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From: jtk@mordor.UUCP (Jordan Kare)
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: Re: mail order scam
Message-ID: <5867@mordor.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 11-Mar-86 18:15:48 EST
Article-I.D.: mordor.5867
Posted: Tue Mar 11 18:15:48 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 12-Mar-86 23:55:34 EST
References: <360@uwai.UUCP>
Reply-To: jtk@mordor.UUCP (Jordin Kare)
Distribution: na
Organization: S-1 Project, LLNL
Lines: 43

In article <360@uwai.UUCP> neves@uwai.UUCP (David Neves) writes:
>I had this problem happen to me last week.  I received some books from
>a computer book club that I didn't order.  At first I thought I was
>receiving some free books from a publisher but found that wasn't the
>case after looking inside the box and seeing the bill.  
>...

A couple of years ago, I received a fat "buyers guide"-type catalog
for IC manufacturing equipment, something I have no interest in
(I'm a physicist, but not in solid-state work).  The catalog was
a year out of date, and I assumed it was a freebie -- I'm on a few
electronics industry mailing lists, etc.

A month later, I got a bill for about $50 from the publisher, named
something like Technical Publications.  I called the company and they
said to send the book back.  I did so, although I didn't rush right out
to do so; I think they sent me a second bill and that reminded me.

Some time AFTER sending it back (at my expense) I got ANOTHER bill, 
now with big OVERDUE stamps on it.  I called, and they said they had
no record of my sending the book back.  I wrote a letter saying
a) I never ordered the book in the first place, and b) I had sent
the thing back and if they couldn't find it it was their problem.
What I got back was a letter with a xerox of my "order" -- a 
magazine coupon from a magazine I don't get, with my name and an
incorrect address handwritten on it, not in my handwriting.  

At that point, I probably should have started sending off letters
to consumer groups, postal inspectors, etc.  What I did was send
them another letter pointing out that the order form was NOT from
me, and that any further correspondence was liable to result in
drastic action on my part. 

I didn't hear from them again, but I was out about $5 in postage and
considerable time writing and calling.  My only remaining question
is, where did that coupon come from?  Did someone else send it in
to annoy me, or did Technical Publications forge it (perhaps at some
file-clerk level)?  Tech books are more expensive than romance novels
or even computer book club books, and a scam seems 
unlikely; IC engineers don't strike me as a good target, but who knows?

			Jordin Kare
			!lll-crg!s1-mordor!jtk