Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2.fluke 9/24/84; site fluke.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!zehntel!tektronix!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!fluke!kurt From: kurt@fluke.UUCP (Kurt Guntheroth) Newsgroups: net.consumers Subject: Re: Gifts Message-ID: <122@vax2.fluke.UUCP> Date: Fri, 7-Dec-84 12:03:36 EST Article-I.D.: vax2.122 Posted: Fri Dec 7 12:03:36 1984 Date-Received: Mon, 10-Dec-84 06:33:55 EST References: <105@lcuxc.UUCP> Reply-To: kurt@fluke.UUCP (Kurt Guntheroth) Organization: John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc., Everett, WA Lines: 26 A colleague here actually bought vitamins from the company you are discussing. The 'gift' he got was a 'TV satellite dish'. What he received was a 12 inch diameter aluminum dish with a primitive amplifier built into a rod protruding into the focus of the dish. This device is actually used to receive pay tv broadcasts from towers located in line-of-sight to viewers in flat rural areas where it does not pay to install actual cables. The device has a retail cost (we found it in a catalogue) of about $35 dollars. This device may operate on frequencies similar to satellite bands (I don't know.) It is clearly incapable of picking up satellite broadcasts. Our catalogue lists its range as 'about 35 miles'. Now the scan: The salesman on the phone assured him that the value of the least expensive price was around $1700 dollars. (Obviously untrue). He paid by VISA card, because there is a way to recover your money from VISA within 90 days in case of a rip-off. Unfortunately, the ripper-off was aware of this and did not send the merchandise until more than 90 days after billing. Naturally, since all the conversations occurred on the telephone there is no messy evidence. The company simply denied my colleague's version of the conversation. The vitamins are no bargain by themselves either, although they did arrive, and appeared to be of acceptable quality. -- Kurt Guntheroth John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc. {uw-beaver,decvax!microsof,ucbvax!lbl-csam,allegra,ssc-vax}!fluke!kurt