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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!oliveb!tymix!granvold
From: granvold@tymix.UUCP (Tom Granvold)
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re: cheap modems
Message-ID: <558@tymix.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 17-Oct-85 14:55:25 EDT
Article-I.D.: tymix.558
Posted: Thu Oct 17 14:55:25 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 19-Oct-85 05:22:15 EDT
References: <969@vax2.fluke.UUCP>
Reply-To: granvold@tymix.UUCP (Tom Granvold)
Followup-To: net.micro
Distribution: net.micro
Organization: Tymnet Inc., Cupertino CA
Lines: 50
Keywords: cheap modems mail order
Summary: Don't let them get away with it!

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