andrew@orca.UUCP (Andrew Klossner) (07/27/83)
Gary Little draws a parallel between JRT Pascal slipping on deliveries
of their $40 compiler and big companies (such as defense contractors)
slipping several months on their deliverables.
Defense contractors get paid *after* they produce. (Just try getting
the federal government to pay in advance on an order! I have, and they
don't.) JRT requires payment in advance, cashes the check, then sits
on the money for several months. This is in violation of laws designed
explicitly to protect the mail order buyer. If a merchant does not
ship your product within thirty days of accepting your payment (i.e.,
cashing your check or debiting your credit card), you can and should
contact the postmaster at the merchant's post office and complain that
you are the victim of mail fraud. An investigation will ensue. (Write
to Postmaster / City, State ZIPCODE)
My wife and I sell mail order software "on the side", and we've been
known to delay many weeks between receipt of an order and its shipment,
usually because the software is being upgraded or we're out of material
such as three-ring binders. However, we make a practice of cashing the
check AFTER the product is shipped.
-- Andrew Klossner (decvax!teklabs!tekecs!andrew) [UUCP]
(andrew.tektronix@rand-relay) [ARPA]