Gateway Computers Sent items not ordered. Refused to take illegal charges off credit card "because it is Gateway policy". Irvine California

I ordered a computer from Gateway by using their website. The first thing to arrive was a 6 outlet surge protector which I had not ordered. I telephoned Gateway "customer service" and they agreed that someone at Gateway had signed me up for one of their high profit "protection" packages without authorization. Gateway promised to send me a pre-paid return label for the surge protector. That part turned out well. I received the shipping label and returned the surge protector.

The bad part is that the customer service department refused to remove the charges for the surge protector from my credit card because, "it is Gateway Policy to charge for every item shipped". When I insisted that I would not be paying for the $35 surge protector, I did not want it accumulating interest charges on my credit card account, and I informed the Gateway customer service person that charging people for things they did not order was unlawful, she became very nasty. She sent me several e-mails repeating that Gateway would not take the charges off my credit card and explaining "Gateway policy" as if speaking to a person who is mentally impaired, without ever acknowledging that their policy is illegal. I replied to each e-mail and ended each one by telling her not to send any more e-mails, several times. I eventually threatened legal action if she did not quit sending me e-mails, and she sent another e-mail! I deleted that e-mail address from my server.

I cancelled the order for the $1800 computer and printed copies of their acknowledgement of the cancellation. I phoned the credit card company to warn them not to allow any further charges from Gateway.

Three days later, Gateway shipped the computer and charged my credit card. The idiot at the credit card company said it was impossible for the charges to be fraudulent because Gateway had my credit card number. I cancelled the credit card.

I can't be sure about why Gateway shipped the computer three days after they acknowledged the cancellation. Their internal communication works a lot faster than that after they acknowledge an order. Maybe just a nasty follow up from a nasty customer service person. Fortunately, I was at home and able to refuse delivery when the UPS trucks arrived.

This fiasco might not technically qualify as a "ripoff" because I was able to stop Gateway from collecting. (Does a ripoff attempt need to be successful in order for the situation to be a ripoff?) I didn't lose any cash money, but I lost a credit card and an e-mail address. The point is; they tried, they tried more than once, and they can try it on other people. Some times they will get lucky and try it on someone who doesn't know how to stop them.

Wilson
Largo, Florida
U.S.A.