Thousands of Web shoppers have complained that "mystery charges" are showing up on their credit card statements and have accused those who operate so-called Web loyalty programs of duping them into signing up.
Apparently, many consumers are unaware that for years now, e-tailers such as Buy.com, Orbitz, Fandango, and hundreds of others have given Web loyalty programs, also known as post-transaction marketers, access to their customers' credit cards.
The retailers maintain they've done nothing wrong and say it's all disclosed in their terms of service agreements. But to those who say they were duped into joining these programs, their Web store has violated a trust.
Representatives from Buy.com, Orbtiz and Fandango say they are doing their customers a favor.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10293633-93.html
very unsettling that companies that many use are going to take that hit to their reputation for some extra revenue