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07/12/2005 12:48:39 PM · #1 |
I recently cancelled my domain hosting due to unresolvable issues (a long story) and as such they needed to refund me a total of 359.00. I received an email on July 1 stating I had been issued the refund.
Waiting patiently for the check, today I call and ask when I can expect it.
"We credited your American Express Card the full amount."
"That's funny, I don't have an American Express card."
"Well, that is where your money was refunded to."
"How can you refund money to a credit card that doesn't exist?"
"Sir, all I can tell you is that we credited your American Express card."
"Is there someone above you I can spek with please?"
"Yes, please dial this number (non 800 number) and ask to speak with so and so."
So I call and end up this morning on hold for about 45 minutes before this guy gets on the phone and tells me I have to speak with this other person and gave me his number which I promptly call and again wait on hold for about 25 minutes (another non 800 #)
"Hello this is Sterling ________, may I help you?"
"Yes, I cancelled my account with your company and was waiting for my refund-"
"Refund, you must call this number sir." Another non 800 number.
Finally after three hours on the phone I talk to someone who can help me , or so I thought. I go through the whole story again and when I am done this person tells me if I want my refund I have to fill out a W-9 and some other form and tells me where to get them and where to send them.
Thinking there has to be a better way I call American Express. Here I am on hold for another 20 minutes at least before I talk to someone. I explain what happened and the guy takes my name, who made the refund, when, etc. and how much and puts me on hold. After about 15 minutes he gets back on the line and says he found the refund and asks me all kinds of questions I can't answer except the account from Hostcentric the refund was made for and My name.
Turns out Hostcentric had two people with the exact same name (right down to the middle name) which is my name and they refunded my money to this other guys American Express account. So American Express tells me there is nothing I can do except contact this other person and request my money from them. BUT - they won't give me contact information. So this guy gets my 359.00 for nothing and I get a headache.
So now I go back and get the forms they asked for, fax them to them with a note asking them to call when they receive. About 20 minutes later I get a call and they promptly tell me that unless I cancel the refund on my American Express that they made they cannot issue me a check. I explain to them again that I don't have an American Express and repeat what American Express told me about the two names, etc. etc.
Their response: You will have to contact this other CEJ then and ask him to return the money before we refund you your money. And agian they won't give me contact information.
I guess I am out 359.00. Is this legal for them to do? Knowing they made a mistake and taking no action to rectify it? Needless to say I left my morning office in a very bad mood and don't expect to have much fun at my afternoon office today as my secretary just quit - her husband doesn't want her to work anymore - and she is making everyone miserable since she is. Yesterday her husband came into the office and for the first time in all my years as a boss, I had to call the police to have him removed.
So, how is your day going?
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07/12/2005 12:52:11 PM · #2 |
Well, I won't be doing business with Hostcentric...but yes, there is a way to get this resolved. Send an email, send several!
Do not let this money slide away...that's a lens for goodness sake!
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Message edited by author 2005-07-12 12:52:35.
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07/12/2005 12:52:55 PM · #3 |
Oh dear!
Joke for you
Two parrots are sitting on a perch and one says to the other
"can you smell something fishy around here?"
:)))
(think about it!)
Pauline |
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07/12/2005 01:15:12 PM · #4 |
Hostcentric crediting someone else has NOTHING to do with you. They still owe you your money, end of story. Get on the phone until you get it back. If they made a stupid clerical error, that's their issue.
Edit: If there's no joy with them, ring up your credit card co.
Message edited by author 2005-07-12 13:16:15.
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07/12/2005 01:18:13 PM · #5 |
If you already have a lawyer, get him to call/write Hostcentric.
If you don't have one, you might think about getting one.
Sometimes just mentioning that you'll sic a lawyer on them will light the right fire under the right person's bum to get things moving...but I wouldn't threaten them with a lawyer unless you really intend to use one.
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07/12/2005 01:26:45 PM · #6 |
The blame is soley Hostcentric. Its their Problem to sort out and refund you the money. Dont let them get away with it.
They cocked-up they must sort it out.
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07/12/2005 01:28:23 PM · #7 |
Some companies respond positively to Better Business Bureau complaints - some don't. It seems that the company has had 1 complaint in the past 12 months, and they failed to respond to it.
You can file a complaint here :
//www.bbb.org/complaint.asp
How did you originally pay for the transaction? If it was originally a bank card or check card, you might try going to your bank, explaining the situation. If you have any e-mail correspondence, be sure and have that handy. They are usually pretty good about fighting for you.
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07/12/2005 01:46:55 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by thatcloudthere:
Do not let this money slide away...that's a lens for goodness sake! |
Exactly what I was planning on using it for.
Originally posted by PaulMdx:
If there's no joy with them, ring up your credit card co. |
I don't have ANY credit cards, let alone an American Express.
Originally posted by JeB:
How did you originally pay for the transaction? If it was originally a bank card or check card, you might try going to your bank, explaining the situation. If you have any e-mail correspondence, be sure and have that handy. They are usually pretty good about fighting for you. |
Paid by check - one full year hosting plus the merchant fees plus the cost of the SSL certificate I had on the site for secure transactions.
I have a friend here on town who is a lawyer, I am going to call him right after I check out that BBB site.
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07/12/2005 02:08:34 PM · #9 |
And make sure you keep your phone bill and make them pay for the long distance charges too!!
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07/12/2005 02:17:21 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by Riponlady:
Oh dear!
Joke for you
Two parrots are sitting on a perch and one says to the other
"can you smell something fishy around here?"
:)))
(think about it!)
Pauline |
a horse walks into a bar. The bar tender says "why the long face???"
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07/12/2005 02:40:02 PM · #11 |
notonline: Isn't the phrase "Of all the things i've LOST in life, I miss my mind the most" instead of "Of all the things I miss in life, I miss my mind the most. "?
:)) |
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07/12/2005 03:13:19 PM · #12 |
Originally posted by Riponlady:
Oh dear!
Joke for you
Two parrots are sitting on a perch and one says to the other
"can you smell something fishy around here?"
:)))
(think about it!)
Pauline |
Two fish in a tank. One says to the other "Do you really know how to drive this thing?"
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07/12/2005 03:16:47 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by AJAger:
Originally posted by Riponlady:
Oh dear!
Joke for you
Two parrots are sitting on a perch and one says to the other
"can you smell something fishy around here?"
:)))
(think about it!)
Pauline |
Two fish in a tank. One says to the other "Do you really know how to drive this thing?" |
Love it! ROTF! |
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07/12/2005 03:28:54 PM · #14 |
| If you have all the names and numbers immediately call the Better Business Bureau and report them. Then also call your local TV station and see if they want a human interest story. Who knows, maybe you can get them embarrassed enough that they refund you your money and then pay for the long distance calls. If worse comes to worse threaten to sue them. It's their fault and their responsibility to pay you. |
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07/12/2005 04:51:01 PM · #15 |
One more to cheer you up:
Four friends, who hadn't seen each other in 30 years, reunited at a party.
After several drinks, one of the men had to use the rest room. Those who remained talked about their kids.
The first guy said, "My son is my pride and joy. He started working at a successful company at the bottom of the barrel. He studied Economics and Business Administration and soon began to climb the corporate ladder and now he's the president of the company. He became so rich that he gave his best friend a top of the line Mercedes for his
birthday."
The second guy said, "Darn, that's terrific! My son is also my pride and joy. He started working for a big airline, then went to flight school to become a pilot . Eventually he became a partner in the company, where he owns the majority of its assets. He's so rich that he gave his best
friend a brand new jet for his birthday."
The third man said: "Well, that's terrific! My son studied in the best universities and became an engineer. Then he started his own construction company and is now a multimillionaire. He also gave away something very nice and expensive to his best friend for his birthday: a 30,000 square foot mansion."
The three friends congratulated each other just as the fourth returned from the restroom and asked: "What are all the congratulations for?"
One of the three said: "We were talking about the pride we feel for the successes of our sons. What about your son?"
The fourth man replied: "My son is gay and makes a living dancing as a stripper at a nightclub."
The three friends said: "What a shame . . . what a disappointment."
The fourth man replied: "No, I'm not ashamed. He's my son and I love him. And he hasn't done too bad either. His birthday was two weeks ago, and he received a beautiful 30,000 square foot mansion, a brand new jet and a top of the line Mercedes from his three boyfriends."
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07/12/2005 05:21:49 PM · #16 |
| ROFLMAO with tears rolling down my cheeks! |
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07/13/2005 12:43:19 PM · #17 |
Originally posted by k4ffy:
notonline: Isn't the phrase "Of all the things i've LOST in life, I miss my mind the most" instead of "Of all the things I miss in life, I miss my mind the most. "?
:)) |
Yes it is but it took until now for someone to realize it.
Where oh where can my little mind be??
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07/13/2005 01:26:41 PM · #18 |
Oh man, that sucks! Our ISP has hung up on me before. (networksolutions.com) Of course I was being VERY abusive.
I hope you get your money back.
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07/13/2005 02:02:22 PM · #19 |
Originally posted by notonline:
Originally posted by k4ffy:
notonline: Isn't the phrase "Of all the things i've LOST in life, I miss my mind the most" instead of "Of all the things I miss in life, I miss my mind the most. "?
:)) |
Yes it is but it took until now for someone to realize it.
Where oh where can my little mind be?? |
Actually, there are probably quite a few people who noticed it (I did), but if they visited your website like I did, they may have just figured that is the way you wanted it . . .(I did). :) |
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