markus@fluke.UUCP (Mark Hastings) (10/15/85)
>Does anyone have any information on the 'cheap' 1200 baud modems >advertised in BYTE or the company that sells them? The ad is on page >473 of the Sept. BYTE (and is also in the Oct. issue). It shows as a >103/212 modem and claims Hayes Compatability (the Sept issue says Hayes >Compatable and the Oct issue says 99% Hayes Compatable). The prices >they show are $179 assembled, $140 kit (assembled PC board - 5 minute >assembly time), and $120 kit (solder it yourself). The company is >Concord Technology out of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. >It seems like a good deal, but my mother always had a saying about good >deals. THIS DEAL IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!!!! I have delt with the company directly. Over two months ago I was in Vancover BC and decided to check out the company. The manager (I think) said that if I paid now, I would have a modem sent to me within 10 to 14 days. I paid cash (I know what a sucker). Well, two weeks later, no modem. I called them up, and I was told they would be in by Friday and I would get it in one more week. A week and a half went by, I called them up again and got the same story. This went on for another three weeks. After five weeks waiting and calling, I called again. I told the manager (I think) that he should send out a notice after 30 days telling customers of the delay. I asked him if I would ever get my modem or if this would go on and on. He got very angry at this and said (and I quote) "WE DON'T NEED CUSTOMERS LIKE YOU". I'm not sure what he meant, but I think he meant, 'customers that expect satisfaction and product for the money they (we) have spent'. I have since called twice asking for my money back, all I can get from them is, and I quote "OH I THOUGHT SOMEONE SENT IT LAST WEEK. I WILL SEND IT TODAY". You know the old saying "THE CHECK IS IN THE MAIL". In my opinion, this would be a very poor company --> CONCORD TECHNOLOGY LTD. in which to spend your hard earned money!!! 47 W. Broadway Vancover BC Canada By the way, they have been advertising that 300/1200 baud modem for 3 months in Byte, and as a week ago have not shipped modems. The comments that I have made are of my own and do not reflect that of my employer.
keithe@tekgvs.UUCP (Keith Ericson) (10/16/85)
In article <969@vax2.fluke.UUCP> markus@fluke.UUCP (Mark Hastings) writes: > > >THIS DEAL IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!!!! > >I have delt with the company directly... > [discussion of problems, deleted herein - kde] >In my opinion, this would be a very poor company --> CONCORD TECHNOLOGY LTD. >in which to spend your hard earned money!!! 47 W. Broadway > Vancover BC Canada > >By the way, they have been advertising that 300/1200 baud modem for 3 months >in Byte, and as a week ago have not shipped modems. Hey, there are lots of netlandians in Vancouver, BC; how 'bout someone going over there to Concord Tech. Corp. and finding out what's up (maybe mentioning that they are getting *lots* of negative publicity) and reporting back to us. Any Volunteers up there? keith -- Keith Ericson at TekLabs (resident factious factotum) Tektronix, PO 500, MS 58-383 Beaverton OR 97077 (503)627-6042 uucp: [ucbvax|decvax|ihnp4|(and_many_others)]!tektronix!tekgvs!keithe CSnet: keithe@tek ARPAnet: keithe.tek@rand-relay
goldste@uthub.UUCP (Jack Goldstein) (10/17/85)
> I have delt with the company directly. Over two months ago I was in Vancover > BC and decided to check out the company. The manager (I think) said that if I > paid now, I would have a modem sent to me within 10 to 14 days. I paid cash > . > . > . > I have since called twice asking for my money back, all > I can get from them is, and I quote "OH I THOUGHT SOMEONE SENT IT LAST WEEK. > I WILL SEND IT TODAY". You know the old saying "THE CHECK IS IN THE MAIL". > > In my opinion, this would be a very poor company --> CONCORD TECHNOLOGY LTD. > in which to spend your hard earned money!!! 47 W. Broadway > Vancover BC Canada > > By the way, they have been advertising that 300/1200 baud modem for 3 months > in Byte, and as a week ago have not shipped modems. In a situation like this, I wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea to write to Byte with your complaints. This probably wouldn't help you get your money back but it might, at least, get the add cancelled, thus saving other people some money. I think there is some satisfaction in that, at least. Jack Goldstein utcsri!uthub!goldste
granvold@tymix.UUCP (Tom Granvold) (10/17/85)
In article <969@vax2.fluke.UUCP> markus@fluke.UUCP (Mark Hastings) writes: > >>Does anyone have any information on the 'cheap' 1200 baud modems >>advertised in BYTE or the company that sells them? ... The company is >>Concord Technology out of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. >I have delt with the company directly. Over two months ago I was in Vancover >BC and decided to check out the company. The manager (I think) said that if I >paid now, I would have a modem sent to me within 10 to 14 days. I paid cash >(I know what a sucker). Mark goes on to say that after several weeks and lots of calls to the company, no modem and no refund. Yes, looking back on it, you should not have given them the money, but them again people should be able to trust companies. In any case the important thing now is to get your money back and let the company get away with it! It is too bad you paid in cash and not by credit card, you could have the back stop payment if it was charged. I am not sure if the post office can be any help. Normally they take interest in problems with mail order companies, but you paid in person and the company is located in Canada. You might check with the post office any way. Find out if the manager owns the company. If he doesn't, try to find out who the owner is and complain to them (this works well with large companies, the higher up you go the more concerned they are with customer satisfaction). You can always contact the Better Business Bureau in Vancouver. Find out if there is a consummer fraud unit in Vancouver. Above all in dealing with this type of situation, don't give up! I have a theroy that many places count on the fact that most people do not take the time to get what they want. If a company puts a few diffuculties in the way most people give up. Therefore one has to keep going long enough to show that you will not give up. Then they will take care of the problem. This happened to me once in regard to a mistake made in fixing my car. So check out all the possibilities you can think of and let the manager know that you are doing this. If you talk to him by phone, make a summary of the conversation in writting and send him a copy. Put you complaint in writting and send him a copy. Sooner or later he will realize that it is easier to send you the modem or the money. I feel that if more people insist an receiving good service and there value for the money, there will be fewer situations like the one you describe. DONT'T LET THEM GET AWAY WITH IT! Disclainer: I am not a lawyer nor do I know much about the law. The above comes from personal experience. Tom Granvold ucbvax!allegra!oliveb!tymix!granvold
slerner@sesame.UUCP (Simcha-Yitzchak Lerner) (10/20/85)
<> > In my opinion, this would be a very poor company --> CONCORD TECHNOLOGY LTD. > in which to spend your hard earned money!!! 47 W. Broadway > Vancover BC Canada > > By the way, they have been advertising that 300/1200 baud modem for 3 months > in Byte, and as a week ago have not shipped modems. > > I suggest a few actions to deal with this type of rip-off: 1. Contact Vancover BBB (if they have one) 2. Contact local postal inspector. If they are truely ripping off people, their mail can be blocked. 3. There is a federal agency (I forget which one) that regulatges this type of thing. (They are the ones with the 30 day rule) Contact them to bring the heat onto CTL. Good luck! -- Opinions expressed are public domain, and do not belong to Lotus Development Corp. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Simcha-Yitzchak Lerner {genrad|ihnp4|ima}!wjh12!talcott!sesame!slerner {cbosgd|harvard}!talcott!sesame!slerner talcott!sesame!slerner@harvard.ARPA