ART100@psuvm.psu.edu (Andy Tefft) (05/07/91)
First, a summary to get everyone up to speed. I ordered a Ramworks from Golem computers and an AE 5.25" drive and a //e enhancement kit from CDA computer sales (would have gotten everything from CDA but their price on the Ramworks III was about $20 higher). The drive was backordered for much longer than the 10 days I was quoted, and was billed before it was shipped. They were unwilling to give me a credit for the non-shipped merchandise until it was shipped, so I cancelled the backorder and bought the drive (at a cost of $12 more, which would have been worth all this trouble) from Preferred Computing. CDA has NOT yet credited my credit card. They have 30 days from the day I cancelled to make the credit; this would be May 15. The credit *should* have gone through on the day I cancelled! I have 60 days from the mailing of the bill which showed CDA's charge to dispute the charge in writing, which would be June 2. I sent in the dispute last week. Luckily the credit card people are very nice about this kind of thing (actually, this is one credit card company which has given me excellent service all around, including waiving my annual fee when I threatened to cancel because I had a free mastercard). I am going to call them and make sure, but I think I will just be able to pay the $12 difference between the new charge from Preferred and the old charge from CDA, and any service charges on the remaining $118 will be eliminated when the credit does come through after my dispute is investigated. I am certain that this will eventually work itself out with no harm done, because there is no question that I paid for a drive which I never received. However I am still quite upset by the attitude and billing practices of CDA. I got the enhancement kit from them after about 2 days, and the invoice that was with it indicated that my credit card was being billed only for that, and yet my bill showed a SINGLE transaction for the total cost. This is CDA lying through their teeth. Then there is their attitude when I wanted a credit. They would NOT do this, but instead wanted me to let the charge ride on my credit card bill, and send them a copy of the statement after I paid and they would reimburse me for the interest. The credit card company agreed that this would be a stupid thing for me to do, and that if they would not give me the credit then I should dispute the charge in writing and they'd take care of it. They suggested that I tell them to cancel the transaction and re-bill it, but I decided just to cancel the order entirely. Must be because CDA is a bunch of macintosh-heads...
MQUINN@UTCVM.BITNET (05/08/91)
Be sure to file a complaint against CDA to the Better Business Beuro ?SP? Also, write to the magazine where you saw their add, telling them exactly what happened. Heck, write to all magazines that carry their add, ESPECIALLY the mac rags, but don't tell the 'mac-heads' that you were buying Apple II stuff. They probably won't give a crap. ---------------------------------------- BITNET-- mquinn@utcvm <------------send files here pro-line-- mquinn@pro-gsplus.cts.com