ABC Distributing ripoff paid an excess of two hundred dollars and had yet to receive my orders Miami Florida

In mid-March 2004, I placed orders online with ABC Distributing Inc for Easter gifts for my children. By April 1, they had not yet been received and I contacted the company to determine where my shipment was. They informed me that my order was on hold as my payment had not yet been received.

Lacresha in their customer service department, advised me to pay online with an e-payment for the shipment to be released. After noting to her that I already had a check in the mail, she stated she would note on my account to disregard the check upon receipt.

This is where my failure came in, as I should have taken it upon myself to stop payment through my bank, though I did not, in order to avoid the surcharge for doing as such.

My e-payment was immediately processed in the amount of 57.33 USD, plus a 1.50 USD fee. The sixth of April, my check was also processed in the amount of 57.33 USD. This forced an overdraft charge from my bank in the amount of 30.00 USD. My bank paid on the check, but charged me the overdrawn fee as there were not funds to cover this transaction.

I immediately contacted ABC Distributing Inc., regarding this charge and spoke with Stephen in their service department. Stephen stated that if I sent out the statement showing that my account had been debited not only the e-payment, but the check as well, and showing the overdraft fee, his supervisor, a Wilma Shepard, would be able to have the funds reversed to me.

After two weeks, I still had not yet had these funds refunded, but working for the bank, I know that it does not always happen immediately.

During this time, I still had yet to receive my packages. FedEx had initially delivered them to the wrong location and then the driver signature released them at my apartment doorstep. FedEx advised that I contact the company I ordered them from in order to have them file a claim.

I contacted ABC Distributing to inform them that the items were not yet received and they stated that it had to pass 30 business days before they could do as such.

On April 26, the overdrawn fee of thirty dollars and the check amount of 57.33 USD, which Stephen had stated they would credit to my account, was instead debited from my bank account.

I contacted ABC Distributing once again and spoke with Gregory in customer service. He asked me to once again send the documentation proving as such for him to have this situation rectified. He stated that the online print out would suffice to show this information. I also expressed to him the dismay that my orders had still not even arrived.

April 28, 2004 I called the company to verify the status of this debit situation and to see what other information I needed to gather for them to rectify and refund me the fees. I spoke with Lacresha again at this time and explained to her how I had been debited 201.99 USD, as well as the overdraft fee, and still had yet to receive my order items. She transferred me to a Ms. Alfred.

Ms. Alfred listened for about two minutes as I shared with her the history on my account and she expressed to me that any payments that arrive at their facility they process. There would be no way that any employee had stated that they would not have my check processed. I stated I understood that this was my problem as I should have cancelled the check. However, I was still out all of the funds, even not counting the 30.00 USD overdraft fee.

Ms. Alfred informed me initially that their company had no means of refunding customers for charges, however they could credit my account. I shared with her I still had not received my orders to date and had no interest in having credit in their company to purchase further items. Ms. Alfred asked that I send to her attention the documents previously sent to the other representatives. She gave me her "direct" fax line number of 305/919-1908 and I faxed the documents to her attention.

April 29, 2004 at noon I received a call from Ms. Alfred who had received my papers. She stated that their accounts receivable department did not cash my check, as it had the same check number as my e-payment check. She asked that I look at page 1 of 3 of my fax. I did as such, and read to her that the 57.33 was the paper "mailed" check and that the 58.83 was the e-check. I had also included a scan of the paper check numbered 1085 in the amount of 57.33, showing the ABC Distributing Inc. bank stamp on the back of the check.

At this time, Ms. Alfred began interrupting me and raising her voice to the point I had to pull the phone away from my ear. She informed me that the scanned copy I had sent of my check in no way proved that it was the same check noted in the print out of my bank statement and unless I were to send to her by mail the actual cancelled check, and my actual bank statements, she could do nothing further.

I informed her that this was not how customer service regulates business and that I would pursue legal actions if I had to, in order to get this dealt with. I reminded her that I had paid their company now an excess of two hundred dollars and had yet to receive my orders. At this point she then set the phone down and went away. I held for an additional thirty minutes prior to hanging up and contacting my bank to handle this matter on my behalf to get my monies back.

Tiffany
Charlotte, North Carolina
U.S.A.