Xpress 101 Meal exploitation in television ads Television Internet

Buy one and get one free, they said, with two payments of 19.99. And if the call is made in the next 14 minutes, a free spatula, batter shaker and recipes would be included for free. I really wanted xpress 101 cooker, knew I could afford $40, so I called.

When I called, I stupidly got on the automated order line (once you make an order mistake, there's no way to correct the mistake). It was midnight, my mind was fuzzy. Before I realized what I had done, I had ordered the cooker for 39.98, plus 14.99 for shipping, plus another 14.99 for shipping for the free cooker. Then they said I would have to pay extra shipping for the free spatula etc. Well, I was already over my head, so I agreed to add that to the order. Who knows what the total was because I decided I made a mistake and decided to cancel the order.

Well, you can't cancel on the automated line. I hung up and called the number again to speak to an actual operator. He said he couldn't help me and gave me a number to call 6 a.m. PST and recommended that I call as early as possible if I wanted to cancel.

I called in the morning and someone with a heavy Indian accent informed me that my account had not been posted yet and could not be cancelled, that it takes 24 hrs. for it to be posted. I felt that I was being given the run-around and that the company was making it difficult, if not impossible for consumers to cancel. I asked to speak to her supervisor. I was transferred to someone with a less obvious Indian accent who could not give me any more information than the first operator. I asked if I would be able to stop the order from being shipped if I call the next morning. She said she could not guarantee it. She said that if the merchandise is shipped out, I could refuse to accept it and would not be charged return shipping. Would I be charged for the original shipping, I asked. She said yes. I told her that that was why I wanted to cancel before the order got shipped. She said that all she could recommend was that I call 6 p.m. today or 8 a.m. in the morning. And I have no way of knowing if it will work.

I asked to speak to her boss. She said she is the boss and that she has many years of experience in the company. I asked how many years. She said 25. I told her that her company was operating a scam to trick unsuspecting consumers out of as much money as they could and that I hoped she would find a better job soon.

I called my credit card company. They said that I could only dispute a charge after I had been charged and that it hadn't happened yet. So I closed the account.

How can such an operation be allowed to go on? A supposed $40 cooker turns into an $80 nightmare. Anyone can make a mistake in the heat of an infomercial come-on, in a hasty dash to the telephone, on an automated line.

Why aren't there any class actions to stop this type of exploitation? Why isn't the BBB on top of this?

I could not post the company's home address or telephone number because anybody who is accountable can not be reached.

Helen
pasadena, California
U.S.A.