brad@ucrmath.UUCP (01/15/88)
For anyone that has ordered a Zip Chip -- Read on! YOUR RIGHTS THE FTC'S MAIL-ORDER RULE > The seller must ship your order when promised in the ad. > If no shipment or delivery time is promised, the seller must ship no later than 30 days after receiving your order. > If the seller is unable to ship your order when promised ( or within the 30 day limit ), you have the right to cancel your order and get a prompt refund. HOW THE RULE WORKS If the promised shipping date or the 30-day period cannot be met, the seller must send you an "optin notice". This notice tells you the new shipping date, and gives you the option of either cancelling your order and getting a full refund or agreeing to the nre shipping date. Instructions on how to cancel your order must be included in this notice. The seller must also provide a free way for you to reply. If you agree to the delay date given in the first notice but the seller cannot meet the new shipping date, the seller must send you a second notice option. Your order will be cancelled automatically unless you sign your consent on the second notice and return it to the seller. REFUNDS If a prepaid order is cancelled, the seller must mail your refund within seven business days. If you charged your purchase, the seller must adjust your account within one billing cycle. EXCEPTIONS There are some exceptions to the rule. It does not apply to COD orders by mail, credit orders in which your account is not charged before the merchandise is mailed or orders made by telephone and charged to a credit card account. WE ARE CURRENTLY COMPILING A LIST OF CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE BEEN HIT BY THEIR "SCAM" TO FORWARD TO THE APPROPRIATE AUTHORITIES AS A CONSUMER COMPLAINT. IF YOU HAVE BEEN VICTIMIZED BY THIS COMPANY PLEASE RESPOND BY EMAIL WITH THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: DATE OF ORDER - DOLLAR ANOUNT - PAYMENT TYPE (Cash/Ck/Mo/CreditCard) HOW YOU PAID (Mail/TradeShow/Phone) ALONG WITH YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. As soon as enough complaints are logged the DMMA, Postmaster, CPO and District Attorney will receive copies. WE WILL GET AN ANSWER TO THIS MADNESS. DISCLAIMER: This information is from the FTC. All actions, accusations and opinions are my own and are my responsibility and not that of my employer. Please email to: UUCP: ..!{ucbvax!ucdavis,sdcsvax,ucivax,ucla-cs}!ucrmath!brad INTERNET: brad%ucrmath.uucp@sdcsvax.ucsd.edu brad%ucrmath.uucp@ics.uci.edu Thanks, -brad
SEWALL@UCONNVM.BITNET (01/17/88)
Re: Brad Olive <ucsdhub!ucrmath!brad@sdcsvax.ucsd.EDU>
ZIP CHIP SCANDAL - FIGHT BACK
If you bought the Zip Chip (or anything else) and charged it using
a bank credit card you can cancel the payment for up to one year
EVEN if you've already paid the credit card company. Details are
in Consumer Reports from several months ago, but the gist of it is:
1) Write a letter to the vendor indicating that you have not received
the product and don't believe it has been shipped (especially if
you can refer to the time and date of any phone calls to the vendor
during which you learned that indeed the product has not been
shipped).
2) Point out in the letter that it is a violation of their agreement
with the credit card collector for them to post a charge for
merchandise which they have not shipped.
3) Send a copy of the letter to the credit card service center
address (it's on your monthly statement) along with a request
that they withhold (or recind) payment.
If you subtract the disputed charge from the payment you send the
credit card company, you will not be charged a finance charge as
long as the charge is unresolved (that is you can withhold or recind
payment forever unless the vendor can prove that that UPS or the
Post Office or someone has missent the shipment).
I NEVER pay MasterCard for merchandise I've not recieved. On two
occassions I've disputed charges as above. In the first, MasterCard
cancelled the charge altogether after confirming nonshipment (I
did eventually get the software, and the shipper had to repost the
charge as if it were an entirely new and separate order). The
second time I got the merchandise after about 45 days, so I paid
the balance on my next statement and that resolved it. There was
no finance charge in either case.
It seems to me that if MasterCard and Visa find they each have
some thousands of dollars in uncollectiable claims on Zip Technologies,
that Zip will know about it. Although each bank runs their own
operations, information about (and legal action against) "deadbeats"
is centralized (its more economical that way). Enough money seems
to be at stake here to justify reasonably high powered talent (more
than you and I could economically employ on our own).
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ARPA: sewall%uconnvm.bitnet@cunyvm.cuny.edu Murphy A. Sewall
BITNET: SEWALL@UCONNVM School of Business Admin.
UUCP: ...ihnp4!psuvax1!UCONNVM.BITNET!SEWALL University of Connecticut