djo7613@hardy.u.washington.edu (Dick O'Connor) (10/16/90)
This info comes straight from the Heath/Zenith User's Group BBS, to help answer questions some of you have asked: ********************************************************************** ** COM1'S Electronic Bargain Centre Usage And Ordering Information ** ********************************************************************** PURPOSE: To offer COM1 Subscribers, electronic products, at unheard-of prices. WHO CAN ORDER: Any CURRENT COM1 Subscriber can order providing he/she has a modem and can access this system. NOTE: Only U.S. orders can be shipped. Regulations prohibit Canada and Overseas shipments. WHERE DOES IT COME FROM? The items placed for sale in the Bargain Centre, usually are customer returns, demo units, box damage, etc. These item CANNOT be sold as new. Normally each item passes through one of two different service areas, and is checked for operation. If the unit is defective, it is usually repaired. It is then fowarded to a holding area, and then to us. As you can imagine, the testing of these units is minimal, and obscure problems can emerge at a later time. Intermittent problems not found by service, are usually found by the buyer! The fall-out rate (defective) has typically been three to five percent. CONDITION OF ITEMS SOLD: The condition of each item is defined by a two letter condition descriptor. These descriptors are as follows: NW - Factory new with full factory warranty. OK - New surplus. Assume perfect working order. Gauranteed only by HUG, and only upon receipt to be in working order. Usually does not include documentation. NO FURTHER WARRANTIES APPLY. WK - Item is NOT NEW, but assumed working. Electrically complete. May or may not have documentation. DOA exchange warranty from HUG only. AI - Condition unknown may or may not work. Electrically complete. May or may not have documentation. Repairable if necessary. No warranties whatsoever! Absolutely no returns. JK - Sold only for the parts contents. KT - In kit condition (HEATHKIT). May or may not be complete. No warranties or returns. From time to time, other conditions may exist, and will be specified on a per item basis. CONDITIONS OF SALE: * VISA, MASTERCARD or AMERICAN EXPRESS only. Orders will ONLY be taken by this bulletin board system. Comon folks, know if your card is at the limit or not! We are no longer going to hold an order to allow you to clear a 'credit problem' charge card. When the order is 'kicked' back to us because of that, IT WILL BE CANCELLED. You no longer will be able to reserve an item with a full credit card while you find some other way to pay for it!! * CHECK paid orders will be held for 10 business days, after which the item will be returned to stock, and the check returned. Checks should be Made out to: "ZUG", P.O. Box 217, Benton Harbor, MI., 49022. In the past, we've been holding orders a bit longer than we should have been. This will end. Make every effort to get you checks here ASAP. If this priviledge is abused, we will eliminate it, and return to credit card only. The worst offenders are those that order by check, NEVER send it, and don't even have the courtesy to tell us they're not sending it. This, as you can imagine, creates a paper work and inventory control nightmare, and deprives serious buyers from obtaining the item. * HUG ID numbers will be verified current, and the name must match the name on the credit card. * INQUIREES regarding sale items WILL NOT, and I repeat WILL NOT be answered. Such calls received, will get "DON'T KNOW", for an answer. Every effort is made to supply as much information that is known about each sale item, here on COM1. For product information, refer to the ZDS model break down list in the Bargain Centre, and the file: ZDS_PROD.ZIP in the ZDS Specific section of our database. * CANCELLATIONS will not be allowed unless there's a DEATH in the immediate family. BE SURE OF WHAT YOU'RE BUYING. First, I've gone the 'extra step' to supply descriptions of each item. Secondly, you have every opportunity to abort ordering an item at every prompt during the order process (just hit return without typing anything). Finally, when you order an item, verify that it's what you think you've ordered. The system ALWAYS repeats the line item (for you to look at) when you enter the item number. There is absolutely no excuse for "I ordered it by mistake". ORDERING: Only ONE (1) item (quantity of ONE) can be ordered for each ordering sequence. The sequence can be gone through as many times as time or inventory will allow. After all the data is entered, the item quantity left, will be verified, and your order confirmed. Remember though, you could be ordering an item at the same time someone else is, so it is possible for an item count to go to zero before your order is confirmed. In this case, the faster typist would have gotten the last item. BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF PHYSICAL ORDER 'PICK-UPS', THE FOLLOWING RULES WILL APPLY: 1. If you wish to pick up (in person), the items you purchased, all the items you ordered must be picked up, and paid for at one time. As an example, if you ordered a quantity of three ZCM-1390's, you MUST pay for, and take all three at one time. DON'T call to pick up an item until 1-week AFTER the sale is removed from the board. 2. If an item is being picked up which has been paid for via credit card, the credit card charges must have cleared first, before the item is released. 3. Orders for a friend can be picked up, providing there are no outstanding orders for yourself (you may pick up your orders as well as a friend's at the same time). 4. Pickups will occur only one day per week.. WEDNESDAY. Make arrangements by calling our secretary at (616) 982-3463. 5. QUESTIONS REGARDING ORDERS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO: (616) 982-3463. THESE TYPES OF QUESTIONS WILL NOT BE ADDRESSED OR RESPONED TO, HERE ON COM1. SHIPPING: Currently, there is no charge for shipping. That WILL change in the near future. Shipping time can take as much as 6-8 weeks. We're severly understaffed. That MAY change in the near future. We're human. Sometimes we make shipping errors. That WON'T change in the near future. Please, if you cannot abide by the conditions outline above, DON'T ORDER! GOOD LUCK! *************************************************************************** "Moby" Dick O'Connor djo7613@u.washington.edu Washington Department of Fisheries *I brake for salmonids*