Man puts faith in COMBAT, gets Bible CD refund

Last week in this column you learned about Rodney Palmer, who, while attending a Christian convention in California, had purchased what he thought was an audio CD containing the entire Bible for $25.94. But once home in Maine, he began receiving one book of the Bible each month for $25.94 each. His “Living Word on CD” had become a living nightmare.

Further, Bible Tracks Mobile Ministry expected Palmer to buy the entire collection of 66 books of the Bible, totaling $1,712.04 in CDs. “How could they do this?” Palmer asked COMBAT. “The salesman claimed to be a Christian; he said the total price was $19.99 plus postage! How could a man of faith lie like that?”

COMBAT understands how betrayed Palmer felt. It’s hard to believe profiteers would manipulate a person’s faith so unfeelingly. But, sadly, we have other cases in our files to prove it happens.

COMBAT contacted Bible Tracks on Rod’s behalf, but it insisted the order form explained the terms. Indeed, in the tiniest of type appeared the words “Buyer will receive monthly installments at the above rate until the entire collection is received.”

Palmer seemed sunk. But COMBAT is tenacious. California authorities were contacted and, based on the form, said Palmer didn’t have a leg to stand on. Even though it almost took a magnifying glass to see the words, they were there. Palmer had agreed to purchase the collection.

COMBAT, however, didn’t quit there. The organization contacted the Southern California Council of Churches about Bible Tracks Mobile Ministry. The administrative director of the council said that Palmer was not the first consumer to complain about Bible Tracks’ unholy tactics, but the council felt powerless to do anything about the intractable company. Another dead end?

Not quite. Remember that Palmer had brought some Bible Tracks brochures back to Maine. During a COMBAT team discussion of Palmer’s problem, one of the volunteers exclaimed, “Wait a minute, read the brochure. It just says, ‘$19.99 for the Bible on CD.’ It doesn’t mention a collection anywhere.” The COMBAT crew was very happy with its discovery.

We had to draw lots to see who got to write the letter to Bible Tracks, which said, “Your brochure makes no mention of a collection, but clearly sets $19.99 as the price for ‘the Bible on CD.’ COMBAT believes this constitutes an ‘offer to sell’ at that price and that, under Federal Trade Commission regulations, has the ‘capacity to mislead.’ We ask that you immediately send Rodney Palmer all 66 CDs and a refund of the $103.76 overcharge on the agreed $25.94 price, or a full refund of the $129.70 charged to his credit card to date, along with a statement that he is under no further obligation.”

Since we were on a roll, we continued. “If this matter is not resolved to our satisfaction within 14 business days, we will have no choice but to contact the Orange County (California) Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Bureau, California and Maine Attorneys General, Federal Trade Commission, Postal Inspector, and other authorities who may have interest.” Short of a plague of locusts or frogs, that’s the best COMBAT could do.

Ten days later, Rodney had his check for $129.70, a letter releasing him from any agreement, and he got to keep Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. “Wow,” Palmer wrote COMBAT, “you guys don’t fool around!”

No, Palmer, we don’t fool around when Maine people are ripped off. A word of advice: Keep your faith in humanity, but also be wary of wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Consumer Forum is a collaboration of the Bangor Daily News and Northeast COMBAT-Maine Center for the Public Interest, Maine’s membership-funded nonprofit consumer organization. Individual membership $25, business rates start at $125 (0-10 employees). For help and information write: Consumer Forum, Bangor Daily News, PO Box 1329, Bangor 04402.