#20
Thu, December 14, 2000
Video Computer Store had run out of time to issue the refund credit to my credit card. My lawyer had given them ten days from the date of his letter to them to comply. That deadline was Dec. 1st. I had checked my credit card account late on Fri., 12/1/2000 and my $2,220.00 refund credit was not there. I was going to contact my lawyer on Mon., 12/4/2000 and let him know that I wanted to proceed to take VC Store to court at their expense, as he had warned them in his letter, when I decided to check my credit card account one more time on Sunday, 12/3. To my happy surprise, my $2,220.00 refund credit had posted to my account on 11/28/2000. (My credit card issuers' data must not have been updated on schedule prior to 12/1). The refund came 29 days after VC Store had received the monitor that I returned to them. This delayed refund violates the FTCs' refund regulation in their "Mail or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule" for businesses. Video Computer Store believes that their company policies of pre-billing your credit card several weeks before they ship any merchandise you; not complying with the FTCs' rule about "Delay" notices to the consumer; and under bold pretense having 30 days to refund a consumers' money after merchandise is received at their warehouse, somehow supersede Government regulations. Since my lawyer contacted them, and also forwarded my complaint to the DE Attorney General; and since I contacted the Eastern PA BBB, the FTC, the PA Attorney General, my credit card company, and also posted my complaint online at two web sites, I guess VC Store decided not to hold on to my money any longer like they have done with many other people. If Video Computer Store hasn't treated you properly, get the authorities on them, and turn up the legal heat. Take it to the media if you have to. They need to be put out of business and locked up. And if you're lucky enough to have not tried to purchase a computer from VC Store, DON'T. - Roy M.