Action: Refund from clairvoyant is invisible

Unfortunately, I made the biggest mistake of my life and trusted Maria Duval. Her correspondence about the astral-clairvoyant study she was offering made it sound so good that I filled out the questionnaire and sent her two checks, one for $30 in July 2000, and one for $34 in August 2000.

I was not totally delighted with the study she sent, so I returned all correspondence, certified, return receipt requested, on Oct. 1, 2000, requesting my refund. I never received it. I also sent certified letters asking for it in April, May and July. Maria Duval has no telephone but two addresses at 372 W 46th St. and 435 W 44th St. in New York City.

I am so embarrassed. You would think a 75-year-old widow would know better. I am in poor health and have financial problems trying to make ends meet on Social Security. I would appreciate not seeing my name in the newspaper. Thank you in advance for your help. F.D.

Response: We don't ordinarily agree to a reader's request for anonymity, but we certainly didn't want to open the door to your receiving a flood of similar offers. We sent your complaint to Maria Duval twice, first in August, then again in September by certified mail. Daniel Sousse, customer service representative for Maria Duval, quickly responded to our second letter by promising that your refund of $64 would go out by the end of September.

It didn't, so you contacted us again at the end of October and we started over. The response was another copy of Sousse's letter, promising the refund by the end of September. Now another month has gone by with no sign of your refund.

We claim no clairvoyant powers ourselves, but at this point it certainly appears you may have to write off the $64 and chalk it up to experience. You can always file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan New York, 257 Park Avenue S, New York, NY 10010-7384

By the way, we did a quick Internet search for Maria Duval and came across scores of answers to a request for information about her on a German Web site. The responses were not, for the most part, printable in a family newspaper.

No more statements

Here is the latest statement I received a few days ago from the Emory Clinic in Atlanta. I wonder if you can find out why I keep receiving these $59.28 insurance pending statements and why someone doesn't take care of them? We never had a problem with Aetna Insurance until this statement. My wife passed away a year and a half ago, and I'm still receiving these statements. I have settled my portion of the bill many months ago. When I go, I don't want my kids to inherit this problem. I owe nothing. Donald Kelly

Response: According to the Emory Clinic in Atlanta, Aetna U.S. HealthCare has now settled this claim. We never heard from the insurance company, so we don't know what the problem was, but according to the clinic, whatever it was, it has been resolved.

Membership mixup

My complaint against American Legion is that I was told I would have continuous membership for 10 years. However, when I called about my 2002 membership card, I was told that I hadn't paid my dues. I want my paid-up membership card, as stated by American Legion's membership director, Billy R. Johnson, in the enclosed letter. James McArtor

Response: In his letter to you in November 2000, Billy Johnson, membership director at American Legion's national headquarters in Indianapolis, said you joined the American Legion in 1991. Since that time, however, there were a number of years when you were not a member.

He said he did not know what happened during the years when you were not a member, but that your membership would be reinstated and would reflect 10-year continuous membership, and that you would be sent a 2001 card.

We did not take this to mean that you paid for a 10-year membership when you first signed up, since Johnson also referred to renewals and the payment of dues for specific years. His letter to Action, dated Nov. 6, confirmed this.

He said he has requested that another 2001 membership card be sent to you. Once your 2002 dues payment is received, you will be sent a membership card for that year.

-- 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, toll-free 1-800-333-7505, 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.

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