Refund for wrong CD finally posted

By NANCY PARADIS

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 7, 2000

On Jan. 28, I ordered a product from Video Professor that had been advertised on TV as Access 2000. It consisted of one free CD, and I charged the $5.95 shipping and handling to my Visa. A second CD was also going to be sent, and if I decided to keep it, I was to be charged an additional $49.95.

When the CD arrived, it was not Access 2000 but rather Access 97, which was out of date. I called Video Professor to complain that it had not sent what I ordered. When calling the 800 number, a recorded message advises that all its representatives are busy and to leave a name and number for someone to return the call, or that the office was closed and to leave a number, etc. I tried several times to reach a human being with no success, and of course my calls were not returned.

At some point, I finally spoke to a "Crystal" who said she would send a return label so I could send the 97 CD back and receive the correct one. When I received the label, I followed her instructions to the letter. This was March 11. Six weeks later I had still not received the replacement and in mid-April started the calling process over again with no success.

My February Visa statement included the $5.95 charge on Jan. 28 and the $49.95 charge on Feb. 11. By the time I reached someone on April 20, during my second go-round of phone calls, I was fed up and just wanted my $49.95 back. I was assured my account would be credited. More than a little suspicious by this time, I called Visa and was told it cannot assist in disputes of claims of less than $50. When my May statement came, I cannot say I was surprised to find there was no credit for $49.95. I have been trying to reach Video Professor again with no success. Can you help in any way? Thank you. Mary Hartmann

Response: You're welcome. The credit has been posted to your Visa account.

Deceased voter off rolls

Reaction: My father-in-law died in November 1990. Every time the supervisor of elections sends something in his name, we call or write to tell he is dead and to remove his name from the rolls. The board nonetheless kept sending things that seem to indicate he is alive and a voting citizen. Since we couldn't get his name off the list, we turned to you. As a result, we got a call to say his name was being removed from the voters' list. We were told we should have written. We had!

Thank you for accomplishing what we couldn't in nine years. Barbara Smith

No more 'News-Letter'

I have been subscribing to Contest News-Letter for several years, and my subscription was paid through June 2000. I received a billing notice to extend my subscription for 18 months for $29.97, which I did. I received a second bill to pay the same amount, and then the newsletter stopped coming. I have written and sent photocopies of my check with no response. Walter Sorenson

Response: Contest News-Letter's Daniel Roberts in Bethel, Conn., said that after 25 years of publishing, the newsletter has ceased publication. Customers were mailed a notice informing them of this possibility earlier this year, he said, and the last printed issue was March.

As a replacement for Contest News-Letter, for which there are no resources for refund, Roberts said arrangements were made for Winning! magazine to send readers the remaining issues in their subscriptions beginning with the May issue. Winning! magazine may be contacted at 5300 Citiplex Tower, 2448 E 81st St., Tulsa, OK 74137, (800) 554-1999, (918) 491-6100.

Roberts said he regrets the inconvenience and hopes that you will enjoy Winning! magazine.

Action solves problems and gets answers for you. If you have a question, or your own attempts to resolve a consumer complaint have failed, write Times Action, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731, or call your Action number, (727) 893-8171, or, outside of Pinellas, (800) 333-7505, ext. 8171, to leave a recorded request.

Requests will be accepted only by mail or voice mail; calls cannot be returned. We will not be responsible for personal documents, so please send only photocopies. If your complaint concerns merchandise ordered by mail, we need copies of both sides of your canceled check.

We may require additional information or prefer to reply by mail; therefore, readers must provide a full mailing address, including ZIP code. Names of letter writers will not be omitted except in unusual circumstances. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

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Paper: Date: 7/07/00+

Page: 1 Section: CLEARWATER TIMES+

Byline: CHRISTINA HEADRICK

Notes:

CLEARWATER -- In the spring, city officials fretted about the prospect of cutting city jobs to balance next year's $83-million general fund budget. But now, they are thanking economic growth for helping the city avoid a controversial budget season

Commissioners agreed at a workshop Thursday that they won't raise the property tax rate next year. Nor will the commission have to make any dramatic cuts in city services.

The silver bullet to the city's budget concerns arrived a month ago. That was when the Pinellas County Property Appraiser's Office reported that the assessed value of properties citywide rose an estimated $313-million, a 6.5 percent increase from last year.

That will add about $1.9-million in new property taxes to the city's coffers and help sustain next year's budget, budget director Tina Wilson said Thursday.

"I don't think there's been a year in my recent memory where we have had $1.9-million in new money from growth and prosperity," Commissioner Ed Hooper said.

People whose houses have risen in value will pay slightly more in taxes next year.

But commissioners can say they kept the tax rate the same at just over $5.50 for every $1,000 of assessed taxable property. That's about $275 for a house worth $75,000 with a homestead exemption of $25,000.

The stable tax rate officially will be voted on at a special meeting set for Thursday.

However, residents will still see other bills go up. The commission has already approved increases in city fees for water, sewer and garbage service this year.

The city did make some cuts to balance its budget next year, Wilson told the commission.

Among roughly $1.6-million in cuts are: $650,000 from not filling vacant jobs; $100,000 to eliminate a deputy city manager job; $364,350 in police overtime charges to the city; and $146,650 to cut four police technician spots that were vacant.

The budget, which takes effect Oct. 1, does contain some new initiatives, including funding a new northwest Clearwater fire station and at least four new firefighter positions, as urged by a fire services task force this year.

The proposal stops short, however, of adding enough firefighters to staff every engine with four people. The city can reconsider charging residents additional fees or creating other new revenues next year to pay for that, City Manager Mike Roberto said.

The budget also includes funds to install a new system to allow city documents to be stored and accessed by computer, add another city accountant and one more code enforcement officer.

The quiet budget season is already a contrast from last year, when commissioners rejected a controversial fire fee, approved a tax increase and vented frustration with Roberto.

Before Thursday, commissioners were well-briefed in private sessions where they asked questions of city administrators about the budget and suggested changes.

Privately, for instance, commissioners have been assured that the city will renew its obligation to provide up to $100,000 to fund a city homeless program, which officials had considered trimming from the budget.

Roberto denied in a recent interview that he was trying to keep the budget process non-controversial, to avoid bad press before next week's referendum on downtown redevelopment.

Commissioner Ed Hart was the lone official to say hewas dissatisfied with the process. He complained Thursday about the lack of detail in the city's budget, which is more simplified than previous budgets. Hart said there was no way to tell what programs were cut and what programs were increased.

For instance, the page about the city's recreation division lists only four monetary figures to describe next year's $13-million recreation budget.

"Last year we had a breakdown by cost centers, projects and different programs," Hart said recently. "This year is probably an abomination of the process to have only one line item per department."

The other four commissioners said they did not mind the lack of detail.

But in response to some of Hart's concerns, Wilson said more details will be incorporated into the final budget document, which officially will be approved in September.

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