Boston POTN Meet (2)

Harm wrote in post #15053566
so you joined them by marrying one...

Brendan's marrying a dude? Nothing wrong with that... I'm all for it. I just didn't know.

As I said...

Nathan wrote in post #15041176
I could also add another off color comment about Harm needing an extender... but then again, it's my extender... so yeah, I didn't go there.

Scott, thanks for saying what I was thinking. Haha.

No problem, Harm. I was about to PM you asking if we could push it back. I just had a bunch of stuff dropped in my lap this morning.

sure, no problem mate. You just name the date, I'll throw it in my work bag so I will have it at work with me next week.

symbolphoto wrote in post #15053537
Well it's a well known fact that people from a certain region of the world.... well, i'll end it there.

boom.

I'd say headshot, but I dont have a decent headshot to post. Kind of defeats the purpose.

Wow... I just had a half hour conversation with customer service re: an audio language program. The company is engaged in a practice called negative option sales, which is basically a bait and switch tactic attracting customers to a trial offer, then automatically subscribing and renewing to a more expensive program.

A $10 trial offer on an audio mandarin program turned into a $256 x 3 advanced levels... 1 level which I could no longer return because I was past the 30 day trial on the Level 1, which I didn't even sign up for.

I called and complained about inadequate disclosure on the receipts and offer pages. Eventually, they offered me a 50% discount... which I accepted, but said would not deter me from contacting the Attorney General in their state of operation... I was piiiiiiiiissed. They asked me what they could do to prevent my lodging of a complaint, and I told them they could give me a full refund. So they did.

Just wanted to vent.

Nathan wrote in post #15053812
Wow... I just had a half hour conversation with customer service re: an audio language program. The company is engaged in a practice called negative option sales, which is basically a bait and switch tactic attracting customers to a trial offer, then automatically subscribing and renewing to a more expensive program.

A $10 trial offer on an audio mandarin program turned into a $256 x 3 advanced levels... 1 level which I could no longer return because I was past the 30 day trial on the Level 1, which I didn't even sign up for.

I called and complained about inadequate disclosure on the receipts and offer pages. Eventually, they offered me a 50% discount... which I accepted, but said would not deter me from contacting the Attorney General in their state of operation... I was piiiiiiiiissed. They asked me what they could do to prevent my lodging of a complaint, and I told them they could give me a full refund. So they did.

Just wanted to vent.

I'd still contact BBB / AG.

Nathan,

I hear ya on that. With the advent of misinformed Paypal subscription payments, i suspect this will be on the rise...

Why Mandarin? Do you plan to go to China? Cantonese is so much more useful around here.

They asked me what they could do to prevent me from lodging complaints and I told them a full refund and I would not contact the AG's office. I'll probably lodge something with BBB... among the 351 other complaints... haha.

Mandarin because I studied it in college. Cantonese wasn't offered, but a had Mandarin speaking friends to practice with. I just wanted to brush up on it, because I have since forgotten all my lessons.

Nathan wrote in post #15053812
Wow... I just had a half hour conversation with customer service re: an audio language program. The company is engaged in a practice called negative option sales, which is basically a bait and switch tactic attracting customers to a trial offer, then automatically subscribing and renewing to a more expensive program.

A $10 trial offer on an audio mandarin program turned into a $256 x 3 advanced levels... 1 level which I could no longer return because I was past the 30 day trial on the Level 1, which I didn't even sign up for.

I called and complained about inadequate disclosure on the receipts and offer pages. Eventually, they offered me a 50% discount... which I accepted, but said would not deter me from contacting the Attorney General in their state of operation... I was piiiiiiiiissed. They asked me what they could do to prevent my lodging of a complaint, and I told them they could give me a full refund. So they did.

Just wanted to vent.

DiMAn0684 wrote in post #15053877
I'd still contact BBB / AG.

symbolphoto wrote in post #15053883
Nathan,

I hear ya on that. With the advent of misinformed Paypal subscription payments, i suspect this will be on the rise...

Why Mandarin? Do you plan to go to China? Cantonese is so much more useful around here.

Nathan wrote in post #15053914
They asked me what they could do to prevent me from lodging complaints and I told them a full refund and I would not contact the AG's office. I'll probably lodge something with BBB... among the 351 other complaints... haha.

Mandarin because I studied it in college. Cantonese wasn't offered, but a had Mandarin speaking friends to practice with. I just wanted to brush up on it, because I have since forgotten all my lessons.

Um, that is blackmail on a corporate level. Hold your refund hostage so you wouldn't call the AG - not only that, but they charged you for something you didn't sign for.

I would call the AG - once the money is safely in your account - then I would call the BBB also.

symbolphoto wrote in post #15053537
Well it's a well known fact that people from a certain region of the world.... well, i'll end it there.

Being Asian, I once told a joke like this to other Asians.

They didnt find it too funny.

They're not without their contractual rights to hold my refund... although not disclosed clearly, apparently I agreed to be enrolled in the advanced program when I signed up for the $10 intro offer. Apparently, if I cracked open the CDs on the 1st advanced level package, I would have seen a "Congratulations... but if you don't like it, then return within 30 days."

My argument was that it should have been clearly and conspicuously disclosed on the receipt on the inside of the box, outside of the cds that indicated that I received a 30 day trial offer... there were no terms or conditions of the trial offer that I could find on the receipt itself.

It be a consumer disclosure issue... something I'm pretty familiar with in my line of work anyway.

Right now, I don't care so much about complaining to the PA AG's. Not worth any more effort on my part to draft a letter to them. I'd already told this language program reseller that I would not go to the AG if given a refund... and I'm going to keep my word on that.

But seriously... all the nice photo accessories I could buy with $256... or even $128 after their 50% discount. I would have been able to cancel the future lessons.

Nathan, we need to send the CSI:Boston team to investigate it for you!

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We should run a "caption this" photo series:

Hey Harm, "Did you oversee this tunnel construction? I think I see a loose bolt."

Nathan wrote in post #15054030
We should run a "caption this" photo series

"Hey guys, look!" - grabs Scott's 1D IV / 70-200mm and runs away

"that's where Brendan goes when banned"