, we look into every concern that is sent to us. All of your transactions are in a secure socket with the strongest encryption available to any site on the web. If you have a specific concern about any transaction with us, please use the “contact us” link located at the bottom of the TCC page and provide us with as much information as possible including:

1. The EXACT name of merchant as it is written on your statement.
2. Amount and date of suspect charge.
3. Bank your card is drawn on and if it is a debit or credit card.
4. Device and browser (and version) you used for your last payment with us before you saw a fraudulent charge (ie, android phone, computer, iphone, browser and version).
6. Were you on a public computer?
7. Were you on a public wi‐fi network?
8. If you were at home or work, what Internet provider did you use?
9. On your last transaction with us, did you receive any kind of error message (card declined, 404 error, programming type error)? If you did receive an error, how many times did you resubmit your information?

It is very difficult to track credit card fraud. With your help, we can see if there are any parallels between those reporting an issue.

In order to better protect yourself, here are some guidelines:

Never log into a secure site from a public computer, public wi‐fi, or through android/windows phones. Only use your mobile device on a
mobile app for transactions, never a browser. Turn off your bluetooth and wi‐fi to prevent people from hacking your credit card information from your phone/computer.

If you have a card that has an rfid chip, make sure your card is shielded when not in use.

Always make sure you are using a secure socket (https://) for any login that requires a password or a monetary transaction.

Never email your credit card information to anyone.

As should be common practice, on a regular basis, be sure to check your statements and make note of any suspicious activity on your card. If you see an unauthorized charge, turn it in to your bank or card company, the charge will be reversed, they will issue a new card for you and the security system in place will have done its job.

Please also take the time to read the attached article and research credit card security. We are very aware that security concerns have risen exponentially in the last couple years and we are doing our part to stay ahead of the curve.

Are these guys for real?  It's not like I just got a credit card the other day and discovered the internet.   

Sorry.  When you have several members have their credit card info stolen through your crappy payment processing system, it's not your members fault.


Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: NeoDragonKnight on February 19, 2012, 07:57:41 PM
Ya, Ive been trying to follow this closely, have any non US residences had their cards compromised?  Im one the fence of getting a reissue of my card as this situations is scaring me.
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Better check at your credit card statements.
Post by: Inzane on February 19, 2012, 09:57:31 PM
I have a feeling THIS might have something to do with it. 

From the GIJCC's Terms & Conditions page:
Quote
INTERNATIONAL ORDERS
Fun Publications, Inc. realizes that collectibles have worldwide appeal. We ship anywhere that the United States Postal Service or FedEx delivers. However, there are restrictions. Upon your first order, you will need to fax us a copy of your credit card, front and back as well as photo identification, which shows your signature to 817-448-9843. If a credit card transaction is made through our site without the fax confirmation of your identity, we reserve the right to CANCEL THE ORDER.

This seemed blatantly wrong and stupid, and was the reason why I have hesitated to join.   Anyone with half a brain knows you're not supposed to fax or email your credit card info, as those transmission methods have always been considered NOT secure.   

I was tempted to phone my credit card company to ask them about this, but I never got around to it.  I would think your CC company wouldn't side with you if you were scammed after being this careless with your card information.


Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Better check at your credit card statements.
Post by: NeoDragonKnight on February 19, 2012, 10:16:07 PM
Is that something just instituted now?  I never had to do that when joining the GIJCC...
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: Pete The Greek on February 20, 2012, 01:31:50 AM
The last time I had a membership, I paid online via credit card.  This would have been at least 3 years ago.
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Better check at your credit card statements.
Post by: morgardee on February 20, 2012, 09:20:14 AM
I renewed my membership a couple of months ago on line and so far I haven't seen anything wrong. I am very close to changing my credit card info because it's the same card I used on the PS3 network and now this, so potential twice it's been compromised.
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: NeoDragonKnight on February 20, 2012, 11:02:51 AM
There are reports that even people who sent in their credit card by mail for the convention were hit, which means its their internal database that got hit. 
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: Pete The Greek on February 20, 2012, 03:08:58 PM
I was tempted to phone my credit card company to ask them about this, but I never got around to it.  I would think your CC company wouldn't side with you if you were scammed after being this careless with your card information.

Way too many people have reported their cc info stolen after paying for club registrations in the past few weeks.  This isn't a case of people being sloppy with their CC info.  This is from the club's end.  There systems(s) have been hacked. 

The worst part is they are continuing to operate with this huge problem.  At least Sony shut down their system when they were compromised.
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: bandonov on February 24, 2012, 06:03:05 PM
I got hit with $4000 in fraud charges.... Dealing with BMO on it now. I'm too happy with the Club right now...
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: ARROW on February 24, 2012, 06:32:23 PM
Got this from the club today:

This is going out to all members: 
 
Fun Publications wants to take this opportunity to apologize to all of our members.
 
After many days of analysis, Fun Publications has determined that there is a security issue with our e-commerce systems.  We appreciate all of you who have sent in your details.  Your help has allowed us to ferret out several different patterns of fraudulent charges that have appeared on some members' cards (any that have been used over the last year with both the club store and our event registration system).
 
We have several different internet/networking companies looking into the matter. Unfortunately, as of yet, we have not been able to identify any forcible entry either into our internet service provider's servers or network.  This is like chasing a ghost through the wires, as unfortunately, the perpetrator did not leave a trail, foot prints or finger prints.
 
For those of you who have been affected, we apologize for all of your time this has wasted and any inconvenience it has caused you. We understand your frustration as this same type of fraud has happened to everyone in our office on our personal credit cards at some point in the past. Our merchant services provider wants us to remind everyone that even though this can be a huge annoyance for you, the customer, your issuing bank will not hold you responsible for any fraudulent charges that might be placed on your card(s).   
 
We know that this issue has been a huge topic of discussion on all of the boards for the past few weeks.  However, we are required to investigate to determine and confirm a security issue thoroughly before making any public statements.  This is why we put out a general alert statement two weeks ago. 
 
Until the analysis is finished (can take several weeks) we don't know if the shut down by our former (Jan 31st) e-commerce provider caused the security issue or not.  We do know that it has not been limited to those who have purchased before the change to our new provider.
 
Please, watch your cards closely as this type of security issue appears to be on the increase across the net.  No site is 100% safe.  You may want to consider having any cards you have used with Fun Publications in the last year replaced.
 
At this time, we do not know how long our e-commerce site will be offline for both the store and registrations.  We will get back to you once we have a solution for this security issue.
 
Thanks for your support - Brian

 
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: Pete The Greek on February 24, 2012, 09:26:52 PM
I got hit with $4000 in fraud charges.... Dealing with BMO on it now. I'm too happy with the Club right now...

Ah f***, I was hoping nobody in here was going to hit with fraudulent charges, especially with a number that high.

As for the message sent from the club, too little, too late.  The damage has been done.  I am not sure if I can ever trust them again. 

Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: morgardee on February 25, 2012, 09:29:51 AM
Well my credit card is the same one I had on the PS3 network so I figure I might as well bite the bullet and cancel it. I should have a new one in 10 days but I expect it sooner then that.

That just means I'll have to give new info to my paypal account and a few other places when it arrives.

At least I didn't see any bogus purchases on my card.

GIJCC should except paypal.
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: bandonov on February 25, 2012, 11:36:23 AM
I got hit with $4000 in fraud charges.... Dealing with BMO on it now. I'm too happy with the Club right now...

Ah f***, I was hoping nobody in here was going to hit with fraudulent charges, especially with a number that high.

As for the message sent from the club, too little, too late.  The damage has been done.  I am not sure if I can ever trust them again.

I was hit with a few charges from January 23 to 25.  The F$%^ers even used my card to ship stuff using UPS in the UK...

BMO had me sign an affidavit saying the charges were not mine and are still investigating.  Until this mess is settled and the GIJCC proves they have improved security... I will use reloadable Credit cards from now on with them IF I bother...
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: Scramble on February 25, 2012, 03:44:34 PM
Ship stuff? Couldn't these guys be tracked to the address the stuff shipped to?
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: NeoDragonKnight on February 25, 2012, 04:16:47 PM
From the stories I heard, they ship to places that are vacant/fake/unregistered addresses. 
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: pdaat on February 27, 2012, 04:36:51 AM
And as of yesterday they are still not sure if they have cleaned up the mess. 

Very bad.  Have not yet renewed my membership.
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: Redmao on February 27, 2012, 07:12:46 AM
Maybe it's time for Hasbro to take the club back.
A website that looks like it wasn't updated since the second day of the Internet?
With all the solutions available, why would they keep it up like that?

Do they insist on doing things their way? If so, it just bit them in the ass.
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: NeoDragonKnight on February 27, 2012, 10:15:35 AM
For all we know these guys are just keeping everyones credit card info on an excel spreedsheet unencrypted...
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: morgardee on February 27, 2012, 01:53:37 PM
Maybe it's time for Hasbro to take the club back.
A website that looks like it wasn't updated since the second day of the Internet?
With all the solutions available, why would they keep it up like that?

Do they insist on doing things their way? If so, it just bit them in the ass.

Write an email to Hasbro. I know I mention to them on their facebook account that this sort of thing can hurt the collector fan base with Hasbro and it's not just G.I. Joe but Transformers and they have a much larger fan base. They need to do something. Coating like they have been won't cut it anymore.
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: Pete The Greek on February 27, 2012, 06:35:17 PM
And in the past few days, the emails have been coming in.

Quote
Hello.  This is going out to all members past and present on file. 

In case you didn't get the email on Friday, please see our posting at GIJoeClub.com concerning the security issue we have had.  We have continued to work on this issue over the weekend.  We still don't know the scope of the possible intrusion or if there was an intrusion.  However, to be on the safe side, we are recommending that everyone who has used a card with us either for a store purchase or for an event registration in the last year have that card replaced at their earliest convieinence to avoid any potential unauthorized use.   We again apologize for this problem and for your time this has wasted.   

Thanks for your patience and support while we solve this issue.

Brian Savage
CEO Fun Publications, Inc.

Quote
his update is going out to all members:

Due to the issue with processing credit cards we have currently suspended your ability to renew and join the club online. The deadline is coming March 16th for you to be eligible to receive the 2012 free club exclusives.

On Monday, we will have a pdf online on the club site for membership renewals and new memberships that you can mail in with a check or money order.  We will process your membership as soon as they arrive. 

Please note that the March 16th deadline is a hard deadline (in house) so please make sure any mail is in the postal system by March 9th. 

If you want to receive the free club exclusive Footloose or Man of Evil, your membership must be active as of March 16th.  At the bottom of this email you will find your expiration date.  If it is after March 16, 2012, you are good to go for the 2012 figure. 

Also, please log into the club club site <https://www.gijoeclub.com/club/> and ensure you have the figure selected you want to receive for this year, either 3 3/4" or 12".   

Thanks for your support and patience during this difficult time.

Brian

Quote
This is going out to all members: 

Fun Publications wants to take this opportunity to apologize to all of our members.

After many days of analysis, Fun Publications has determined that there is a security issue with our e-commerce systems.  We appreciate all of you who have sent in your details.  Your help has allowed us to ferret out several different patterns of fraudulent charges that have appeared on some members' cards (any that have been used over the last year with both the club store and our event registration system).

We have several different internet/networking companies looking into the matter. Unfortunately, as of yet, we have not been able to identify any forcible entry either into our internet service provider's servers or network.  This is like chasing a ghost through the wires, as unfortunately, the perpetrator did not leave a trail, foot prints or finger prints.

For those of you who have been affected, we apologize for all of your time this has wasted and any inconvenience it has caused you. We understand your frustration as this same type of fraud has happened to everyone in our office on our personal credit cards at some point in the past. Our merchant services provider wants us to remind everyone that even though this can be a huge annoyance for you, the customer, your issuing bank will not hold you responsible for any fraudulent charges that might be placed on your card(s).   

We know that this issue has been a huge topic of discussion on all of the boards for the past few weeks.  However, we are required to investigate to determine and confirm a security issue thoroughly before making any public statements.  This is why we put out a general alert statement two weeks ago. 

Until the analysis is finished (can take several weeks) we don't know if the shut down by our former (Jan 31st) e-commerce provider caused the security issue or not.  We do know that it has not been limited to those who have purchased before the change to our new provider.

Please, watch your cards closely as this type of security issue appears to be on the increase across the net.  No site is 100% safe.  You may want to consider having any cards you have used with Fun Publications in the last year replaced.

At this time, we do not know how long our e-commerce site will be offline for both the store and registrations.  We will get back to you once we have a solution for this security issue.

Thanks for your support - Brian

Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: Redmao on February 27, 2012, 06:52:58 PM
I like that no matter how bad their situation is, they insist on the subscription deadline, yet they wont set up a Paypal account to accommodate their members.

Those Footloose and Man of Evil figures will be hot sellers on Ebay.
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: Pete The Greek on February 27, 2012, 08:03:38 PM
I like that no matter how bad their situation is, they insist on the subscription deadline, yet they wont set up a Paypal account to accommodate their members.

Agreed, on both accounts.  I can't believe they are being this steadfast with the deadline, considering they are facing a major situation here.  They need to get their shit in order before dealing with memberships. 
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: morgardee on February 28, 2012, 09:07:40 AM
I like that no matter how bad their situation is, they insist on the subscription deadline, yet they wont set up a Paypal account to accommodate their members.

Agreed, on both accounts.  I can't believe they are being this steadfast with the deadline, considering they are facing a major situation here.  They need to get their shit in order before dealing with memberships.

100% agree with you guys. I'm glad I renewed a few months ago, didn't get hit on my credit card and have since cancelled that card. I've got my Footloose covered.

Still seems nuts they would keep the hard deadline for the membership drive. It's more like an anti-membership drive or "drive our membership away".

They make great products, no doubt about it but the administration is lacking. 
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: pdaat on February 28, 2012, 09:34:34 AM
I like that no matter how bad their situation is, they insist on the subscription deadline, yet they wont set up a Paypal account to accommodate their members.

Agreed, on both accounts.  I can't believe they are being this steadfast with the deadline, considering they are facing a major situation here.  They need to get their shit in order before dealing with memberships.

100% agree with you guys. I'm glad I renewed a few months ago, didn't get hit on my credit card and have since cancelled that card. I've got my Footloose covered.

Still seems nuts they would keep the hard deadline for the membership drive. It's more like an anti-membership drive or "drive our membership away".

They make great products, no doubt about it but the administration is lacking.

And now for the latest email:
While we continue to work on the current issues.  We recommend that all members (even if you didn't have an issue with your card) go to one of the credit monitoring sites like Experian and file for credit card fraud protection.  This service is free and it puts a watch on your credit ratings for 90 days (free).  On the Experian site click on the Add an Initial Security Alert (this is the one that I used).  They also provide you a free credit report. According the Federal Law, each agency must provide you with one free report every 12 months upon request.  You can view your rights here at Experian. 
You can also call these agencies but some of them are hard to get a person on the phone. 
 
Equifax (www.equifax.com)
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
1-800-685-1111
Experian (www.experian.com)
P.O. Box 2104
Allen, TX 75013-0949
1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)
Trans Union (www.transunion.com)
P.O. Box 1000
Chester, PA 19022
1-800-916-8800

When you put the credit watch on your account, they notify the other two agencies.
 I also recommend that you call the opt out number (1 888 567 8688) so that you will be taken off the list for pre-approved credit card and insurance offers.  That way if your mail is ever broken into (happened to us personally a few years back), they can't get these items and open accounts in your name.
Again, we apologize for any problems these security issues have caused.  Thanks for all of the kind emails we have been receiving and..........


I called them and told them I have been holding off on renewing for the first time.  They are only taking checque or MO.

I have to wonder if they are in over their heads and if this could be the death kneel for the club.  Hope they have insurance!
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: Realboss on February 29, 2012, 04:37:31 PM
What scares me even more than this is "what other private information they have about their club members are also at risk".
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: Oreobuilder on March 01, 2012, 01:28:51 PM
What scares me even more than this is "what other private information they have about their club members are also at risk".

From what I've been reading, if you are a member you're personal info may be at risk. I have a trooper level membership and have never bought anything from their store, but apparently the username and password data was stolen as well. That gives the perpetrator access to our personal info as well as other accounts that might use the same username/password combo (paypal, other online stores, etc). I suggest everyone start changing any passwords that were identical to the Club's. Also, I logged into my club account and changed my personal info to gibberish. It may be like closing the barn door after the horses have run away, but it's better than nothing.

OB
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: turner on March 01, 2012, 02:06:56 PM
I signed up in orlando at last year's con.  So it was april.  I've just got this bad feelling that somehow there will be confusion and I may not end up getting this year's footloose.  We'll see. 
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: Pete The Greek on March 01, 2012, 05:35:21 PM
What scares me even more than this is "what other private information they have about their club members are also at risk".

From what I've been reading, if you are a member you're personal info may be at risk. I have a trooper level membership and have never bought anything from their store, but apparently the username and password data was stolen as well. That gives the perpetrator access to our personal info as well as other accounts that might use the same username/password combo (paypal, other online stores, etc). I suggest everyone start changing any passwords that were identical to the Club's. Also, I logged into my club account and changed my personal info to gibberish. It may be like closing the barn door after the horses have run away, but it's better than nothing.

OB

This has become truth in my books.  In brief, my email with the club is a yahoo one.  Last week, I was forced by yahoo to change my password as there were unauthorized attempts to get into my account.  I haven't logged onto yahoo since January.  So who knows when the attempts were made to get into my account.  This was the first time yahoo has ever asked me to change my password.

Oh shit.  Something else just occurred to me as I was editing my response.  In late January, hotmail also forced me to change my password.  I use to use my hotmail email for the club membership back in the mid 2000s (the first Orlando one).  I changed it later to yahoo due to hotmail's spam filters.  This is also the first time ever I was forced to change my hotmail password.

I am convinced this hacker job was just more than credit card info stolen.  I suspect our IDs were stolen as well.  Sorry for the inconvenience my ass there Fun Publications.


Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: Redmao on March 01, 2012, 05:40:11 PM
Even though it might be too late, I can't seem to change my infos on the Club's site.
It always bring back my original information.
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: Pete The Greek on March 01, 2012, 05:50:36 PM
Even though it might be too late, I can't seem to change my infos on the Club's site.
It always bring back my original information.

Mat, I was able to to change my info on the Club's site to crap a couple of days ago.
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: Redmao on March 01, 2012, 05:59:10 PM
I guess that since they're working on their site, a few things like the registration form might not work properly.
I tried to change my information and password.
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: morgardee on March 02, 2012, 02:04:44 PM
I didn't even think of this until Pete mentioned it (timbit given  ;)) but my someone tried to hack my hotmail account not to long ago as well. Good thing I joined the club a long time ago and they had one of my oldest passwords I ever used on their site.
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: Sundance on March 05, 2012, 04:20:21 PM
http://generalsjoes.com/2012/03/05/hasbro-releases-official-statement-on-issues-with-fun-publications-online-security/

hasbro statement
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: ARROW on March 05, 2012, 05:10:40 PM
http://generalsjoes.com/2012/03/05/hasbro-releases-official-statement-on-issues-with-fun-publications-online-security/

hasbro statement

Did anyone actually expect a response other than this? It is basically saying "its not our problem".

And its really not.
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: canprime on March 05, 2012, 07:30:29 PM
In this day of Corporate over reaction, I'm a little surprised by the low key response by Hasbro. 

Every corporation and their uncle seem to prostrate themselves when something goes screwy with something associated with their brand, no matter how tangental, yet Hasbro seems to be "here's the deal".

Maybe it's because it really is just a small portion of their client base that is affected, but I would love to know what kind of drama, if any, is going on between Brian and Hasbro.  No matter what they publicly say, someone from Hasbro is definitely giving Brian the "business" over this situation (not anything serious, but definitely making it known they aren't happy considering all the support they provide FP).
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: canprime on March 05, 2012, 08:43:57 PM
Wow,

I just saw the reactions on some of the TF boards.  OUCH.  I know we collectors can overreact at the drop of a hat, but man they really are giving it to the club.  Apparently Pete made some comment that really set people off and hasn't apologized for the comment.  I guess that is why Hasbro has stepped in with their own comment on the matter.
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: bandonov on March 05, 2012, 11:27:55 PM
The TF community is Much bigger then GI Joe and they Spend alot more then us.  They are the ones that figured out this mess by the Club.
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: Pete The Greek on March 06, 2012, 12:32:31 AM
http://generalsjoes.com/2012/03/05/hasbro-releases-official-statement-on-issues-with-fun-publications-online-security/

hasbro statement

Did anyone actually expect a response other than this? It is basically saying "its not our problem".

And its really not.

Might not be Hasbro's problem but GIJOECLUB.COM is on all Hasbro Joe items released in stores.  So guilty by association.  Hasbro will be dragged into a class action lawsuit if this happens. 

Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: ARROW on March 06, 2012, 02:06:44 AM
http://generalsjoes.com/2012/03/05/hasbro-releases-official-statement-on-issues-with-fun-publications-online-security/

hasbro statement

Did anyone actually expect a response other than this? It is basically saying "its not our problem".

And its really not.

Might not be Hasbro's problem but GIJOECLUB.COM is on all Hasbro Joe items released in stores.  So guilty by association.  Hasbro will be dragged into a class action lawsuit if this happens.

Well that'd be one way to kill the Clubs. Permanently.
Believe it or not, there are individuals out there that have sworn to do just that, and crimes like this are not beyond them.

I know......I know.......it sounds like an awfully silly goal for someone to have, but ever since this thing broke I was suspicious of just WHY someone would go about this.
I mean, its awfully cagey if you have a gripe against the club.......attack the Club at it Achilles heel--its financial income. Exploiting and corrupting their business security affects the trust of the customers.......that affects the income of the Club, now and in the future. It affects the willingness of customers to return patronage and the word of mouth affects new customers because the collecting community is so small.  Kill the club, spoil the central meeting point for much of the hobby, drive apart a lot of its fans.
Its brilliant, and simple actually.
There are a couple of people I know of who are devout detractors and enemies of the Club. One has a literally monstrous reputation--and is decidedly mentally ill.
The individual I'm talking about has actually said, online,  that he seeks to "see the GIJOE collecting community burn".
As melodramatic as it sounds, it not something to dismiss or overlook....and the Club has staff who are aware of the individual I speak of here.

But all that aside, the Club really has a no-win thing here. Hasbro just licenses the Club--they have little to no direct involvement in their operations, something I do recall both parties saying in the past. I assume that remains the case to this day.
 A class-action suit dragging Hasbro in wouldn't go far because there is a clear legal separation between the two businesses. That is undoubtedly in their contract with each other.
The Club is where this matter has taken place. Hasbro is just a licensor and vendor to the Club--they have no liability in this. Their press release is a favour to the Club, its supportive and patient of their effort to clear up the mess, but its also a  statement essentially distancing them at the same time. If there were closer ties here, as people seem to be assuming, Hasbro would have taken much stronger steps/measures, like pulling the license.

Now, mind you......Hasbro breathing down the Clubs neck on this sort of thing could be the reason why such things as the FSS being delayed to this date, and for the foreseeable future, it looks. THAT alone is a very disquieting sign in all of this....one of the grandest projects the Club has ever had, stalled before it gets out of the gate. They have a lot of money invested in it, and right now is a vulnerable time for bad crap to happen.
I would not surprise me if someone with a grudge is deliberately sabotaging all of this.
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: canprime on March 06, 2012, 05:56:52 AM
http://generalsjoes.com/2012/03/05/hasbro-releases-official-statement-on-issues-with-fun-publications-online-security/

hasbro statement

Did anyone actually expect a response other than this? It is basically saying "its not our problem".

And its really not.

Might not be Hasbro's problem but GIJOECLUB.COM is on all Hasbro Joe items released in stores.  So guilty by association.  Hasbro will be dragged into a class action lawsuit if this happens.

Well that'd be one way to kill the Clubs. Permanently.
Believe it or not, there are individuals out there that have sworn to do just that, and crimes like this are not beyond them.

I know......I know.......it sounds like an awfully silly goal for someone to have, but ever since this thing broke I was suspicious of just WHY someone would go about this.
I mean, its awfully cagey if you have a gripe against the club.......attack the Club at it Achilles heel--its financial income. Exploiting and corrupting their business security affects the trust of the customers.......that affects the income of the Club, now and in the future. It affects the willingness of customers to return patronage and the word of mouth affects new customers because the collecting community is so small.  Kill the club, spoil the central meeting point for much of the hobby, drive apart a lot of its fans.
Its brilliant, and simple actually.
There are a couple of people I know of who are devout detractors and enemies of the Club. One has a literally monstrous reputation--and is decidedly mentally ill.
The individual I'm talking about has actually said, online,  that he seeks to "see the GIJOE collecting community burn".
As melodramatic as it sounds, it not something to dismiss or overlook....and the Club has staff who are aware of the individual I speak of here.

But all that aside, the Club really has a no-win thing here. Hasbro just licenses the Club--they have little to no direct involvement in their operations, something I do recall both parties saying in the past. I assume that remains the case to this day.
 A class-action suit dragging Hasbro in wouldn't go far because there is a clear legal separation between the two businesses. That is undoubtedly in their contract with each other.
The Club is where this matter has taken place. Hasbro is just a licensor and vendor to the Club--they have no liability in this. Their press release is a favour to the Club, its supportive and patient of their effort to clear up the mess, but its also a  statement essentially distancing them at the same time. If there were closer ties here, as people seem to be assuming, Hasbro would have taken much stronger steps/measures, like pulling the license.

Now, mind you......Hasbro breathing down the Clubs neck on this sort of thing could be the reason why such things as the FSS being delayed to this date, and for the foreseeable future, it looks. THAT alone is a very disquieting sign in all of this....one of the grandest projects the Club has ever had, stalled before it gets out of the gate. They have a lot of money invested in it, and right now is a vulnerable time for bad crap to happen.
I would not surprise me if someone with a grudge is deliberately sabotaging all of this.

Sadly this is a part of doing business.  There is always some jackass somewhere with a beef, real or imagined, that decides to start a crusade.

Unfortunately for FP, their story has been one of consistently poor customer service, and even worse public communication/relations.  Brian most notably has been his own worst enemy for many years now.  It always seemed like he had to be dragged kicking and screaming into anything that didn't fit his idea of what should be.  Also, if you get a chance, watch some video of Brian when he addresses groups, not particularly endearing to his customers.

I can see this being a concern when it comes time for renewal of the licence, but really only if there is some extremely strong competitors and not just some new start ups with little to offer.
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: ARROW on March 06, 2012, 12:36:35 PM
Quote
Unfortunately for FP, their story has been one of consistently poor customer service, and even worse public communication/relations.  Brian most notably has been his own worst enemy for many years now.  It always seemed like he had to be dragged kicking and screaming into anything that didn't fit his idea of what should be.  Also, if you get a chance, watch some video of Brian when he addresses groups, not particularly endearing to his customers.

I very much disagree with this. My own personal dealings with the Club ( on the GIJOE side)have gone smooth as silk, and many collectors I know have no problems at all.
I've seen the Club handle customer problems in very direct and professional ways, and with copious courtesy. I've met Bryan in person, and found him to be congenial and personable. The Club has been VERY open to input and ideas.......I know because I have contributed ideas to them in the past--the 12" figures they have produced came, in part, from online chats that I and other collectors have had with them. Some of our suggestions were realized in figure form.

Part of the "problem" the Club has its the general apathy of its membership, and let's not discount that so quickly. 
There's a considerable amount of misinformation, and outright ignorance about the Club. One one hand, the Club has detractors saying its NOT a Club, but a business hawking wares, and on the other hand none of these people are willing to participate in the venture as if it were a Club in the first place. They decry the newsletter as an amateurish piece of work, with lame out-of-touch articles that never seem to focus on THEIR interests, always the OTHER collectors' interests.....but not a one of them every offers ANYTHING to the newsletter themselves for like minds as them to read.
Accordingly, people slam the Club because they say the newsletter isn't an incentive to join, so the "free figure" isn't "really" free........etc etc etc.
How does the Club win this one?
They certainly know these kinds of comments because they are elbow to elbow with the rest of us in the hobby and on-line communities.
I'm sure that it piques them more than a little, too.

Are there problems/frustrations with the Club--yes, there's a few. Its not a perfect organization. It IS a for-profit business and that is the first concern for them. I have seen Bryan be short with people/collectors, but you know what? It was in a venue where he was a guest and where other people were in his face about something he had no ability or opportunity to attend to at that moment. But still he takes flack for it long after the fact--is that fair?
Personally, I don't think so, and collectors and fandom can be notoriously unfair (even vindictive) about such things.

This current matter is not a good one for the Club, or its management. I will not offer the Club any of my money either until the problem is clearly fixed. I do support the Club in principle, but I cannot in good conscience support it when my money and private info is threatened. My patronage stops where that security is in doubt.
 Either a mistake was made by the Club, or someone has taken advantage of them here and when they get the matter fixed, I'll be back to enjoy what they offer again.

PS: an example of the kind of nonsense they face--a couple of years back there was an individual (its presumed) that some how obtained an old mailing list of the GIJOE Club, from at least a few years prior. This person then mailed packets containing photographs they had taken of the Club principals ( staff and owners) homes, vehicles and family members to many of the members on the list. I understand it was several dozen people that claimed to get these items.
I had read that the Club has contacted the FBI and local police to investigate this, but I do not know if there was a resolution. The consensus was that they do not know who was doing this, or how they obtained the mailing list, as it was on a computer at the time, and not in a paper ledger.
The perp had actually stalked each of the Club staff and taken pains to prepare all of these things.  Frankly, that sends a chill down my spine even now--and the creep is still likely out there.
I would not at all be surprised if there were a connection.
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: morgardee on March 13, 2012, 07:33:13 PM
Quote
Hello,

It seems when it rains it pours.  We just found out this morning that our printer has failed to mail you the March issue. This will be going out by Friday so they are incredibly late.  If you don't get yours by the end of the month, please let us know.  We apoligize for the delay.

Brian

Last month I got the Feb news letter a few days before March, now this. Looks like they are slipping on the news letters again. That's what made me quit as a paid member last time.
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: darth cujo on March 13, 2012, 09:08:47 PM
Well, all this kerfuffle made me decide to pass on a membership and thus miss out on footloose. I was debating if he was worth the $42 and the hassle of bugging a relative in the US to receive my stuff. Definitely not worth the $60 or whatever for a canadian membership.

Does anyone know, do they offer the option of buying multiples of the membership figure? For example, if I sign up for the $42, could I buy an additional footloose at a discounted more reasonable price? Or do they just make you get two memberships if you want 2? It's essentially a pre-order, so you'd think they'd offer that option.
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: morgardee on March 14, 2012, 08:45:52 AM
Well, all this kerfuffle made me decide to pass on a membership and thus miss out on footloose. I was debating if he was worth the $42 and the hassle of bugging a relative in the US to receive my stuff. Definitely not worth the $60 or whatever for a canadian membership.

Does anyone know, do they offer the option of buying multiples of the membership figure? For example, if I sign up for the $42, could I buy an additional footloose at a discounted more reasonable price? Or do they just make you get two memberships if you want 2? It's essentially a pre-order, so you'd think they'd offer that option.

In the past I've gotten the "free" 3 3/4 membership figure and paid for the 12 inch figure. I've never tried to buy a second figure that is the same size. People have asked this on the news board over there and they haven't given a straight answer yet (no surprise there). Basically they are waiting for the membership drive to end before offering up the leftovers. That being said, you could buy previous years "free" figures off their web site for $20 each.
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: morgardee on March 16, 2012, 04:23:42 PM
Quote
Dear G.I. Joe Collectors' Club Member,

We have been working diligently to get a replacement store online for you. This is still in progress. However, we are ANTICIPATING that a temporary solution will be available later today (Friday). This is a totallly new website, with totally new software, at a totallly new provider. This commercial software has hundreds of stores and is fully PCI and PCI DSS complient. Their facility has been described to me as a military grade security facility.

Do not go to the old store site. I will provide you with the new url for this system in a later email and we will change the links at that time.

In addition, we have figured out a way to extend this month's deadline for a few days (because of the new software). We are extending the deadliine date to Wednesday, March 21st, at 5pm central time in order for all of the mail that is enroute to arrive.

However, this will effect EVERYONE'S monthly magazine. The April issues will be approximately 7-10 days late.

Also, we will not be able to reinburse anyone who spent money on expediting renewals to us.

We again apologize to everyone for all of the issues we have been having. We think that you will be very pleased with the new features this store will offer you.

Brian

Good news and it looks like anyone wanting to get in on Footloose still has a chance. Personally I think there membership numbers must have been way down for them to extend the deadline. All I know is at the end of the day I got mine. I renewed in January.  ;)

Yes, they can be a pain in the butt sometimes but nobody can deny the quality of there stuff is top shelf.
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: Sundance on March 17, 2012, 03:03:16 AM
their membership's going to go down when they're discontinuing 'trooper' level membership.

Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: joss789 on March 17, 2012, 08:47:05 AM
I will probably take my membership.  I still have weekend to think about it!
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: morgardee on March 17, 2012, 09:35:25 AM
I will probably take my membership.  I still have weekend to think about it!

That's assuming they fix the "shipping address" info. Right now the only country in the shipping options is "USA" and you can't change from "State" to "Province". I'm sure it will get fixed, but will it get fixed before the new deadline? They don't have a great success rate at fast resolution.

As it stands right now my city name is spelled wrong, I live in the USA and the state field is empty.  ???
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: Scramble on March 17, 2012, 04:17:52 PM
As it stands right now my city name is spelled wrong, I live in the USA and the state field is empty.  ???

Clearly you've logged into the wrong account. The only other explanation is that it isn't your fault, but then whose fault could it be?
Title: Re: Bought something off GIJCC lately? Check your credit card statements.
Post by: canprime on March 17, 2012, 06:44:41 PM
I just wonder if they can survive all this nonsense.

As others have stated, they have run the operation pretty poorly when it comes to customer service, and the idea that anyone outside of the US gets the newsletter basically a month late is just insane.  On top of that their shipping rates are still a joke, although credit due it is better.

I think that there are a lot of people complaining who will just re-up, but I also think this fiasco has really put a dent in their cashflow, which may be the biggest hurdle for them to overcome.  Frankly I have seen nothing so far that makes me feel like they really have got the message about the quality of their operations, again most specifically customer service.  Now while this hasn't reached the level of 3H before they folded and FP got the TF licence, I wonder what kind of capital they are having to put out to fix their problems, while sitting on product/ideas that can't get started when they originally planned?  As a business owner I know that sometimes waiting for that next influx of cash/revenue is all that stands between opening tomorrow and closing today, no matter how well you plan and budget. 

Thankfully I gave up the "completist" attitude, and I now have no problem waiting on getting something for either the right price, or at the right location.  I just hope there is some attitude change at the top for FP going forward from this situation.