Multilevel marketing plans, also known as “network” or “matrix” marketing, are schemes aimed at selling goods or services through distributors. These plans typically promise that if you sign up as a distributor, you will receive commissions for both your sales of the plan’s goods or services and those… Read More
Patricia Palmer of Pittsfield purchased plant pots through the eBay auction site online because their design and color exactly matched several others in her sunroom. Her winning bid was $46.50. She was delighted because she had been trying for years to find ceramic pots similar to hers. With… Read More
Usually we start with the beginning of a case, but this time we’ll start with a testimonial received from Ron Graham of Cape Elizabeth at the conclusion of his frustrating encounter with a Florida “free vacation” scam. “As a businessman, I confess that I had… Read More
During a working trip to Texas, Augusta consumer Crystal Kinnard decided to visit some upscale Dallas clothing stores. She was impressed with a place called Flair for Fashion where she purchased a skirt and a jacket. Shortly after returning home, she received the company’s catalog in the mail. Read More
Melinda Price, formerly of Columbia Falls, wasn’t looking forward to happy holidays when she contacted Northeast COMBAT. She had been self-paying health insurance premiums to a Nebraska company for years without a claim when she was told she needed major surgery for a life-threatening condition. Read More
It’s a joyous time of the year, but also one with many seasonal risks. Last year an estimated 10,000 accidental deaths directly related to holiday decorations occurred in December alone. Most of these deaths and injuries were the result of fire, and most could have been avoided. Read More
More people than ever are holiday shopping on the Internet this year. COMBAT recommends that you shop Maine stores because doing so is safer and supports our local economy, but if you shop online, exercise special caution because doing so has greater risks. The Internet… Read More
J.C. Penney Corp. of Plano, Texas, has recalled 41,300 “Okie Dokie Alligator Football” pajama sets with heat-sealed patches that can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children. The shirts are heather gray with red or blue sleeves, alligator and football patches on the front,… Read More
Consumer advocacy is usually as enjoyable as banging your head against a wall, but sometimes it can be just plain fun, especially when you run into one of those telephone rip-off artists who is numb enough to provide some good, clean sport. You almost have… Read More
Weather forecasters are starting to use the dreaded “S word” again as winter approaches, and if you plan to make your home more comfortable or save cash by supplementing your primary heating system, be careful. Many alternative methods of home heating seem handy and appropriate, but they can… Read More
As growing numbers of shoppers turn to the Internet, old cautions become more important than ever. “If it sounds too good to be true … it probably is,” “read the fine print,” and “look before you click.” A case in point is Roger Cameron of… Read More
For 26 years, Northeast COMBAT has responded to consumer problems received at the Bangor Daily News. By our reckoning, this is the 1,500th column COMBAT volunteers have written since “Consumer Forum” first appeared in June 1978. Over the years, Forum readers keep asking the same… Read More
It’s bad enough that increasing numbers of seniors are being pummeled with fraud and deception by mail and telephone. But now, as we pointed out in last week’s column, our oldest and often most vulnerable citizens face a new and even more insidious threat as thousands of older… Read More
“The greatest oak was once just a little nut that held its ground” is the motto of Northeast COMBAT Consumers Of Maine Bringing Action Together, believed to be the oldest consumer advocacy group of its type in the United States. Since this column is about consumer information and… Read More
Last week, we left Sarah Thurston and her dad standing on a tennis court in Cape Elizabeth with a “boingless” $129 Slazenger Pro X1 racket she had purchased online from Top Sports Limited of Burbank, Calif. There was obviously something wrong with the new, never-used… Read More
Though only 13, Sarah Thurston of Cape Elizabeth is serious about her tennis. She had set her sights on a new racquet. Not just any racquet, but a braided graphite and Kevlar Slazenger Pro X1 weighing a slight 12 ounces, sporting a 95-square-inch head and… Read More
We hate to give up on summer, but that overnight nip in the air has been reminding us that the season is changing. If you are heating all or in part with a fireplace or wood stove, it’s time to start thinking about safety and readiness. Read More
You will hear us saying this often, because it is true: Internet shopping is the 21st century version of mail order and telemarketing. With 32 years of experience helping Maine people with consumer problems, COMBAT is in a unique position to know just how true that statement is. Read More
Sometimes a consumer’s oversight contributes to delays and confusion, such as the case of Priscilla Torrence of Bangor, lifted from our files because it is a good example of why you should always pay attention to the basics, especially when dealing with an out-of-state company. Read More
Our favorite Maine humorist, Tim Sample, often says of his fictional nephew that “not only don’t he know nuthin’, he don’t even suspect nuthin’.” Every now and again, COMBAT runs across a company whose business practices are so goofy that we have to wonder how they can even… Read More
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… Read More
If you hang around long enough, you learn stuff. Over the past 32 years, COMBAT has handled thousands and thousands of consumer inquiries – at last count more than 300,000 – giving us a unique perspective on what often happens to consumers when they feel wronged and seek… Read More
Portland homemaker Janice Thayer contacted COMBAT when pricey kitchen utensils she had ordered from a California company four months earlier had not yet arrived. Luckily, Janice did everything right, and her experience demonstrates perfectly how to deal with long-distance ordering problems. Janice had ordered a… Read More
No pun intended, but keep an eye out for the following products recalled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. . Eyelash curlers manufactured in China and imported by the W.E. Bassett Co. of Shelton, Conn., have plastic handles that could detach and cause consumers… Read More
Ralph Palmer of Boothbay writes, “I think you people at COMBAT should warn your readers about phony online employment services offering leads to federal jobs. I went to one such Web site and when I submitted my e-mail address to be notified about job openings, I was given… Read More
Last week we described how local consumers have been receiving questionable bills from a Dallas company with New Hampshire connections. The bills claim that customers called a Web site in the United Kingdom, but customers claim they have never visited such a site, did not… Read More
For modern-day Alices gazing through their computer monitor “looking glasses,” things are indeed becoming “curiouser and curiouser.” And one of the most peculiar items to pop up on the Internet Wonderland recently is an outfit calling itself National One Telecom Inc., with offices in Dallas, and what appears… Read More
With money so tight, you can help your budget by remembering what mom said: “A penny saved is a penny earned.” Here’s a little primer about home lighting and whether those newfangled, high-tech bulbs really conserve energy and save money. By law, packaging must include… Read More
With increasing regularity, Maine businesses are turning to COMBAT when they find themselves as consumers. Such was the experience of John Q. Merchant of Coastal Flower Boutique (names changed by request) when his Hancock County flower shop placed an order for $6,070 in supplies with… Read More
Valdine Atwood of Machias just has to be the luckiest woman Down East, if not in the world. “Enclosed please find copies of lottery scams that I received over my e-mail address,” she writes Forum. “I thought you might be interested and want to share the information with… Read More
According to state and federal sources, online fraud costs Americans at least $50 billion a year and that figure is expected to triple within five years as increasing numbers of homes and offices turn to the Internet for shopping and ordering. Yes, despite aggressive attempts… Read More
Twenty-six years ago this week, Consumer Forum first appeared on the pages of the Bangor Daily News, beginning what is now recognized as the oldest continuing consumer “help line” in the United States. In celebration, we will indulge ourselves by answering questions readers have asked about Forum and… Read More
Roger Carter, formerly of Machias, who moved to California in 1997, came home to visit his aging mother, Annie, who had been living alone since her husband’s death in 1995. What he found was a horrific sight. Every room of her house was cluttered with… Read More
Gas prices have exploded during the busiest travel season and we are all trying to find ways to cope. Sadly, when times get desperate for consumers and we are most vulnerable, the vultures often start circling. COMBAT has seen a predictable increase in the number… Read More
Belinda Kaye of Dexter had been writing poetry since high school but never tried to be published until she encountered a contest in a poetry magazine. The contest offered: “Send us your best poem today. You could win up to $500 and see your work published in our… Read More
Now that it’s time to get the old mower out, or shop for a new one, remember that hospital emergency rooms are flooded each summer by victims of walk-behind power mower injuries ranging from lacerations to finger and toe amputations. Beginners and professional lawn jockeys are equally at… Read More
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… Read More
Rodney Palmer of New Gloucester is a deeply religious man who learned the hard way that not everyone draped in the trappings of faith can be trusted. His epiphany began at a Christian convention in Chula Vista, Calif., where his attention was drawn to a booth operated by… Read More
Jim and Catherine Gray pulled a real “Green Acres” a few years ago, moving from their place in Cape Elizabeth to an old farmstead in Hollis. They had a farmhouse, shed, barn, dug well and lots of land. But something was missing; they had no animals. The Grays… Read More
George Worcester of Cumberland writes, “Is there anything you can do about advertisers that claim their product is the ‘best this’ or the ‘fastest that’ with no proof that their claims are true? These hokey ads drive me nuts.” Well, George, we feel your pain. Read More
Months before the black flies, the work-at-home pests are at it again. Gladys Thompson of Farmington writes Forum, “I am a stay-at-home mom who needs extra money for the family. I am usually suspicious about e-mail, but this one sounds interesting. Do you know anything about a business… Read More
E-commerce and its scams put consumer groups on high alert If you pay attention to trends and statistics, recent reports describing emerging patterns of e-commerce (shopping online) will make your hair stand on end. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
Perhaps you can’t “take it with you,” but you can be certain that if you leave anything behind, someone will be after it – and survivors must protect themselves. The disgusting practice of preying upon shattered and grieving Maine families has become more of a problem every year… Read More
Jim and Julie Graham of Boothbay Harbor had been visiting family in San Diego, Calif., and were almost free of town when they stopped at a minimall for a Chinese lunch. Upon leaving the restaurant, their daughter Jill, age 7, spotted a “Pet Arcade” sign,… Read More
Brad Whitney of Caribou fairly swooned when his eBay bid of $79 outdistanced all others for a Star Trek die cast model of the Klingon K’Vort Class Bird of Prey. Imagine his disappointment when UPS delivered instead a Romulan V-8 Bird of Prey Class cruiser. Read More
Product safety concerns know no season, as evidenced by two recent recalls announced through the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Before you use your snowblower again or pack it away for the warmer seasons, check to see if you have an Ariens 13-Horsepower Sno-Throw, Model 924506. Read More
Editor’s Note: Following is a continuation of the story of Pauline Cameron (last name changed), who struggled to get a refund for $2,598 worth of faulty audio mixing equipment she had purchased. When we adjourned last week, Pauline Cameron was in Camden waiting for a… Read More
A common misconception about Northeast COMBAT is that the people we help are likely to be poor, defenseless creatures with limited coping skills who can’t help themselves. Nothing could be further from the truth. Indeed, many of our clients include the defenseless, such as elderly… Read More
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has named the four most-wanted items that still pose a risk to families and children. These products need to be tracked down and eliminated or fixed. . Cedar Chests. The Lane Co. is voluntarily replacing lid locks on chests manufactured… Read More
COMBAT member Beverly Fellows of Augusta contacted us when she received a notification in the mail from an “estate locator” saying she was the named beneficiary of an unclaimed family inheritance. Since Fellows was an only child of parents who were themselves only children, she… Read More
With spring school vacation coming up, many students and families are planning the ritual spring trip. But if you’ve chosen a special tour package, be sure you take the following steps to avoid disappointment. Before you arrive at the airport with your boogie board, passport… Read More
Vacation scams are the beasts that just won’t leave our dooryard. Each year, COMBAT receives dozens of inquiries asking whether offers are legitimate. Luckily, we are able to warn many people away from these slippery promotions before they lose cash. Unfortunately, people still fall for… Read More
Kathy Thibault of Cape Elizabeth learned the hard way that it pays to be cautious when donating to a charity. She contacted COMBAT after being solicited by two “sweet young girls” who claimed to represent the “Fund for Special Children” and had a nice brochure to “prove” it. Read More
Consumers often contact COMBAT without expecting action, but just to “air their beef” or warn others. That was Skowhegan resident Gladys Stillman’s intent when she wrote us about her dissatisfaction with a product she had ordered in response to an “As Seen on TV” advertisement. Read More
Phyllis Johnson of Belfast contacted COMBAT after BuyWell Shoppers of California had not delivered catalog merchandise four months after she had placed her order. Johnson’s experience is a perfect example of the right way to handle mail-order problems and how state and federal law provides protections for the… Read More
Our first snow of the season came and went at about the same speed. But though the drifts have mostly melted away, winter started Sunday and soon the sleds, snowboards, snow tubes and disks will be coming out of the garage or down the chimney in Santa’s bag. Read More
In the final, frenzied shopping days before Christmas, impulse buying often prompts us to follow our hearts rather than our heads. When shopping for adults, this just means your pocketbook will empty faster. When buying for children, however, safety is the primary concern. Each year, thousands of children… Read More
While our attention has been drawn to casino and racino issues, we wager that most Forum readers haven’t given much thought to the casino in their living room or den. Online gambling is big business, and a big risk for unwary consumers because it is fraught with risk… Read More
Credit organizations are constantly trying to convince consumers to borrow money against equity they have accumulated on their homes. Consumers, especially those experiencing financial difficulty, sometimes seize on these offers as a quick fix to their credit problems. Then, often after signing an agreement, they slap their head… Read More
In an effort to create a safer environment for pint-sized consumers during the approaching holiday season, COMBAT brings the following Consumer Product Safety Commission recalls to our readers’ attention. . Fisher-Price’s Lightning PAC Scooters and MX3 Mini Bikes. The motor control circuits can malfunction, causing… Read More
Bank and credit department mistakes can become tedious ordeals for even the most loyal, experienced and responsible customers. Letters demanding payment and phone calls from collection agencies require a lot of patience, especially when you know you’ve done nothing wrong. Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Wing… Read More
The Federal Trade Commission has identified the 12 scams most likely to arrive by e-mail. Watch for them and delete them. 1. Business opportunities that make it sound easy to make money without much work or cash outlay and without selling, meetings, or personal contact. Read More
Longtime COMBAT member Geneva Pierce of Rockland recently learned the hard way that even charities can sometimes forget their responsibilities or be a bit stuffy when dealing with customers. Geneva had purchased a historical video from a Maine charitable foundation that was raising money for… Read More
Another tricky commercial promising a too-good-to-pass-up offer recently caught a local shopper unaware. Television ads can be pretty enticing with images of gorgeous models, handy kitchen tools, and money-back guarantees. Some ads make outrageous claims (“marked down from $400 to $9.95 for this TV offer,… Read More
When John H. of Patten sent a $102.90 money order to GeroVita International in California, all went well and he received his vitamin products promptly as ordered. But when he discovered he was not completely satisfied with the product, John returned the merchandise for a full refund as… Read More
Not every case at COMBAT involves fly-by-night outfits. We are frequently called upon to stand toe-to-toe with big, well-established, respected companies. In fact, sometimes it is easier to communicate with larger companies that take customer satisfaction seriously and have highly specialized representatives to resolve consumer complaints and inquiries. Read More
The national do-not-call list seems to have put the fear of God into at least a few telemarketers (but apparently not enough to keep them from going to court in an attempt to block the registry). Because they are as durable as cockroaches, many hucksters have shifted from… Read More
Although some companies promise 100 percent satisfaction, sometimes the only thing they truly guarantee is frustration. That was the case for Phyllis Worster of Bangor when she attempted to purchase tomato plants for her garden from Gardeners’ Choice, a mail-order company based in Hartford, Mich. A regular customer… Read More
Much like individuals and families, increasing numbers of merchants, professionals, and nonprofit groups are contacting COMBAT – Maine Center for the Public Interest when they feel they have been victimized or encounter disputes they cannot resolve. It does our heart good to help a fellow charitable group because… Read More
No matter how many laws are passed and no matter how hard government agencies work to keep up with fraud, the evil-doers continue to devise increasingly numerous and even more sophisticated ways to rob us. With more and more people turning to the Internet, predators follow. And as… Read More
Most people avoid telemarketers, but now and again an offer sounds so good that even a wary consumer falls for it and winds up sucker bait. We repeat (for the umpteenth time), please take precautions when being solicited by telephone, especially when you are unfamiliar with the company. Read More
Even legitimate, well-known companies will throw customers for a loop on occasion when they refuse to issue refunds, honor warranties, or simply have rude or unresponsive customer service. Such companies can run, but they cannot hide, from tenacious COMBAT volunteers who ring the truth about law and consumer… Read More
Betty and Frank Chase of Calais got in a fix when shopping for a portable air conditioner in Saint John, New Brunswick. Their U.S. dollar was worth more than Canadian currency, and by shopping the sales, they saved more than $100 over the best price they could find… Read More
Not every file in Northeast COMBAT’s archive requires active participation by our mediation volunteers to help out a wronged consumer. Sometimes people simply want to know how to go about soliciting a contractor, renting an apartment or making a purchase. In these cases, we provide… Read More
Miriam Baker and Lisa Price of Tenants Harbor were two women out for a good time. Both recently retired and decided it was time to fulfill a lifelong dream – to party down at the Mardi Gras in New Orleans. So on one bright day they loaded up… Read More
Miriam Baker and Lisa Price of Tenants Harbor were two women out for a good time. Both recently retired and decided it was time to fulfill a lifelong dream – to party down at the Mardi Gras in New Orleans. So on one bright day they loaded up… Read More
A couple from Millinocket got the runaround from a furniture store when they challenged the business’s return policy. It all began innocently enough when Mr. and Ms. G. decided they would like to conceal their television when it was not in use and felt that a corner armoire… Read More
Ab Energizer of California gave our COMBAT mediation volunteer a workout when she worked on behalf of Maine consumer, Ms. P of Kenduskeag. After seeing an ad that promised sleeker, toned abs like those sported by the svelte models on TV, Ms. P’s saga began. Read More
If your child is obsessed with “sliming” people with stuff like Silly String or the green goop that delights kids on “Nickelodeon,” take note. JAKKS Pacific Inc. of Malibu, Calif., is recalling 1.3 million cans of “Spit Smatter” spray foam. The aerosol cans can forcefully break apart, posing… Read More
When we last left Leighton Prescott, a Mainer who had moved away for work, he was gleefully counting his $1,600 reimbursement for a transmission job performed by a Massachusetts dealership that had failed to alert him to a recall. A Maine dealer (where he had… Read More
Leighton Prescott of Fall River, Mass., formerly of Fairfield, wished he had stayed in Maine. But he had been laid off and, not finding a job locally, was forced to seek work out of state. A widower with three children, he had a challenging road ahead, but the… Read More
Sometimes the things we take for granted can pose the greatest risk. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, about 400,000 people are treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries from lawn and garden tools every year. Most accidents are caused by the operator being inattentive or… Read More
Leighton Mishou of Bangor writes: “I am enclosing a pair of spam examples to use in your current effort to fight back against or eliminate e-mail spam. As you know, many of these spammers have a link by which one is supposed to ‘unsubscribe’ from… Read More
We quite regularly receive letters from consumers who don’t really want help, but just have a “beef” they want to get off their chest. John S. of Bangor, for example, writes: “Whatever happened to ‘fast’ food? Lately it sometimes takes as much time waiting at… Read More
COMBAT member Cathy White of Rockland had purchased her first house and much to her joy, owned her first fireplace, complete with a lovely granite mantel. But something was missing. Thinking back to her childhood, she remembered how grandmother and grandfather had a chiming clock… Read More
Cindy T. of Millinocket gets our wise consumer of the month award thanks to her excellent handling of a consumer dispute. Cindy loves to bake, and when she found an ad in a cooking magazine for a set of professional cookie molds and decorating utensils… Read More
In August 2002, Jim R. of Calais was trying to squeeze another year out of his old riding lawn mower when it started making sounds like a small plane going down. It sputtered, started to move in halting jerks, the engine raced, there was a loud BANG, then… Read More
Some tales do not have happy endings, but – in the telling -help others to avoid falling victim. This is such a story from the COMBAT files. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false;… Read More
With identity theft and telemarketing at epidemic proportions, federal, state and private agencies have been working hard to inform the public of the risk, identify offenders, take action and provide relief. If you don’t know already, here’s what identity theft is: Someone can steal your… Read More
Jim Chamberson of Augusta was one of several merchants who contacted COMBAT last week after Maine corporate mailboxes were peppered with “window” envelopes that appeared to contain a check. The letters, from “Yellow-Page.net” of Mesa, Ariz., contain a First State Bank check for $3.17 made out to the… Read More
After the past weekend’s weather, you don’t need a reminder to keep your snow thrower handy, but if you own a Toro model, check it out before using it again. The Toro Co. is recalling 3,400 Toro Snow Commander snow throwers because the plastic fuel tank can crack… Read More
George Tinkman (not his real name) of Belfast writes, “I just divorced my spendthrift Harpy of a wife who accumulated a stack of credit card debt, insisted on managing our bills, and never paid on time. Now my credit is shot. Is there anything I can do?”… Read More
Recently divorced Washington County consumer Jean Thomas (not her real name) was trying to make a new life for herself and her children. Short on cash and furniture, she responded to a furniture store’s offer of “no payments for six months” and “low finance charges” with a purchase… Read More
This is a story about guys and the women who struggle to make them look presentable. Phoebe Carter (not her real name) of Dover-Foxcroft became tired of going out to eat with her boyfriend, Sam, looking like someone’s poor uncle. So for Christmas 2001, she bought him a… Read More
In a recent letter to Forum, Gladys White of Belfast alerts us to a scam that has hit the mid-Atlantic states and is trying to creep north toward us. “I received an e-mail from a cousin in North Carolina,” she writes, “asking me if I… Read More
Betty M. of Glenburn is a dedicated insomniac with cable TV. She also is fond of snacking on crunchy, salty things and sipping sweet, fizzy drinks while she stays up all night watching infomercials. Get the picture? Well, so did Ms. M. after a while. But by the… Read More
Until now, the only hazard we might have associated with our television would be watching too many shows about police, lawyers or people who go to the jungle and eat bugs to win prizes. But now Zenith Electronics is recalling 80,000 large-screen analog projection televisions. Read More
In difficult or uncertain economic times, decision-makers often spend time looking for “big fix” answers when, in fact, a series of lesser steps might bring more immediate relief. One such small but important step toward solvency is minimizing your company’s exposure to a lawsuit, and… Read More
The Danvers (Mass.) Police Department recently alerted Forum that scam artists from the Boston area are targeting small businesses around New England. The callers are claiming to have an overstock of computers for sale at bargain prices. The scam has been around for years, but seems to have… Read More
February is one of our coldest months, so we probably can expect more subzero days before winter releases its grip. Area residents may have to contend with frozen water pipes and gelled heating oil in their tanks. Unfortunately, many people use propane torches or improperly use electric heat… Read More