Digital Depot Online Return Address: Bait and Switch Operator Internet

November 6, 2012
 
CHASE BANK / CLAIMS DEPARTMENT
RE:  xxxxxx  $2048.99
RE:  xxxxxxx $975.00
RE:  xxxxxx  $1189.00
 
To Whom It May Concern:

On July 18, I ordered with my Visa card a Canon EF 70 200 mm f/2.8L IS USM Mark II from Digital Depot Online.  The amount charged to my credit card was $1189.00.  I received and signed for this order at my office address, xxxxxxx Texas, on July 26 at 12:05 PM LT.  The tracking number for the lens that was shipped to my address on July 26 is UPS number xxxxxxxx.  I have included a copy of the tracking report from the UPS website.  I received the wrong item.  Digital Depot sent me a Sigma lens and not the Canon lens I ordered.  The vendor refused to acknowledge that I ordered a Canon product and claimed I had all along ordered the Sigma lens.

On September 10, as an attempt to correct the wrong order with a credit, I ordered from the same company, Digital Depot Online, with my Chase Visa card a Canon 1.4 x EF Extender III  $349.00 and a Canon EF 85mm f1.2 LII USM Auto Focus Lens $1699.00.  I was promised 5-7 shipping days.  After the 5th day I started calling to check where my order was and was told that it was coming from Japan and it should deliver soon.  After repeated phone calls with odd excuses, I understood that I would never receive this order.  On September 26, I reported this as fraud immediately to my bank since I never received my order and the vendor had possession of my money. I requested to the Chase fraud department to have the charges reversed.  All charges were reversed on September 26 and I never received either one of the items from my second order. The order was cancelled on September 26, 2012.

When in good faith I made an attempt to return the item that was wrongly sent to me, I will refer to this item as Order #1, the vendor made up a story that this is what I ordered and created a false receipt.  The false document that he claimed was a receipt was sent to my email on October 5 at 12:59 PM.  This was the first time I had ever seen or received this receipt.  This fraudulent document that Digital Depot was presenting as the receipt is not valid since it is not the correct information of what was ordered nor does it show a date where the transaction was executed. I reported this as fraud again to Chase.  The fraud department at Chase helped me work out a solution with the vendor so I could at least obtain an address to return the item I never ordered.  I was to return to the vendor the incorrect order from Order #1, Sigma lens, and I would be able to use the $1189.00 as a credit toward another item.  I followed the instructions from Chase and the vendor for returning the lens and using the credit of $1189.00 that was issued from the vendor.  I tried to use my credit to order something else and found an order that the amount was $975.00.  There was not to be any additional charges applied to my credit card nor did I give permission for the vendor to use my credit card. The vendor, without my permission, ran a third charge of $975.00 on October 15, 2012.  I immediately reported this to the fraud department.  I no longer want to do any business with this vendor nor do I want him to have access to my bank account.  The charge was reversed immediately and I was instructed by the Chase fraud department to cancel the card and that the vendor would no longer be able to run charges on the card.  I confirmed with the Chase fraud department that if I could prove that I returned the incorrect Sigma lens from Order # 1 that the charges would be reversed by Chase for Order # 1 in the amount of $1189.00.  The lens was returned to Digital Depot in Brooklyn, New York.  I used UPS to send to their address and requested a signature upon receipt.  The tracking number is xxxxxxx.  The Sigma lens that is not what I ordered was received by the vendor on 10/ 24 / 2012 at 10:51 AM LT.  The report from UPS is also included.

As soon as I learned that the vendor signed for the returned lens on September 24 at 10:51 AM from Order # 1 I contacted Chase and provided POD.  Since I provided proof that the vendor received the item that I did not order, again order # 1 the Sigma lens, the fraud department at Chase reversed the $1189.00 charge, too.

I learned yesterday from the Chase claims department that the vendor presented the Proof of Delivery for the first order as proof that I received for my second order that totaled $2048.99. Because this fraudulent document was presented to the claims department Chase wrongly took $2048.99 from my bank account.  I never received any item from the second order that was cancelled.  The second order was transacted on September 10 and the Proof of Delivery that was presented to Visa by the vendor is for a tracking number for an item that was delivered on July 26 for Order #1.  It is impossible to deliver at item on July 26 that was not even ordered until September 10. 

I am requesting that the $2048.99 is returned to my bank account and the Chase ceases and desists immediately to perpetuate the fraud that has been committed by this vendor.  
 
November 18, 2012
 
On October 15, 2012 I reported an unauthorized transaction on my business account, please see above paragraph four.  I was trying to use the credit that the vendor had given to me in the amount of $1189.00.  I found an item that was $975.00 that I wanted to use the credit toward, please see attached receipt.  It was a credit and taking any further money from my account was not authorized.  Digital Depot Online had no intention of issuing the agreed upon credit.  He kept the $1189.00 and then charged me an extra $975.00.  This was not in the spirit of the agreed upon credit.  This is taking advantage of having access to my credit card and helping yourself to money that does not belong to Digital Depot Online.  It is outright theft.   The charge was reversed by Chase, I was instructed that my card was being closed and a new card would be re-issued.  I was promised that the vendor would not have access to this money nor would they be able to put any further charges through on my card.  I checked my business account ending in xxxx this afternoon and learned that after everything I had done to report the theft on my account that the money was taken from my account and given back to this vendor.  I spoke with a representative by the name of Ann at 2:20 PM on November 18, 2012.  She explained that the vendor provided a document with my signature.  I did not make this purchase, I only in good faith tried to apply my credit. This is exactly what I reported immediately to Chase on October 15, 2012.  Exactly five minutes after I hung up from ordering the item with my credit, I saw that the vendor used my card to put through a $975.00 charge.  I cancelled immediately and reported immediately the theft using my credit card. I have never signed any document belonging to Digital Depot Online.  The only signature that this vendor has is a signature from a UPS document that I signed on July 26, 2012 at 12:05 PM LT, please see above paragraph 1.  Again, it is impossible to provide a POD dated July 26 for an item was ordered in October. I respectfully request that all of the transactions from this vendor are investigated thoroughly and that all my money is returned.  I do not have possession of any merchandise from this vendor but he has $3023.99 of my hard earned money that he has wrongfully extracted from my Chase account by creating and presenting fraudulent documents.  Both Chase and Visa have a duty to protect me, not participate, in fraudulent activity with my account.
 
December 6, 2012

Since this vendor does not have an address posted on his website it took months to obtain an address that I could send back the Sigma lens that was used as the prop in the "Bait and Switch" scheme.  As soon as I got the address, I returned the item that I never ordered.  All other orders were cancelled immeditaley and reported to the bank and credit card company. All documentation was provided to both Visa and Chase to prove that the "bait" was returned.  There should have never been a credit issued nor any complications about returning an item I never ordered.  The vendor should have immediately tried to correct the wrong item being sent to me.  But a "Bait and Switch" operator has no interest in operating fairly.  The end goal is to extract money for nothing.   To date I have only received back $2048.49 of the $4212.99 that this vendor has scammed out of me.  Even though I have been very thorough with my documentation and my reporting of the fraud to the bank and credit card company, both corporations have given this crook $2164.00 of my hard earned money.  I have nothing to show for this money.  Both corporations are guilty of not only protecting a thief, they have rewarded this nefarious scheme.   Both Chase and Visa continue to perpetuate the fraudulent activities of this vendor and ultimately have insured that this vendors end reult has been achieved, obtaining money that does not rightfully belong to him.  Money for nothing.