Using credit cards to pay for goods/services from unfamiliar vendors is a good idea... but don't do what I did, i.e., remind the vendor that you *did* pay with a credit card (until you are at the point where you want to challenge the quality of the goods/services). I had a Karmann Ghia transported from California to Virginia by AAA International Transport (based in Mesa, AZ... listed first on Yahoo's list of auto transport companies). Their contract truck/driver picked it up 10 days later than scheduled, carried it around the US (e.g., via New Hampshire) for 14 days, and then refused to drop the car off any closer than 40 or so miles to my home. (Our contract did specify drop off at my home and other auto transporters have had no trouble doing so before or after). I called AAA Int'l to complain about the driver's refusing to drop off the car at my home (the driver was behind schedule and didn't want to take the time to leave the interstate highways). While I was talking to the owner of AAA Int'l, I reminded him that I had paid with a credit card and threatened to challange the charge through my credit card company. Ha, ha! He responded by "undoing" the credit card charge, declared the Karmann Ghia "undrivable" (which added $200 to the shipping bill according to our contract), and said the car would be delivered to my home only if I had our originally-agreed-on $1100 + $200 "extra" in cash. Doh! I paid the $1300 cash to get the Karmann Ghia. I'm sure I could have escalated this somehow, but it wasn't worth the stomach acid that would generate. Hope you all can learn from my mistake! I never was a good poker player either and have once again been reminded... Don't show your hand until after all the bidding is done. Chris Chris Stinson Free Union, VA 22940 chstinson@earthlink.net |
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