What can you to a dishonest vendor except take him to court?

Question

HE GAVE ME A COMPUTER WORTH $899.00 AND HAD ME PAY $1,850. CASH...BEFORE HE WOULD BUILD IT. THE PERSON WHO ORDERED THE COMPUTER HAD HER TELEPHONE ON SPEAKER SO THERE ARE WITNESSES TO THE TRANACTION AND WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PART OF THE PACKAGE. HE STILL REFUSES TO PUT IN THE SOFTWARE ORDERED AND STATED I DID NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENS FROM DAY TO DAY...SINCE I AM RECOVERING FROM A BRAIN INJURY (THAT IS WHY A FRIEND ORDERED IT) HE IS NOW TELLING US NOT TO CALL OR ENTER HIS STORE ! IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO BESIDES SUE HIM ? OH YES, I FORGOT, HE TOLD MY FRIEND HE GETS SOFTWARE FROM MICROSOFT ALL THE TIME SINCE HE CALLS THEM AND TELLS THEM WHAT HE HAS, HE IS HAVING TROUBLE WITH. ONE MORE THING, THE COMPUTER CAME WITH A PORN SIGHT IN IT ! I WOULD ADVISE EVERYONE TO STAY AWAY FROM COMPUTER ZONE IN ST. PETERSBURG, FL

Answer 1

You need to turn off the "caps lock" key.

Answer 2

OK, first, all caps is like shouting, in case you weren't aware.

That being said, here are some things you may want to consider:

1. Contact the Better Business Bureau. They don't take sides, but they do have muscle when it comes to dealing with businesses. The BBB will be more likely to convince them to resolve the situation than you are, because this person doesn't seem to want to talk to you.

2. If your computer came with porn on it, you should report it to the police, just in case. Adult porn is legal in most areas, but if they find child porn, the person who built your computer has a serious problem.

3. Report them to microsoft. If they are building computers from scratch, and screwing you on the price, there is a distinct possibility that the software you got with it is pirated.

4. Always shop around. No matter how good or bad the first quote is, do some comparison shopping.

I hope this helps.

Answer 3

You can take him to small claims court, which deals in amounts under $5000, and you normally don't need a lawyer. But beware. What you'll get (assuming you win) is a piece of paper from the court saying, in essence, "Yep. He owes you money." Getting this money, however, will prove to be a whole different challenge. It's up to you to find out what he owns and file a lien against it. I'm telling you from first-hand experience. Of course, the court can also award additional money to you to reimburse you for the FILING FEE and other EXPENSES of litigation. A far better and more effective tactic, in my opinion, is the investigative news reporter on your local television station. You can also file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.

Answer 4

OK, please don't shout. I am sure your computer can do lower case letters no matter what software is on it.

How are you saying it was worth $899? Was that the advertised price for the computer you bought? If so, why did you agree to spend more then twice that amount?

There is a lot missing from this story. Sounds like a case for small claims court, in the mean time have someone else add the software, and add that to what you seek to recover in small claims court.

Answer 5

You can try reporting it to the police. It's actually a crime. They might be able to do something with it since you have witnesses. If you got porn back, you might have evidence to turn over too. Also, you can report it to the Better Business Bureau if you do not report it to the police. You can hire an attorney to threaten them. They have ways of doing it that do not count as the threatening none of the rest of us but law enforcement gets to do. Good luck. Also, you can file a Consumer Complaint with your states Attorney General's Office. But be careful about just telling their name all over the place. Filling out forms or having someone else do it for you is safer for you.

Answer 6

Boycott his business! Make some signs , gather some friends and stand outside his business on public property. You might even get someone to call the TV stations... Don't block the entrance or driveways. Don't scream or talk nasty to people who might go in. Just matter of fact state your gripes if asked.It is a sure fired way to get his attention where he might make it right for you....

See if your city requires a peaceful protest permit (basically then the police know what you are doing, just something some areas do)

Answer 7

You can lodge a complaint with the consumer complaints body in your area.

You can get a lawyer to send a threatening letter. It is cheaper for him to fix the problem than pay for a lawyer. But the legal costs are not worth the problem.

Just YouTube him to death. Get a friend to order a computer, set him to try and cheat you. Then post the lose on youtube.

Answer 8

You could picket the store to scare away other customers.
You could report them to the Better Business Bureau.
If the store is a franchise you could contact the corporate headquarters.
You could place an advertisement in the local newspaper warning others

Answer 9

Word of mouth is always a very powerful tool. And, don't forget small claims court. Not expensive for you, but could mean lots of bad publicity for the vendor. Our local TV station has a segment called "Problem Solvers" and investigates bad businesses and alerts viewers to their findings......very effective!

Best of Luck to you!

Answer 10

In Australia we have websites like http://AussiePhorums.com or www.notgoodenough.com I suggest you repost this question in "Computers and the Internet", and ask about similar sites in the USA. Incidentally, by publishing their name, you render yourself liable to prosecution for libel: the truth is no defence, so I suggest that you don't use their name, and withdraw/modify the above question, no matter how strongly you may feel about them! Ask your friend about this.

Answer 11

Other than suing, I would say do more of what you are doing!!! Let as many people in your area know that this guy is screwy. Post it on websites, make fliers, whatever it takes. Make sure this guy knows what you are doing too (like email him links of your posts). Tell him you will stop when he gives you what you want.