BUREAU HELPS ANGRY SHOPPERS ONLINE FIRMS DRAW MOST COMPLAINTS.Byline: JULIA M. SCOTT Staff Writer The sequined se·quin n. 1. A small shiny ornamental disk, often sewn on cloth; a spangle. 2. A gold coin of the Venetian Republic. Also called zecchino. tr.v. espadrille caught Cheryl Murphy's eye, and the free shipping sealed the deal. After waiting weeks for the sandals to arrive on her Chats- worth doorstep, Murphy, 43, called the online store where she had ordered the woven-sole shoes. She bombarded the company with daily voice messages and e-mails but never heard back. The retailer did not return calls from the Daily News either. ``It's like they just took my money,'' said Murphy, who filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau of the Southland south·land or South·land n. A region in the south of a country or an area. south  land·er n.Noun 1. , a nonprofit agency that monitors business practices. ``I think I was the 50th person to complain about them.'' Gripes gripe v. griped, grip·ing, gripes v.intr. 1. Informal To complain naggingly or petulantly; grumble. 2. To have sharp pains in the bowels. v.tr. 1. about Internet retailers are the most common complaint the bureau receives, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Better Business Bureau spokesman Gary Almond. Companies that sell computers and computer parts netted the second-highest number of complaints, followed by satellite-equipment sellers. The Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. office -- which monitors business in Los Angeles, San Bernardino San Bernardino, city, United States San Bernardino (săn bûr'nədē`nō), city (1990 pop. 164,164), seat of San Bernardino co., S Calif., at the foot of the San Bernardino Mts.; inc. 1854. , Riverside and Orange counties -- tracks complaints by the location of the accused company, not of the complainer. Because we have so many of these (computer companies), we have so many of the complaints,'' Almond said. Out of roughly 80,000 complaints the bureau tallied in the past 12 months in the region, 5 percent were about Internet retailers, Almond said. This territory is fertile for complaints because of the density of online retailers in Los Angeles and the sheer number of dollars changing hands online. This year, sales are expected to hit $135 billion. Shopping online can be safe, said Kurt Peters, editor of Internet Retailer magazine. ``Know who you are doing business with,'' Peters advised. Review the online company's return policy, make sure contact information is listed, and look for certification by an organization that tests the security of Web sites, such as Hacker Safe, TRUSTe or VeriSign. If you see one of their logos, ``it's by implication saying the site is legit le·git adj. Slang Legitimate. ,'' Peters said, and your transaction is safe. Use your credit card so that if the company doesn't deliver, your creditor will back you up, Peters said. ``Rely on that credit card as your safety valve safety valve, device attached to a boiler or other vessel for automatically relieving the pressure of steam before it becomes great enough to cause bursting. .'' Almond recommends checking the bureau's Web site -- www.labbb.org -- for reviews of a company by other consumers. The site also grades companies based on the number of complaints, the seriousness of the allegations and whether the company fails to remedy a problem. The reviews can be telling. A vacuum-cleaner maker netted 1,859 complaints, earning an ``F'' for failing to send refunds and for not living up to contracts, according to a bureau report available online. Expressing the experience of many people who report problems, one complaining customer wrote: ``I have called the company numerous times, to only get pushed on to some other numbers, most of which do not even work. I get busy signals, wrong numbers, answering machines and even a person hanging up on me. I have e-mailed the company and have not heard back yet, and probably never will.'' Two months later, the company, which did not return phone calls to the Daily News, posted this response: ``Company states consumer was credited by credit card company.'' julia.scott(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3735 CAPTION(S): box Box: Consumer angst angst 1 n. A feeling of anxiety or apprehension often accompanied by depression. angst 2 abbr. angstrom SOURCE: Gary Almond of the BBB BBB A medium grade assigned to a debt obligation by a rating agency to indicate an adequate ability to pay interest and repay principal. However, adverse developments are more likely to impair this ability than would be the case for bonds rated A and above. |
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