Sort of like watching your baby take its first steps, it’s always fun to share the joy a new volunteer experiences on first helping a neighbor. COMBAT dispute intervention volunteer Virginia H. of Bangor hardly had time to get her chair warm on her first full day in the office when the mail came and the assignments were handed out. Calvin Bishop of Greenville became her first client.

It seems that Cal, a carpenter, had purchased a “previously owned” compressor on eBay, the online “auction house,” which is more like a retail store these days. The purchase price was $650 with shipping costs of $56 for a total of $706. Cal figured this was a good deal because new equipment sold for over $1,000.

“The eBay seller, Good Old Stuff of Jeffersonville, Mo., described the equipment as ‘hardly used’ and in ‘like new’ condition,” Cal wrote COMBAT, “but when it arrived, it was rusted and dented, the hoses were cracked, parts were missing, the electric cord was frayed, and the motor screamed like chalk on a blackboard.”

Cal went on to report that he had contacted the seller, who refused to do anything. He then contacted eBay, which told him he could file negative feedback. “Thanks for nothing,” Cal responded.

He then contacted the Attorney General’s Office and was told the office couldn’t help with Internet transactions and that the attorney general handled consumer complaints, but not when the consumer was a business. (Go figure!) He then wrote the Better Business Bureau, which responded that since Good Old Stuff was not a BBB member, the organization could do nothing.

Cal was about ready to load the compressor into his pickup and drive to Jeffersonville when he picked up his Bangor Daily News and remembered “Consumer Forum.”

“I wasn’t sure if you guys help businesspeople, so I thought I’d give it a shot. Can you help?” he wrote.

“Yes, we do, and yes, we’ll try,” COMBAT volunteer Virginia answered, thanking him for enclosing full and complete information with his letter. “Now what do I do?” our new trainee asked her experienced COMBAT “buddy” Marian P., who promptly introduced Virginia to the word processor saying, “Just tell the story, tell Good Stuff what we expect, and remind Mr. Bishop that he must be a COMBAT member if he wants us to contact the company directly on his behalf.”

So Virginia called Cal, who joined. Then she wrote Good Stuff: “We feel you have grossly misrepresented the condition of this equipment, which borders on fraud. If you do not within 14 days refund Mr. Bishop’s payment, including shipping charges so he can return the unit, we will be forced to contact the following state, federal and private agencies on his behalf.” Virginia then listed just about every agency that has a mailbox.

One week later, Cal Bishop called COMBAT. “What are you guys, with the mob? The check got here today.”

No, Cal, we aren’t with the mob, but we are a “mob” of consumers who pack more clout than an individual. Glad to help. Needless to say, fledgling volunteer Virginia was as tickled as she could be. “I never thought I could do that!” she said, bubbling. “It was so easy!”

Well, Virginia has helped quite a few consumers since then, and she knows the cases aren’t all that easy. But tenacity pays off and an organization carries a bigger stick than a solitary consumer does. That’s what COMBAT has been all about for 33 years.

COMBAT is recruiting and training more volunteers, and our turnaround is getting faster every day. If you have a consumer problem, write to us, and we’ll do our best to help.

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