Consider risks, benefits of buying products online

Usually Northeast CONTACT assists Maine consumers in getting their complaints resolved. One recent case involved a New York man who was having difficulty getting delivery, or even a phone call, from what was advertised as a Maine-based company.

The complaint was about a wood-fired boiler, advertised for sale over the Internet by Dirigo Manufacturing LLC, which also does business as Adobe Boiler. Adobe makes the boilers that Dirigo distributes. The chief operations officer is listed as Phillip Dougherty.

Our concerned consumer – we’ll call him John – wrote a $4,550 check to Dirigo Manufacturing in early October 2007, and he had not received the boiler by late January when he telephoned our office. He sent us copies of his canceled check, along with an invoice listing Dirigo Manufacturing’s address as a post office box in Hampden. The invoice indicating when the boiler was shipped was dated Jan. 26, 2007 (apparently a typographical error since the order was placed in October 2007).

Our caller had no success trying to reach anyone at Adobe by phone. Our caseworker suggested that he write certified letters to the chief operations officer, Mr. Dougherty, demanding his money back. John wrote later that a G. Pelletier had signed for his three certified letters to Mr. Dougherty at three different addresses, but John received no response.

Our caseworker also suggested John notify law enforcement officials in New York for any help they might provide. They, in turn, notified Bangor and Hampden authorities, who made some interesting discoveries while trying to locate Mr. Dougherty:

Mail sent to his address was returned. A visit to an address given for Dirigo Manufacturing in Target Industrial Circle in Bangor turned up nothing. Our caseworker visited another address in Penn Plaza in Bangor, but was told Mr. Dougherty had not been a tenant there for about a year.

Late last month, John called to say he had received a check for $4,550 from Phil Dougherty, but there was no note or other explanation. The company’s Web site contains glowing reports about its products from customers in Nebraska and Colorado, but none from Maine.

We’re happy we could help John, and we hope that in the future he will weigh the risks and benefits of online purchases more carefully. When dealing with local merchants, you can inspect merchandise, rather than relying on other descriptions and claims; you’re also more likely to find someone to talk with when trying to resolve issues.

Consumer Forum is collaboration, now in its 30th year, of the Bangor Daily News and Northeast CONTACT, Maine’s membership-funded nonprofit consumer organization. Individual and business memberships are available at modest rates. Interested and motivated prospective volunteers are always needed and welcomed to apply to help with our mission. For assistance with consumer-related issues, including consumer fraud and identity theft, or for more information, write: Consumer Forum, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor ME 04402-1329.