Some of you may have ordered sails within the past year from a Florida company calling itself "Sails4Free." Briefly, the company offers free sails with advertising printed on them in exchange for a $30 shipping and handling fee. (There is an article on Sails4Free in the February, 2001, issue of "Soundings.")
I am planning to contact the Florida Attorney General's office to complain about Sails4Free's failure to send me a sail after charging my credit card $30 for shipping and handling. (Sails4Free failed to respond to my follow up requests to either send the sail or send a refund.)
I am sure that the Florida Attorney General would pursue the matter more vigorously if there is a pattern of fraud, rather than a single instance of it, so I am asking others who have had similar problems with Sails4Free to contact me at the above e-mail address with the details of their experiences with the company.
Coogan@usm.maine.edu
Sails4Free consumer fraud?
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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Don Carr
Re: Sails4Free consumer fraud?
Bill;
As a frequent 'internet' shopper, I always order COD. Dealing with these folks set off some alarm bells. First, they said they would ship COD but then turned around and were very anxious to get my credit card number. Second I have learned the true cost of 'free' in my lifespan here. Third go through your card company, they will assist you in getting the charge stricken. Fourth because the transaction is interstate, it may be handled by mail fraud laws.
carrd48@netzero.net
As a frequent 'internet' shopper, I always order COD. Dealing with these folks set off some alarm bells. First, they said they would ship COD but then turned around and were very anxious to get my credit card number. Second I have learned the true cost of 'free' in my lifespan here. Third go through your card company, they will assist you in getting the charge stricken. Fourth because the transaction is interstate, it may be handled by mail fraud laws.
carrd48@netzero.net
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Tom
Re: Sails4Free consumer fraud?
The tip off should be that a company that would exibt a total lack of nautical judgement to offer to supply sails for Cape Dorys with advertising on them is totaly dispicable and unreliable to start with.Don Carr wrote: Bill;
As a frequent 'internet' shopper, I always order COD. Dealing with these folks set off some alarm bells. First, they said they would ship COD but then turned around and were very anxious to get my credit card number. Second I have learned the true cost of 'free' in my lifespan here. Third go through your card company, they will assist you in getting the charge stricken. Fourth because the transaction is interstate, it may be handled by mail fraud laws.
TShel11523@aol.com
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Ken Cave
Re: Sails4Free consumer fraud?
One of the folks on the Catalina site with a Catalina 25 ordered a sail from these folks, and actually received it. Took months to get it, and it was mediocre at best-but it was a sail!! (he never did tell us what the advertising was!)
Ken Cave
bcave@whidbey.net
Ken Cave
bcave@whidbey.net