problems with order car stuff off internet

["Andrew D.Mendez" <AMENDEZ@xxxxxxx>]

You credit card company is right; don't worry.
Under federal law, you can dispute any credit card
charge when you have a problem with the merchant
(I.e., they charge your card & never send the
merchandise). You do NOT have to pay the charge
while the dispute is being resolved (I'd recommend
disputing it as soon as enough time has passed
that you should have received the stuff & you
haven't heard back from them after trying to
contact them). The charge will be totally wiped
off your account (credited) if the dispute is
resolved in your favor (I.e., you never get your
stuff). It's not really a question of the credit
card co. valiantly "fighting to help you get your
money back" -- under the law, they just have no
right to collect from you when you don't get what
you paid for. They, in turn, will not give the
merchant his money until he performs his end of
the deal(this is a called a "chargeback" -- the
disputed charge is debited from the merchant's
visa/mc account from which he received periodic
payments for charges at his business). Your card
company will probably hassle the merchant to give
you your stuff (so the card issuer in turn will
have the right to collect the charges from you). I
had a similar experience with ordering off the net
- -- I will never order again from any
non-established entity (I.e., known to exist
outside cyberspace). IMHO AMEX is best about these
disputes, which is why I usually use it for mail
order. I recommend Smile Photo, Video &
Electronics in NYC (advertise in Car & Driver
every month) for mail-order electronic stuff like
detectors & scanners -- they are legit & their
prices are very low, much better than Crutchfield,
Best Buy, etc. (they also feature gruff, rude New
Yorkers taking orders). 

Andy 
'95 M3
==================================================
From: "-o=[KeNdRiCk=o-" <levoc@domain.elided>
Subject: Ordering from Radar/Radio Guys

Has anyone ordered a radar detector or radio
scanner online with the "Radar
Guys", aka "Radio Guys"; "Cordless Guys" etc..? if
so, please tell me they
are legit!!
[snip]
I also found most of the sub-pages on the website
were missing and dead links.
I found the prices and stock availability were
totally inconsistant. One
page stated that a scanner was available for $149,
while another page for
the same scanner was discontinued and has a much
cheaper price of $99!!

Just minutes after I ordered online (11pm) , I
called my credit card
company to ask them to hold my card so the "RADIO
GUYS" wouldn't be able to
charge my card tomorrow.
But the agent told me that I don't have to suspend
my account, but just
wait and see what happens. If the "Radio Guys"
charge my card but don't
send my order, then they will help me fight for
the money back. 

WEll, I'll just wait and see.

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