Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site decwrl.DEC.COM Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!bellcore!decvax!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-algol!bennison From: bennison@algol.DEC (Victor Bennison - DTN 381-2156) Newsgroups: net.rec.photo Subject: Re: mailorder firms Message-ID: <785@decwrl.DEC.COM> Date: Wed, 29-Jan-86 00:08:04 EST Article-I.D.: decwrl.785 Posted: Wed Jan 29 00:08:04 1986 Date-Received: Thu, 30-Jan-86 06:20:25 EST Sender: daemon@decwrl.DEC.COM Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation Lines: 75 ---- >> It may be legal to lie to your customers either in their advertizing or >> over the phone, but that doesn't make it right. >This isn't what I said, though... I know what you said. But what you don't seem to understand is that I'm trying to say, "LEGAL SCHMEGAL". I don't care what the laws say. What I want is to avoid mailorder firms that lie through their teeth to get a sale. I want to get what I ordered under the terms agreed upon over the telephone at the time of the sale. >It is not legal to lie to customers, either in advertising or over the >phone. This is especially true in the case of mail order, since it >involves interstate commerce. Lying is hard to prove when it isn't in writing and there are no witnesses. I would imagine you'd have to prove intent or something, also. You see, none of us want to take anybody to court for lying. We just want our camera equipment. >The reason I emphasized this in my prior posting was that it is important >to know exactly what rules exist, and to follow them. I think that a lot >of the idea that "the law allows one to lie to the customer" derives from >people not understanding what the law does provide. I can't profess to >understand it all myself, not being a lawyer; however, I try to know as >much as is possible, which is indeed possible since there is a lot of >literature available on mail order regulations (ask at your post office). Thanks just the same. But you go read up on the law. I'll just order from the firms that do real well on the survey. I don't consider 47th Street's performance to compare well with some of the others. >The honest companies may, however, >employ salespeople who tend to bend the truth; they should not do this, and >I suspect that if the company finds out that they have done so, they will >take action to correct it. You can't hear me laughing hysterically. But I am. The owners and managers of these stores know EXACTLY what their salesmen do. I'll bet they even train them in the art. >The problem is that there are two sides to any story, and you have to see >both sides if you are going to be reasonably equitable. I see both sides. It's just that I don't like one of the sides. >On the other hand, the mail-order stores pose significant competition to >the local photo-store, especially the local camera store (which sells only >cameras and lenses), and in such a case, a lot of mythology evolves; >salesmen in such stores are not so well constrained as the mail order >stores. I hear of many stories that just aren't true, and even accounts >in here that I suspect have other sides to them. Local stores vary a lot also. But generally I think they are a lot more honest. After all, they have only the local population to draw from for customers. They have to work at attracting return business, because they can't compete with the New York store's advertized prices. I've bought about half my camera equipment locally. And I've managed to get competitive prices and good trade-in deals. >Thus, don't think that I was saying "all photo stores are trustworthy," or >anything else that simple; only that you have to do business with them >with the nature of mail order business, which is different from >over-the-counter sales, in mind. I don't expect the mailorder salesman to do anything but tell me if something is in stock and mail it to me if it is. Doesn't that sound simple enough? ---- Vick Bennison ...decvax!decwrl!rhea!tools!bennison (603) 881-2156