When we left eBay shopper Roger Cowpersmith of Darwin, England, last week, he had not received his $385.56 in collectible books purchased from a Wisconsin eBay seller. Four months had passed since Roger paid for the books, and he had contacted everyone but “Dear Abby” on both sides of the Atlantic trying to find someone who would help.

Frustrated and grasping at straws, Cowpersmith searched the Internet and happened across a group called COMBAT in Bangor, Maine. Finding no way to e-mail COMBAT, the persistent Brit contacted Bangor City Hall and was given the personal e-mail address of John Supranovich, COMBAT’s executive director.

Supranovich was quite surprised when, at 2 o’clock one January morning the words “you’ve got mail” distracted him from writing the week’s Consumer Forum.

“Dear COMBAT, I have a problem and I am told you may be able to help,” the e-mail began. Then Roger went on to describe his ordeal.

“Dear Mr. Cowpersmith,” John responded, “I am sorry for your struggles, but COMBAT is not yet able to act upon consumer disputes by e-mail. We are raising money to expand our capacity to help people online, but times are tough. In any case, you would have to purchase a $25 membership before we could work actively on your problem.”

Cowpersmith responded immediately. “I will happily send a money order for $25 if you will help me get my books or my $385.56 back. I am desperate and have nowhere else to turn,” he said.

Maybe it was because it was the middle of the night and he was tired, or maybe it was the challenge, but for some reason, Supranovich replied, “Oh what the heck, let’s take a shot at it”.

The COMBAT director-turned late night mediation volunteer composed an e-mail to the eBay seller, Philip Sigmund of Kenosha, Wis., requesting a report on the book order’s status.

By 4 o’clock the following afternoon, the seller responded: “I don’t know where my head was. I got to painting my garage and forgot all about it!”

Tongue firmly planted in cheek, Supranovich responded, “Jolly good … put the brush down and get to the post office. Mr. Cowpersmith is asking Tony Blair to consider an attempt to take the colonies back if that’s what it takes to get his books!”

Two weeks later it was “you’ve got mail” time again. “Wow,” Cowpersmith wrote. “You people are MAGIC! After six months and appealing to virtually every agency I could imagine, my books are here … and you did it in two weeks! I can’t thank you enough. I shall send $25 and hope I may be counted the first United Kingdom COMBAT member.”

“Just call it a gesture to further strengthen the bonds of friendship between our two nations,” we replied, “but do us a small favor, don’t tell anyone else about this because if the world finds out about COMBAT, we will never get any sleep.”

But our comment was only partly in jest. The world (Maine included) is increasingly using the Internet to shop for goods and services. Online shopping is basically the same as mail order, and for 32 years, transactions with out-of-state companies have consistently been COMBAT’s largest single category of consumer complaints. Maine homes and offices lost more than $19 million to fraudulent, unresponsive or irresponsible out-of-state companies in 2003. As online shopping explodes, it can only get worse.

COMBAT is preparing to meet the challenge before government finds a clever (and expensive) way to respond. If you would like to know more, and perhaps help, write to the address below or e-mail ProtectME@consumer

protect.org for information.

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