ComplaintsforM C Helper

• Initial Complaint

  05/04/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was having problems with my ***** ********. It wasn't connecting to my ***** *******. I ******* ***** support and came up with MC ****er. I called them and they partially ****ed me. They walked me through a direct hookup to my printer, but not Wi-Fi printing. They talked me into signing up for a year of support for $199. This was on March 7th. I then had problems with my ********* ****** printing to my ***** *******. Again they walked me through direct connect, but not Wi-Fi. So on March 29th they charged me another $199 for support for the additional ********* ******. they said to call them back later to work on the Wi Fi issue. I didn't have time in April, but on May 3rd I had time to work with them to resolve my Wi-Fi problems. That's when I discovered their ***** **** **** was out of service, and realized I'd been ripped off by signing up for 1 years support.

  

  Business response

  05/04/2023

  Hello,
  
  We have spoken with *** ****** and explained we are having network difficulties with one of our phone providers and are currently working with them to reslove their issues.  *** ****** has been given alternative phone numbers and emails, including mine (the owner in a welcome email) to reach us directly any time 24 hours a a day.
  
  Please see teh attached email as I believe this has already been resolved and the timing has been crossed up.
  
  Thank you,
  
  *** ******

• Initial Complaint

  11/22/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My ***** ******* disconnected from my WiFi so I conducted an internet search using ****** on my phone for the term "***** ******* *******". The resulting search result offered a phone number in a popup box (as ****** often does), which I clicked on. A male with a strong ****** ****** answered and identified the company as ***** *******. As the conversation continued, I asked him several times to clarify that he was with ***** and he said that he was with the company that provides tech support for *****. I then told him about the issue with my printer and he said he could help me fix it and told me to type a series of numbers into the browser window of my laptop. I did as instructed and he instructed me to click a box and he then immediately took over complete control of my laptop. He transferred me to another ****** male who demanded $199 to release my computer. Against my better judgement and thinking I had fraud protection I entered a credit card number. He then went into my email and opened and signed a ridiculous number of contracts. He then released control of the computer back to me and transfered me to a third ****** male. I told this male that this company had misrepresented themselves as ***** and he denied that they would do that. I told him that it is a fraud business practice to hold people's computers hostage and demand ransom under duress. He advised me that he would review the call and follow up but did not. I cancelled my credit card and filed a dispute with ********, but due to the numerous "signed contracts" they did not refund me. ******** instructed me to contact the vendor as the "contract" said it had a 30 day refund policy. I did and spoke with an ****** male who stated that they would process a refund but they never did. ***** attempted unsuccesfully to remove all of the spyware this company installed on my ********** and the computer is a total loss. This is a fraud company with a misleading website and criminal business practices.

  

  Business response

  05/09/2023

  Thank you for allowing me to respond to *** ******** concerns.  
  
  
  There are a few things that simply don't sound right.  I have "*******" ***** ******* ******* and have attached the results. We simply do not show up there.
  
  The landing page that ** ******, along with the screenshots provided, very clearly says that we are a third-party company, as well as instructions on how to contact any *** (*****) and contact them directly.
  
  As *** ****** called and asked for help with his ***** printer, we helped him with his ***** printer. 
  
  Please let me tell you the steps we follow and address "The ridiculous number of contracts" *** ****** has mentioned.
  
  
  1) We speak with our customers and determine what is needed to take care of their concern(s)
  2) We fill out a work order (much like taking your car in for an oil change) and list the items that the customer has asked us to address. The customer signs this and agrees with the steps to take. We use Right Signature, a very big, public company for these documents.  
  
  
  The following statement is directly above the signature line: " MC Helper Online Technical Support: MC Helper is an independent service provider for support of computer software, hardware, and peripherals. MC Helper does not claim any affiliation with any product manufacturers or developers unless such a relationship is expressly specified. If you have any issues regarding billing or credits, please call on any of our toll-free numbers, and we shall help resolve it right away."
  
  
  3) We address and fix any/all issues that our customer requests and, the customer, at this point, initiates the payment and pays for the services.
  
  Again the following information is directly next to the electronic signature line:  
  "MC Helper does not claim any affiliation with any product manufacturers or developers unless such
  relationship is expressly specified. By making a purchase with MCHelper you are confirming that you have
  read , understand and agree with our refunds and cancellation policy. If you have any issues regarding
  billing or credits, please call on any of our toll free numbers, and we will address your concerns right away."
  ******************************
  ********* DISCLAIMER *********
  ****************************** 
  
  
  4) We send a customer a Service Delivery Sheet. This is a complete explanation of the services performed, also confirming that they understand the term/conditions/refund/credit policy.  This is next to the signature line, as well:
  
  "MC Helper Online Technical Support: MC Helper is an independent service provider for support of computer software, hardware, and peripherals. MC Helper does not claim any affiliation with any product manufacturers or developers unless such a relationship is expressly specified. If you have any issues regarding billing or credits, please call on any of our toll-free numbers, and we shall help resolve it right away."
  
  *** ******** "contracts" are actually us trying to ABSOLUTELY make sure that a customer is not confused in any way.  To avoid any further confusion, our support staff actually reads this out loud to our customers to be sure that there is no misunderstanding.
  
  As mentioned, his credit card company clearly saw that these steps are in place and work as intended; to protect the customer and us from any undo misunderstanding.
  
  
  As for "*******", this is simply not true. We use **********, another very large public company to utilize screen sharing.
   
  For the anti-virus, which he requested, we installed ******** ***. ******** is a very well-renowned security software company. Please visit their site here for any questions: Protect your digital moments | ********
  
  
  As for the screen shots *** ****** submitted, please see the last paragraph of screenshot 1, screenshot 2 and see the top right hand of each where it states that we are an independent 3rd party. This disclaimer is intentionally diagonal to draw the attention of our customers.
  
  We have very clear information about how to contact any *** directly on our pages.  *** ****** is actually pointing out how we absolutely let our customers know that we are not associated with any company.  
  
  
  I have attached all the paperwork from *** ******** interaction with us. We consider *** ****** a client, as he has been since September 9, 2022.
  
  
  Thank you for your time and consideration.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *** ******

  Customer response

  05/16/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

   Complaint: ********

  I am rejecting this response because:  This response does not accurately portray or even address my interaction with this company.  They remotely took over my computer and signed their own documents in my email.  I found this company by ****** internet search and clicked on the pop up phone number.  The person who answered the phone identified the company as *****.  This company installed items on my computer that could not be removed by ***** and was not a service I was seeking.  This company is an outright shakedown scam organized and wbased overseas.  This company failed to follow their own posted guidelines for refunds despite a representative assuring me that they would do so.  I respectfully request that the company provide recordings of my phone call with the three agents that they transferred me between which will clearly depict them misidentifying themselves initially as ***** and later as a subcontractor for ***** and misleading me to fall into their scam.

  Regards,

  ******* ******

  

  Business response

  06/08/2023

  I apologize. I thought this had been settled. I have refunded *** ****** a while ago and he should have received his refund.

  I, of course, would definitely like to have a recording of these calls, as well.  Unfortunately, we had some network issues with our phone provider and have none of the phone recordings, which has caused us a lot of frustration. We are in the process of replacing them.
  
  I have addressed my management team and added his comments to our training as they are unacceptable in any way and I want to ensure that these sorts of misunderstandings never happen in the future.
  
  We have had a very good reputation for 11 years now and this is something that we go to great lengths to be sure does not happen so you can imagine my surprise to see his comments.  
  
  I wish *** ****** and his family the best and thank him for our service to our country.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *** ******

  Customer response

  06/11/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

   Complaint: ********

  I am rejecting this response because:

  I have continued to receive harassing spam phone calls, texts, and emails from spoofed numbers from this company.  I actually received an aggressive call from them on Friday, May 19th. A spoofed number using an ******* area code repeatedly called my phone and hung up 3 continuous times, so I answered and the male caller, who once again had a strong ****** ******, began telling me that in order to process my refund they needed access to my checking account!  They literally tried to run the same scam on me!  They compromised my ******** card during the initial scam and could have credited that account or sent me a check as they also have all of my personal information, but instead were insisting that I provide them my banking information. When I refused to do so and pointed out that they had run a scam on me and I was not about to give them access to my bank, the guy literally started laughing and hung up. Since then, they have escalated the amount of unsolicited electronic harassment of my phone and email. 

   

  The purported reply to the BBB from MC Helper falsely claims that they have already refunded me, which is false. The response also claims that ironically they are unable to provide any call recordings or documentation of our interactions due to unforeseen technical issues. This is also a lie.  This is a straight up scam and not a legitimate company. This is not a real company that provides a service and should not in any way be BBB endorsed or affiliated. The *** should remove them from the internet. They are an organized criminal enterprise based overseas that scams people and steals their information.  I have been scammed by this company for $199 dollars in exchange for no actual service, which they have not refunded. Additionally, not only does my ***** ******* not work, but I had to dispose of a ******* *** because the malware that MC Helper installed after taking over the laptop could not be removed by *****. I am out $199 plus a computer.  This is not a real company and they are gaming the system and playing the BBB with their dishonest responses. They are criminals. I am not sure how I can make this any clearer.  They have not refunded me. They have cost me a lot of money and time. They are lying to you. They are not a legitimate company. 

  Regards,

  ******* ******

  

  Business response

  06/13/2023

  Thank you for sending me this.  *** ****** is correct, I created a refund for another customer on accident. I have rectified this mistake immediately and *** ****** will see his credit in a few business days.  I am sincerely sorry for this mistake.
  
  As for a MCHelper "agent" calling and saying these comments, this simply doesn't make sense and seems to be a mixture of bad actors pretending to be us.  We never use bank accounts not do bank to bank transfers, my technicians simply do not have the authority or ability to create a refund.
  
  I do understand *** ******'s sentiments, and I am sorry that this has turned into such a mess and confusing situation, but we have been in business for 11 years and this is something that just does not make sense, personally or as a business.
  
  Thank you again.
  
  *** ******

  Customer response

  06/15/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

   Complaint: ********

  I am rejecting this response because:  once again, I do not believe this response with yet another excuse that they inadvertently refunded someone else to be legitimate or genuine.  I will close this dispute when I have actually received a refund, which has not occurred over the many months that this has gone on.  I believe the reason for that, as previously stated, is that this is not a legitimate enterprise and is in fact a total scam.  This person is simply “gaming” the BBB system.  This company needs to be tagged by the BBB and the *** and their webpage should be removed from the internet.  They are not a legitimate business from everything I’ve experienced and the company responses seem to confirm that.  I will follow up when the refund that they have promised repeatedly, posts to my ******** ****.  In the meantime, they are simply stalling and have been for months and have still not addressed the fact that I have to buy a new computer.  I urge the BBB to take action in order to protect other consumers from this overseas scam that falsely purports to be based in *******.  It is a shell office.  

  Regards,

  ******* ******

• Initial Complaint

  11/21/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Called for technical support after receiving an email from them. When you call, you get redirected to a call center in *****. You pay for services you never receive ($199.99 in my case). There are ********* who've also verified it to be a scam company. The BBB should be ashamed of itself! Among others: ****************************

  

  Business response

  11/21/2022

  Mr. ******** is not a customer of ours and has some inconsistent comments about how we do business, as well as, referring to a ******* ***** that has been proven to be false about our business.
  
  Please have Mr. ******** provide us the time and day when we helped him and/or the receipt so that we can resolve this quickly, as I have been unable to find his name or an account under his name.

• Initial Complaint

  09/26/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  paid for computer security but never received it

  

  Business response

  09/26/2022

  We have spoken with Ms. ****** and cleared up any confusion regarding this matter.  
  Ms. ****** is a long time customer and we will always take care of her and her concerns.
  
  Thank you,
  
  *** ******

  Customer response

  09/26/2022

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

  Better Business Bureau:

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 

  Regards,

  ***** ******

   

• Initial Complaint

  08/30/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I contacted this company in late 2018 or early 2019 because it came up first in my search results for technical help with a Canon printer. On the phone with its agent, I allowed him remote access to my computer, and he apparently installed software. When I sensed that he wasn't actually with Canon, I canceled my request for service. But ever since, the company has sent invoices to me for anti-virus computer services in the hundreds of dollars. I asked it to stop sending them to me, and have put all of the emails in my spam folder. I tried calling the company to cancel the "service" that I haven't received, and was hung up on. For most of this period, when I open a PDF document, I get an error message referencing XFENCE and/or F-Secure software, and I can't do anything with the document, including close it. I'm forced to reboot my computer each time. This week, someone using the name of ****** ********** sent two $299 invoices to my PayPal account for "Norton Anti-Virus." PayPal's Security and Identity Department told me that it has disabled all invoices from this person because he sent similar invoices to other PayPal account holders who didn't do any transactions with him.

  

  Business response

  08/30/2022

  *** ******** was a customer of ours in 2018.
  
  Unfortunately, she has been contacted by a bad actor.  If she will look at any invoice or correspondence it should show who the sender is. 
  
  We warn our customers about this, as well as, unsolicited phone calls, etc. We do not send out invoices and do not "auto-renew" any of our customers unless they ask us to.

  I also, send out a welcome email and include this link; 
  
  https:/*******************************************/

  The last correspondence that we sent to *** ******** was on August 6, 2019 which was an email warning about unsolicited callers. I have attached a copy of it.
  

  
  We would be happy to help *** ******** if she would like. Please provide her with my email address and I can set up a time we can help her.
  
  Thank you
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  07/25/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  can not contact business cant get calling card to work payed for personlized computer help, am not getting any thing at this time

  

  Business response

  07/25/2022

  Mr. ****** has been a client of ours for a while. We have spoken with him and cleared up this misunderstanding.

• Initial Complaint

  06/27/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I paid for the computer services from this company in April. I am not able to access the services for my monthly computer checkup. The message says it is disconnected. When I call the phone number provided I am not able to get through to them. I contacted **** ********** but the company Mchelper can not be found. I paid them for a year of service and want my money back. ***** *****

  

  Business response

  06/27/2022

  We have resolved this misunderstanding.  Please see:
  
  
  
  
  ***** *****
  
  ** ****** has been very helpful in cleaning up my computer when I call and ask for help. I did have an issue when my calling card didn't work and I couldn't contact anyone but I finally found a good contact number and they have been very helpful in putting on a new calling card for me to use on my computer screen. I also now have good support numbers where I can call them for help. I am very pleased with the support they have given me to solve my contact issues. They have found some malware and cleaned it out of my computer. ***** *****

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩