Scam Company Messed with the Wrong People...

[Moosenogger]

You can read a bit of backstory into this situation here.

The gist of it is, this scam company solicited my grandmother for a new air conditioning system, and is now refusing to return her down payment of $1,500 even though we legally cancelled the contract within 3 days (This is Florida Law). The contract wasn't legal in the first place, either, since my grandmother doesn't have power of attorney over her finances - she can't legally sign a contract by herself.

So, this company doesn't have a leg to stand on. Do they care? Hell no. They make their money by scamming senior citizens and then hoping they're either too stupid to notice what's going on, or are unable to handle the legal route of getting their money back. There is literally a website dedicated to former employee and customer stories about how awful this company is, and the company already has one judgment against them in a nearby county, and has a pending lawsuit against them in another.

My mother was on the phone with these people (who hired a BITCH of a woman to handle their phones - I guess because they figure if they're rude enough, people will just quit calling) and was being jerked around like you wouldn't believe. Being told to do one thing, then when she did it, the company rep would tell her to do it again. Complete horse shit.

My sister basically blew a fuse, hit redial when my mother wasn't home, and tore the company rep a new asshole. I could literally hear the company rep screaming at my sister through the phone from across the room. REAL PROFESSIONAL COMPANY, AMIRITE? Anyway, my sister let her have it, and told her flat out, "You give us our money back, or I'm going to the media AND the courthouse to file a lawsuit."

Well, guess what? Company didn't give us our money back. SO, we went ahead and contacted the news, and they've actually called us back and said they'd help us! I swear to God, I wish I could be there when the media walks into that company building and sticks a microphone in the company rep's face. I bet she's going to shit a brick.

Oh, and if they're stupid enough to not give us our money back in full after that, we'll file our lawsuit.

Bitches don't know what they got themselves into.

[blas]

Scammers are slime, but the ones who specifically target the elderly and especially the elderly who are alone often or on very limited incomes as is.........they are their own brand of gutter shit and slime.

I swear, if my grandmother ever falls victim to one of those phone or service scams, anyone involved, their ears will be worn on a necklace around my neck.

[Moosenogger]

I agree 100% that they're slime. I told my mother that they probably haven't given the money back because they (most likely) already spent it. Scam companies don't make a bunch of money, so they hold on to what they do make with an iron fist.

We'll get our money back, one way or the other.

[protege]

Bitches don't know what they got themselves into.

I hear ya. My family, especially my dad and I, were always very protective of my grandmother. She was of the type that took care of everyone--even strangers. Most who met her instantly loved her. Throw in that my grandfather knew everyone because he owned a feed store and was into politics...meant that there were plenty of people willing to help her out.

She was lucky, since nobody tried to take advantage of her. That's not to say that a certain now-gone satellite TV firm didn't try. That didn't last long. Seems they were ripping people off, and got nailed in a huge class-action suit. Bastards.

Before that, she was in a serious auto accident. Some asshole rammed her car, pushing it into the path of a semi coming the other way After a year of intense physical therapy, she came home. Not long after that, we (I was living there while in college), started getting some strange phone calls. Nobody would be on the line, but I could hear someone breathing

After some calls were made, including one to a judge (a family friend), we got the line traced. Anyone want to guess who it was? Seems the bastard who put her in the hospital...was trying to intimidate her, into not suing his ass! He got hit with harassment charges and a cease-and-desist order. Good thing that the guy's address wasn't released to us. I know of *several* family members (myself included) who would have gone over there with bats...and taken care of business.

Messing with my family, is a sure-fire way to get your ass into trouble. We can handle what you do to *us,* but if you fuck with Grandma...we'll hurt you in one way or another.

[LillFilly]

Gods, that was happening to my boyfriend's grandfather; except it was a single mother in a 3rd world country needing $. He sent her $700 before his kids found-out; they're working on getting power of attorney because he's still trying to help her!

Glad that company will be on the ropes now and that your grandma has you and your family looking out for her!

[Antisocial_Worker]

Please keep us updated on how this all plays out!

[Moosenogger]

Please keep us updated on how this all plays out!

Sure thing!

Oh, and would you (or anyone reading this) happen to know of a way I could record the news report if it makes it on the nightly news? I'd love to upload it to Youtube so everyone could hear about this scammy company.

[XCashier]

Oh, and would you (or anyone reading this) happen to know of a way I could record the news report if it makes it on the nightly news? I'd love to upload it to Youtube so everyone could hear about this scammy company.

I like that idea. Plaster their ugly mugs on YouTube so they're recognized across the world. If they don't end up in jail, they'll be lucky to get jobs digging ditches after the scandal breaks.

I agree with Blas: scammers, especially ones that target the vulnerable elderly, are shit slime and deserve to get their asses kicked.

[Kazim]

Simply ask the crew if ther're willing to send you a copy (or post it on youtube themself) :P

[ThirdGenRetail]

If you have a VCR, you can also record it onto a tape, and then transfer the tape data to your computer(My mother actually did this with the Timeless Tales VHSs that my grandmother got me when I was little, so my nephews could enjoy them in the car). Or, if you have a DVR attached to your TV, record it onto a DVD...

[Sapphire Silk]

I do have a question . . .

If grandma doesn't have POA over her finances, how did the company get $1500 from her? Did she write them a check?

If so, she should not have a checkbook or this will happen again.

My brother and I had to take over our mother's finances this Fall. It was hard. Mom was writing checks all over the place. When I was at Mom's over the holidays, the phone was ringing off the hook with solicitations the whole time I was there.

When I identified myself as Mom's guardian and said no more donations would be made, some of them would say, "OK I'll call back later," and hang up before I could say "Do not call back."

So I simply identified myself as my Mother the next time they called Legally, it's the truth; I'm the guardian of her person and property.

Point is, these fuckers are persistent. They won't stop trying to get Moosenogger's grandma's money until she no longer has any money to give.

[Moosenogger]

I do have a question . . .

If grandma doesn't have POA over her finances, how did the company get $1500 from her? Did she write them a check?

If so, she should not have a checkbook or this will happen again.

She stupidly gave them her VISA credit card number, and the $1,500 was charged to it. My mother already contacted VISA about it, but no money has been credited back. We cancelled the card so the jerks couldn't charge anything else to it, but I can tell it's going to be hard to get our money back.

[bainsidhe]

If you have POA, then contact VISA yourself and file a chargeback. Make sure you have documentation of everything you possibly can, including correspondence regarding cancellations and the state law. There should be some form of elder care services in your area, they might be able to provide additional pointers. Thing is, having her pay by charge card may actually work in your favor to get the funds back, but you have to have plenty of documentation to prove your case. And of course, you'll need to take away her access to any financial instruments from now on.

Good luck, this is a miserable situation.

[Teskeria]

Contact Visa and file a billing dispute (you dont need the POA to file a dispute, but ask them where your mother< you said she has the POA?> needs to send a notorized copy of the POA (I work for a diff cc company btw). With that POA on file, Visa can actually work with your mother for most things. That makes a big difference in a situation like this. Since the order was cancelled within the time period, Visa should get her money back to her card (notice I say should, I don't know how good Visa is about disputes).

[MoonCat]

Gods, that was happening to my boyfriend's grandfather; except it was a single mother in a 3rd world country needing $. He sent her $700 before his kids found-out; they're working on getting power of attorney because he's still trying to help her!

Glad that company will be on the ropes now and that your grandma has you and your family looking out for her!

Whoever is taking grandpa's money is most likely not a single mother who fell on hard times. Just another lying scammer.