Northeast CONTACT gets volumes of complaints against businesses that don’t respond directly to a consumer. This leads to the consumer contacting our agency for assistance. Such was the case of CONTACT member Margaret Webster of Kittery.

At the beginning of October 2005, Webster sent a mail order to Spiffield and Co., located in Seattle, Wash. She had received a catalog that advertised pots, pans, dishes, silverware, cooking utensils and other household items.

Margaret was not really interested, but she thumbed through the catalog to satisfy her curiosity. Her eyes focused on a lovely 12-piece setting of dishes titled “Wisteria.” The color scheme in the ad matched her kitchen decor perfectly, and the price was within her budget, $372.95, which included postage and handling. Her order included 12 dinner plates, soup bowls and bread plates, a milk pitcher, a sugar bowl, a platter and a butter dish. The dishes were guaranteed microwave- and dishwasher-safe. Margaret told us she could not pass up the offer.

She sent her order in the next day and enclosed a check in the amount of $372.95. As the dishes were offered in several patterns, Margaret wrote down “Wisteria.” The ad stated to allow 12 weeks for delivery.

In January of this year, and after 14 weeks had elapsed, Margaret tried to call the company directly. However, the phone line was continually busy and she could not get through. Margaret then took advantage of her membership to Northeast CONTACT and wrote to us about her mail-order problem. “Please help me to either receive my lovely dishes that I ordered or get me a refund. This is not fair! They have $372.95 of my money.”

A CONTACT caseworker wrote back to Margaret Webster, saying: “We will be pleased to contact Spiffield and Company on your behalf, but we will need a copy of your canceled check, both the front and the back, and the full address of the business.”

We received the information we requested from Margaret, and her CONTACT caseworker wrote to Spiffield, saying, “At the beginning of October 2005, Maine consumer Margaret Webster ordered a set of dishes entitled ‘Wisteria.’ Your ad does say to allow up to 12 weeks for delivery. Now, 16 weeks later, no dishes have arrived at the Webster household. Enclosed you will find a copy of her canceled check, both front and back for proof of purchase.

“At this time, we are requesting that you either send Margaret Webster the set of dishes she ordered and paid for, or provide a full refund in the amount of $372.95 within the next 14 days with notification to Northeast CONTACT of the transaction. If you do as we request, then and only then will we drop this matter.”

The deadline came and went. Margaret contacted us to say that she had heard nothing and CONTACT shared that it had also had no response. A second letter was written to the business by Margaret’s caseworker. In this letter to Spiffield and Co., we reiterated to them much of what was included in the first letter. We went on to say, “If Ms. Webster does not receive the dishes or a refund in full, Northeast CONTACT will contact the attorney general of Washington state, the Federal Trade Commission, the district attorney of your county and the Chamber of Commerce, requesting that they closely examine your business practices and explore the possibility of consumer fraud.”

Two weeks later we received a telephone call from Margaret. She said, “My dishes have finally arrived! They are all intact and even more lovely than the catalog picture depicts. What would I have done without you? Thank you for your intercession. Northeast CONTACT works wonders!”

Consumer Forum is a collaboration of the Bangor Daily News and Northeast CONTACT for Better Business Inc., Maine’s membership-funded, nonprofit organization. An individual annual membership is $25; business memberships start at $125. For consumer help and information write: Consumer Forum, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329.