Connect America Medical Alert Refused refund for return of unused equipment and never-activated services. Policies not explained. Service area misrepresented. Over $200 for nothing except shipment to me. I offered to deduct their shipping charge. Broomall Pennsylvania

I got a call today from Connect America Medical Alert Company asking how I was doing with their equipment that I ordered last November. I told them it was still in the box it was shipped in. I had assumed that since it had never been unpacked and activated, no charges had been incurred.

Wrong. They've charged me $89.85 a quarter (Nov-Dec-Jan, Fed-Mar-Apr, May-Jun-Jul), $269.59. I said I'd like to return the equipment for a refund, as I did not feel confident in my ability to set it up. They said that if I returned it before July 1, they would refund the fee for July (one month). I requested and was denied a full refund.

It was then that I learned that this was only  "leased" equipment; I thought I had purchased it (just as I purchased my cell phone; they both use communication towers). It wasn't even mine. I would not have done business if I had known this.

Continuing the conversation, I learned that "my" machine only worked within 600 feet of the house. I had talked with my salesman about taking it to California with me. What a joke. Not funny. It wouldn't even save my life at Safeway, 2 miles up the road.

So, my complaint is:

1) I was given misinformation and was not given information that I should have had.

2) I want the money back that I have spent to have a box of equipment on a table in my den that was never connected to any service and for which I do not believe I should be charged.

3) Their records would have shown that the equipment was not activated, yet it took them 8 months (while they raked in income for nothing) to check this out. The only reason I got a check-up call at all was to market an additional piece of equipment.

4) They told me flat out that "This (people not activating their equipment) happens all the time...and then they want their money back." Well, if it "happens all the time," somebody's not giving them the information they should be getting to have an honest transaction occur.

Why was I not aware of the charge? It was coming quarterly from a little-used account, the declining balance of which could be accounted for by a new premium for convalescent care insurance, and which would not overdraft. I pay better attention now.