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From: savage@ssc-vax.UUCP (Lowell Savage)
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re: Re: MAIL ORDERS  (Priority-1)
Message-ID: <762@ssc-vax.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 21-May-85 16:13:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: ssc-vax.762
Posted: Tue May 21 16:13:00 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 23-May-85 02:33:03 EDT
References: <569@intelca.UUCP>, <1300002@ur-univax.UUCP> <1246@ecsvax.UUCP>
Organization: Boeing Aerospace Co., Seattle, WA
Lines: 28

> A friend who has had numerous problems with mail order vendors came up
> with a satisfactory solution which has worked well for him since:
> 
> Always order COD.  The small extra charge is worth it because you don't
> have to pay until at least a box comes.  I'm not sure if the USPS or
> UPS will let you open the box before paying, but at least you don't
> have to deal with non-shipment.

The trouble is, that at least the USPS will not let you open the box before
paying, so if the box is empty--tough.  One of the great con games is to send
an empty box COD, then move the office...if you pay by check and then stop the
check, you will make the US government a victim of crime--do you really think
that any agency will allow that to happen when it can help it?  (No, don't
answer that question.)

> Many firms refuse to accept COD orders because they are so marginally
> capitalized they can't afford the cash-flow problems.  Since these are
> the very firms with the worst record of filling orders, demanding COD
> tends to select out vendors with problems.  I suspect relatively few
> mail order problems are the result of deliberate malice aforethought,
> but rather come from incompentence, desperation of a failing concern, or
> both.

The solution is to only deal w/ reputable companies....

					There's more than one way to be savage.

					Lowell Savage