March 29, 2024
Business

Woman’s fashion flair goes awry in a hurry

During a working trip to Texas, Augusta consumer Crystal Kinnard decided to visit some upscale Dallas clothing stores. She was impressed with a place called Flair for Fashion where she purchased a skirt and a jacket. Shortly after returning home, she received the company’s catalog in the mail.

Crystal had received numerous compliments on the jacket and skirt, so she decided to order two blouses, another skirt and a pair of slacks. Not a fan of credit, she paid by personal check for the order, which, with shipping, totaled $256.

When six weeks passed and the order had not arrived, Crystal called Flair for Fashion to ask what was taking so long. The company representative told her he could find no record of her order but he would check and get back to her. While awaiting the call back, Crystal reviewed her bank statements and, sure enough, the check had cleared her local bank within two weeks of her order.

Two more weeks passed and the company had not, as promised, returned her call, so she called again. This time she was told abruptly that they had found no evidence of her order. When she said she had a canceled check, their response was: “Well, we don’t know what to tell you.”

“It was like talking to a brick wall,” she later reported.

She next decided to write the company, enclosing photocopies of her order form and her canceled check. Two weeks later, still no response. Tiring of the game, Crystal wrote letters to the Better Business Bureau and Dallas Chamber of Commerce. But two months later she still had no merchandise or a refund, which she now preferred because she really didn’t want to do business with Flair for Fashion again.

That’s when a friend suggested Crystal contact Northeast COMBAT. “I run my own business,” she wrote COMBAT, “and the time I have spent trying to get this handled is worth three times the cost of the merchandise. I am frustrated and angry. If you can get a refund out of these jerks, I’ll split it with you for your trouble.”

We told Ms. Kinnard that all we required was a $25 membership to work actively on her case, and requested copies of the order form, her canceled check and correspondence with the company.

When COMBAT received the requested documentation, one of our dispute intervention specialists wrote Flair for Fashion stating that “the enclosed documents demonstrate that Ms. Kinnard did indeed place and pay for an order with your company over five months ago.”

“Northeast COMBAT reminds you” we continued, “of the Federal Trade Commission 30-day mail order law which requires that merchandise be sent within 30 days or the consumer must be notified and given a choice of waiting a specified time, or given a full refund. Our client requests the latter and we ask that you refund her $256 within 14 days or we will be compelled to contact the FTC and the Attorneys General of Maine and Texas on her behalf.”

Barely two weeks later, Crystal Kinnard wrote to tell us that she had received a check for $256 by certified mail with a curt note saying only “full refund for misplaced order.”

“No one seemed to care but you,” Crystal’s letter continued, “I’ll follow COMBAT’s advice and stick to local stores from now on. As promised, I’m going halfsies with you and have enclosed $128. Thanks, you’re the greatest”.

Happy shopping, keep your receipts, and if a problem arises, contact the elves at Northeast COMBAT, who wish all our readers a Merry Christmas.

Consumer Forum is a collaboration of the Bangor Daily News and Northeast COMBAT-Maine Center for the Public Interest, Maine’s membership-funded nonprofit consumer organization. Individual membership $25, business rates start at $125 (1-10 employees). For help and information write: Consumer Forum, Bangor Daily News, PO Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329.


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