Video Professor corrects error

By NANCY PARADIS

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 9, 2000

Enclosed are copies of my credit card statements showing my purchase of the Video Professor product on a trial basis on Feb. 1, and a copy of my letter on Feb. 22 returning it for a full refund.

I have not yet received a refund of these charges, and the toll-free number in the ad in the paper is for placing orders only. I would really appreciate your help in closing this out. Alan Read

Response: Anne Deeb, customer care representative for Video Professor in Lakewood, Colo., said the company's records indicate it received the "Learn to Use the Internet Level 2" review lesson you returned on March 3. Unfortunately, while your credit was being processed, a computer error occurred and your refund was not completed correctly. Deeb said the company was unaware that your credit card had not been refunded, and she apologized for this. Two credits totaling $56.90 were issued on June 27, and you have been removed from the review program.

Slow motion

I sent away for a "super mini ear" on April 16 and haven't received it yet. I wrote to the company, J.D. Marvel Products, about two months after I ordered its product, but received no response to my letter. I also called its customer service department and was told there was no record of my order. The person to whom I spoke promised to check further and call me back. Of course, that never happened either, and I do have an answering machine.

I would appreciate it if you could get the "super mini ear" sent or my $18.90 refund. I ordered this for an 88-year-old who has a hearing and sight problem. It's a shame that companies advertise and then make the customer almost beg to get their products. It makes me wonder how many older people give up and just lose their money. Thanks for your help. John Kapraun

Response: J.D. Marvel Products in Beaconsfield, Quebec, must get a lot of orders from Florida, judging by the complaints that Action receives. Most, like yours, involve non-receipt of the order and a lack of response to follow-up phone calls and letters. The company may sometimes be slow to fulfill orders or issue refunds, but in our experience, it always does. In your case, a handwritten note signed by "Denise," states that a request for a refund has been put in and you should receive a check sometime in August.

Mission accomplished

I hope you can get a response from Chadwicks of Boston for me. Last year I received a catalog that offered a $10 discount coupon for telling the company what you liked about the catalog. You could either send in your written response or fax it. I faxed my response the day after I got the catalog. I have never heard back from Chadwicks. I even sent a note with my next order. Can you help? Georgetta Swafford

Response: Glad to. You've got your coupon.

Book club isn't for her

I ordered some items last summer from a Primary Teachers Book Club sales brochure. I was billed incorrectly for some of the items, called the long distance number and was told it would be corrected. A second package came with incorrect -- higher -- prices again. I made a second call and was told not to pay anything until the corrected bill came. Weeks went by and I went ahead and paid the amount I should have been charged, including all the shipping and handling fees.

Since then, I have received a harassing letter from the company almost monthly, each time from a different person or department. In spite of my long-distance calls and letters, it seems the matter was not being resolved at the club's end. The most recent correspondence I received was a collection alert from a collection agency. I am furious. Can you help me as quickly as possible? I do not owe this $23.71. I want absolutely nothing to do with Primary Teachers Book Club in the future. One hand has no idea what the other hand is doing. Darlene McLean

Response: Rozetta Pearson, supervisor of Primary Teacher's Book Club's service center in Indianapolis, said you were billed correctly for the books you ordered. The itemized statment you received included the cost of the shipping and handling with each order, not the book price only. During the last quarter of 1999, she said there was a change in policy for crediting returned products. In an effort to control costs for all members, shipping and handling charges were no longer credited upon the return of specifically ordered product. This information appears on a member's monthly statement when the shipping and handling charges are not being reimbursed for recent returns. This is why a charge of $17.71 remained, and when you did not pay this amount, $3 late fees started to accrue.

Pearson said your account has been adjusted and canceled. Your balance is zero and you have no further obligation to the book club. In addition, she said the national credit reporting agency has been advised to remove your name from its listing and you have been sent a copy of this correspondence. (We suggest you keep it until you verify that any delinquent account information concerning this book club has been removed from your credit report.)

Finally, if you send the book club copies of your phone bills reflecting the calls to it, Pearson said you will be reimbursed.

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