American Corporation SCAM Report Thread: Report Your SCAMS Here >>

[The Cleaner]

I am trying something new today. If this catches on, I'll continue writing on this topic regularly.

I'm sick of being ripped off by American companies. I feel that the power of the people can (and does) force greedy companies to STOP their heinous practices of ripping off the public. In that vain, I believe we should have as many outlets as possible to discuss and confront such issues.

Did you know that when you purchase a new printer now, many (if not most) companies only fill the ink cartridges 1/2 full so that two months later, you'd have to go back to the store and spend nearly $50 for THEIR ink cartridges? Did you know that sometimes a company will put a product (such as a printer) on a trememdous rebate, KNOWING that $120 printer is DEFECTIVE?

How about cell phone bills? Why, when you're paying a high flat fee to begin with, do you have to pay extra for minutes used, and for text messaging, etc.? It never used to be that way...

Why does EBAY allow scammers to prosper, even when you PROVE to them that the seller is a scammer? Why has the quality of our products become so poor? Why are Dell's laptop batteries catching on FIRE?

Please chime in with your SCAMS and let's keep American companies accountable. And if your scam is particularly heinous, consider going over to http://www.ripoffreport.com and writing a ripoff report.

[NJCher]

1. here's one on Broadway shows

You call up and order tickets for an evening show, like on a Saturday night. In this case it was two adults and two children. Cost was something like $990.

Go to the show and...no admission. Oh no sir, the ticket agent says, your tickets are for a matinee this last Tuesday. YOU SCREWED UP ON THE TIME! Didn't you read the fine print on your tickets? Shoulda' been here.

They don't let you in for the Saturday night performance.

OK, so you go to the credit card company and refuse to pay. Credit card company sides with the Broadway show people.




Cher

[NYCGirl]

7. Try TDF. A friend has a membership and we go to Broadway shows all the

time — for prices as low as $25 for current shows!

http://www.tdf.org/index_default.html

[alarimer]

2. I did not know that about printer ink

My printer (an HP) will not work with refilled cartridges. I MUST buy the HP version for twice the price instead of the refilled catridges.

[90-percent]

3. printer ink

yeah, that is one of the most magnificent examples of proprietary non-standardization that exists in the modern world.

Along with non-standard watch and hearing aid and camera batteries and lots of other stuf I can't think of right now.

Good old Edwards Deming the quality control guru was aghast at non-standardization and he clearly pointed out the benefits to everyone, including the producers, of standardization.

HP makes more money on their bullshit ink refills than on almost anything else they make, I've heard!

-85% Jimmy

[alarimer]

8. I have spent more on ink than on any printer

Of course the one I have now was included in the package when I bought my computer.

[The Cleaner]

4. I could tell you STORIES about my piece of crap BROTHER printer.

MFC 3220, SUCKS BUTT! The copy quality is poor, all cartridges "conveniently" go out at once forcing you to have to buy all colors plus black (and it's programmed not to allow you to do ANYTHING until you change 'em), and I had a HELL of a time calling Brother because the damn thing was sold to me DEFECTIVE, KNOWINGLY. After YELLING my ass off at the service reps who blocked me from management, I finally was called and told they have some kind of warranty exchange program (they never let the public know about this). The second printer sucks just as bad.

I heard printers are now a major ripoff. I have an old HP Deskjet 722C that has always been wonderful. Bought it in 1996. Ink never seems to run out, and print quality is pretty good. I can't use it now because it's not MAC compatible. Grrrrrr.

[cpamomfromtexas]

5. another issue with ebay

ebay allows companies, for example one of the big abusers is "creative memories" to enroll in their vero program.

Now Creative Memories thinks they have a trademark on any combination of those two words in any sellers title or ad for that matter.

If you have a title for example: "Creative Artists Pencils for recording your Memories"
Then Creative Memories will file under the protection of ebay's VERO program and have that auction kicked off and a strike against the seller.

Anyone that has ever read anything about trademark law, knows damn good and well that Creative Memories doesn't own the trademark to these two individual words. They only own the trademark on the Combined words that they TRADEMARKED.

Ebay hides behind this VERO program and is very hands off with these abusers because they don't want to take a stand against them.

It's a classic David and Goliath story. If ebay were to honor their sellers, they would have a complaint program against they vero abusers.

Ebay called me last week and asked if I sold on any other auction sites, I told them when google is up and competing witht them -I'm GONE!

[NYCGirl]

6. I buy my ink cartridges online from these companies for a fraction of what

they cost in stores. Search the sites for your printer model. (My Epson cartridges cost $25–$35 each at Staples, etc., but I can get them for less than $6 each here):

www.meritline.com

www.supermediastore.com

www.shop4tech.com

These are not refilled cartridges, in many cases they are "compatible" ones. And they're great.