Community poll forum: What do you do when you feel you've been ripped off?

Get ahold of the Better Business Bureau. I have had great success more than once with them and even got my money returned for twice the amount one time for my inconvenience.

Find out the state the service or product company is listed in and write to the local BBB chapter for that state. You can Google or search thru any browser and just follow the links until you find how to file a complaint. Everything you need is there.

Writing the FTC is great as well. Consumer Affairs is also a good reference. I have used them many times.

Stay safe !!

That's great if you have lots of time on your hands, but if your working over 60 hours a week & have other things to do, you just vote with your wallet.

I paid US$112 for Corel, and Corel Painter ....and each time I try to install it, it tells me the 'free trial is over'. I have emailed them many times...It was my birthday present to myself last year, and I have never been able to get the 'Painter' even to trial level, as it says code is wrong and won't even start.
I loved the Photo Album trial, and was really sad not to have it working. It won't work at all now the trail period is over. Periodically I reload it hoping miraculously it will function.
As you can see by below...I paid for it, and only got those two emails..I have a feeling the company changed at this time too...as responses back to me were not as friendly as when they were trying to get me to pay.
I wonder if someone could get them to honor my purchase.....and suggest what I can do...
I keep trying to get it working, but am running out of ideas...
I still want it...
Maggi


Corel Photo Album 6 Deluxe Edition Download $29.00 $29.00
1 Corel Painter Essentials 3 (52.2 MB) - Download Download $79.00 $79.00
1 2 Year Software Download Insurance Recommended by Corel Download $4.99 $4.99
Total $112.99
Thank you for placing your order with the Corel Store. Please save this email for future reference as it contains important information that you may need should you have any questions about your order.

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Subject: "CorelGlobal Store" Order "3245739" Accepted
Date: Fri, 3 Nov 2006 19:55:00 -0500 (EST)




Order Details
Date of Transaction: 2006-11-03 19:48:31.0
Order/Invoice: CorelGlobal-3245739

I purchased a lot of electronics in my lifetime and bought many brands. The worst reliability of anything I bought was Sony. Walkman, VCRs, Stereo recievers, Hi-8 camcorder, everything I bought failed. Anything I bought Panasonic STILL works! Technics (Panasonic's higher end) CD Player (SLP-2) paid $399 for it in 1985 STILL works. I will never EVER buy another Sony product.

Whenever I get ripped off I immediately search for the company and try to find the Managing Directors name, then I write a letter of complaint. When I cannot find the Directors name I write on the envelope.
" To Be Opened Only By The Managing Director - Personal "

In most cases this letter reaches the correct person and I obtain swift action. It's not the managers at fault, it's the dickheads in Customer Service, who often give no service whatsoever.

Once I wrote to the Manager Of General Motors in Australia about a car, within three days my new car was obtained and the dealer was
roasted. This dealer tried to tell me I couldn't have a particular model.
Another time I had problems with a bank, and they refused to do anything about it. So I found out the name of the Managing Director of this bank in head office, and wrote a letter of complaint. One week later the Manager telephoned to advise my complaint was fixed, and the manager of this bank had been sacked.

My philosophy - always write a compaint letter, but make it explain sense, and give extensive details.

Recently ordered. Company did not provide registration for 5 days. Difficult to install & use. Will ask creditcard company to delet charge

I ran into an interesting online scam. And, it did not pan out for me at all.
I purchased OutPost FireWall PRO along with Tauscan, a trojan hunter/killer program in 2004. I had problems with the firewall and MS at that time, downloaded the 3rd party firewall, kept Tausacan running until it had a yearly service charge, downloaded it also and put the CD back in the wrapper until this last winter, when MS Defender came out.
to make along story short, the folks @ Agnitum, had totlally changed the .dll and the update link, then slapped a 4.0 version out and to get the updates, I would of had to bought the program all over, NOT just an update AFTER the yearly service subscription had been paid for $29.95.....But the entire program for another $49.95. Of which, i had origianlly paid $19.95 for in '04.
So, Iam so Glad, Billy G came out with the update to MS Explorer 7, along with the MS Defender.
I HAVE NO 3rd PARTY ANYTHING!!
'Once Bitten, Twice Shy Babe!"

Not only for Electronics, but any sales, I believe that "Exchange it for a new one, and try again", indirectly FORCE SUPLIERS to take better care of what they sell. By doing this, the suplier has to spend more (and more time) on the spesific sale, consequintly DECREASING HIS NETT. PROFFIT, or even forcing it into a loss, as time is money... It's like "returning the favour".
By only returning or ignoring the ripp-off, the blame is only put on a livingless product, but by (repeatingly) exchanging it, human DISCRESSION are also forced down (on the suplliers) over a longer, more memorable timeframe!
So! Make sure ONLY to buy garenteed products!!!
This method normally involves unrefundable postage costs on the end-user, but for me, it's worth the favour...

I second that---don't buy Sony electronics!

I am dealing with them right now on a flyback transformer that went out on my TV that is three years old THIS month! Almost $300 to fix on a $600 TV! When I googled the problem (no sound, no picture, blinking 2 times) I found TONS of complaints on Sony TV's, my model and other models with the same exact problem and the same resistance from Sony. It's obvious they are getting parts that were defective and should (just like automotive mfg's) issue a simple RECALL---but they are the model for corporate ignornace and greed!

I've had two Sony computers in the past---the worst part about Sony is they sell with a C and D drive giving far less room to the C than the D drive---so even though you install programs to the D drive to save hard disk space on C, some system files still get installed to C and before you know it the C drive is full, the D drive has a ton of room but the full C drive makes the computer drag it's heels so it very slow--the only option, which is a pain in the arse, is to back up all the files, reformat and change the partition so the C drive has equal space---I now have an Emachine---I had Emachine years ago (1995) as my very first computer and it's a fine little machine--Gateway is another pain in the arse but the machine itself runs really well, no problems and is a hellofa lot cheaper !!

If you price out laptops too, Sony is always asking a MINT compared to any other manufacturer..they need to just stick to making films!!

I seen an ad once in an electronics magazine for X10 cameras, then seen it again on TV. Well I did some researching and it seemed that for the money it would do what I wanted which was to monitor the kids in the other room, the other intended uses was for a nanny cam, and to monitor the house while not at home, see out in the yard while I was in my office.
After much consideration and conversation they (X10) assured me that at a distance of less than 50 feet I should not have a problem, the furtherest distance the cameras would be from the antenna is 20 feet. So I bought the 3 camera deal, they seemed to fuction as I expected so I ordered some more with the intention of selling them locally as for the purpose I stated above. Well at the tune of 600.00 with my discount for resale, I recieved the cameras and hooked them up to test them out under use. Within 2 months the computer program started not recieving the signals, phone call after phone call we eliminated one possible problem after another, and less and less the program was not recieving the signal properly. Evenually after the return policy was up, (because I was not paying attention) and in an effort to get these working the tech suggested that it was because I lived in a moble home (which I told them from the beginning). Now I want to return them, ah ha the return date has came and went. I packed them away because we had just bought a house and I figured I would have better luck, couldnt return them anyways, so I hooked them up here in the new house, (max distance 40 feet) guess what intermitent signals, then the computer program caused my computer to crash. Well once I had gone through and got everything reinstalled the computer works fine, but now I do not have the program any more that operates the cameras. Now I own a bunch of 2.4 ghz cameras and no way to use them.
Sarge

Hi, saw your problem with Vista. It has been published in PC World, Smart Computing, etc that there are driver problems with the new Vista operating system Most say that drivers will be available by summer I know it is a major hassle, but you can try the manuf site then. Some software makers are also saying that they will NOT update for Vista. I will go after them in time, after I get my Vista. CNET should have had an article alerting people to that problem. How come
Smart Computing and PC World could??? and they couldn't????
It might be that they go easier on companies that give them adv bucks!!!!!!!!!


I also had a problem with a car dealer caused by the bank that was financing. One month after I got my new car, the bank told the dealer that they would not pay on that model. Thus the dealer came back to me
to bring in the car for an exchange. That I didn't have a problem with. BUT WHAT THEY DID NEXT, I DID!!!!!!!!
They exchanged it for another model that they claimed was worth as much, but had 10,000 miles on it.
It had been a GM exec car. When I found out that the value of that car was only $8,000 vs the loan
from the first of $16,000 I went through the roof. That is when they got me in a room closed doors with
managers, including finance manager and telling me they would not search for another vehicle. That is when I went through the roof. I threaten to go to Ocean County Consumer affairs (Toms River NJ) and they sang a
different tune. The poor salesman didn't know what to think. I just told him I understood that the bank was
the one at fault BUT any lose was not my problem. They would have to fight it out with the bank. Also told
them at my job, we had an error account and we would never stick on a client something that wasn't their
fault. Well I got another car, with 1,600 miles on it (the first car that was brand new had 850 miles when I brought it back, and the second added another 700 miles) So I said that was a fair exchange. I am not the
type that wants something for nothing and I wanted to be fair. I did get them to swap out the radio for the one
in the second car that also had a CD player, got them to add the thick side moldings, and even got them
to give me the front and rear floor mats. It wasn't fun but I think we both came out somewhat ok except the
dealer had the first car that they sold me new, but now had to sell it as USED. Not fun for them and they
better have gone after the bank.
Hope this helps

There is a buyer protection plan at EBAY. You should go through them.
If you used a credit card, then go to them and have the amount charged back.

I have really had very good luck with just returning items. I order many items from the forms that you get with credit card statements, ebay, from forms that come in the coupon leaflets that are always in the Sunday paper & retail stores & wholesale outlets. I have had no problem with returning items. I can only think of one instance on ebay where the seller misrepresented their product and wouldn't budge so I filed a complaint with paypal. If you call and are pleasent, most people are honest and will take items back. Of course if one is belligerent, they will definately have a harder time. At the time they are investagating my claim. I feel that when all is said and done, I will win.