Ever see this on your credit card statement: “VISA-WLI*RESERVATIONREW888-6885995 CT?” This is a “service” that’s free to sign up for… oh, and it only costs $5 to $9 per month after that.

We had a mysterious charge show up on our Visa statement the other day in the amount of $7 for something called Reservation Rewards. It’s nothing that my wife or I remember signing up for. Upon further digging we found that my wife had inadvertantly not UN-CHECKED an opt-in check box on the 1-800-Flowers website when she last ordered flowers for an out-of-state relative.

After having googled the phone number portion I came up with a very similar blog entry and comments, googling their name came up with this blog entry.

An inquiry to the Better Business Bureau (not that I support the BBB) resulted in a squeeky clean record. Hmmmmm….

We called Reservation Rewards, after they apologized and confirmed that they disclaimed everything in the frine print and explaining all the fabulous benefits that we were eligible for by signing up, they politely reversed all carges to our account and discontinued any further charges. They also closed our Reservation Rewards account (which we didn’t even know that we had!!).

So after we cancelled the credit card (actually a Visa check card), we’re beginning to feel a little bit safer. But take a lesson from us, caveat emptor.