JUST SAYIN’-Sometimes I think I must be a complete nincompoop! As educated and astute as I perceive myself to be, I still get hoodwinked despite my best efforts.
The elderly have for years been warned not to get duped by predators who are ready to steal their life’s savings. Such contacts promise to make lucrative investments on their behalf in order to insure a comfortable retirement until death. Sadly, it becomes only too obvious (once the damage is done) that “Buyer Beware” is just not a sufficient mantra for the old and gullible.
What about the rest of us? Although I was born and grew up at a time without the Internet, I certainly have succumbed to its ability to expedite searches and take us quickly to sites in which we are interested—research, ordering tickets for sports and concert events, air or train travel, hotel accommodations, or renting a car. Purchasing tech support and anti-virus packages to protect one’s computer are other examples.
Some months ago, I was seeking a tech service and went to Google to locate one that would suit my needs. I located one that stated it was a Windows affiliate—legit, I thought. To make a long story short, I was charged for a service I did not receive and even after appealing to the business and to my credit card company (the latter did try to remove charges), I was still out some hundreds of dollars because this overseas company (I did not know that at the time and it turned out not to be a Windows partner at all) kept charging me and still harasses me by phone to this day.
More recently, I tried to order tickets for a music festival at the Hollywood bowl. I had researched the order procedure ahead of time and learned I could go to either the Hollywood Bowl or the LA Philharmonic website. I went to the HB site but even on the first day at the “opening bell,” it no longer had tickets available for the price, location, and the number I wanted.
I then went to the Philharmonic website and wound up being taken to Vivid Seats where I was subject to another deception. There was a listing for 3 tickets for $169 (I had been seeking 3 for $145 that the HB had been offering so $169 did not seem excessive), but when I hit the submit button, the total came to $169 x 3. Ouch! I immediately called customer service and was told it was too late (less than one minute later) to get a refund or an exchange. Naturally, I grieved the process and did receive a modicum of relief from my card company.
Yesterday, I thought I would contact the Philharmonic to complain that its website had sent me to an unauthorized location. It seems, once again, that the “Phil website” with which I had connected was really not a Phil website at all! And there is nothing the Philharmonic can do about this fraudulent practice except to warn (after the fact) not to be fooled by sites claiming to be authorized ticket sellers for the Phil. In other words, BUYER BEWARE!
So I leave all of you with that same admonition: Double- and triple-check before placing any order or doing business with any on-line company. Place a call, if necessary, to confirm that your search has led you to an official, authorized site.
Just sayin’.
(Rosemary Jenkins is a Democratic activist and chair of the Northeast Valley Green Alliance. Jenkins has written Leticia in Her Wedding Dress and Other Poems, A Quick-and-Easy Reference to Correct Grammar and Composition and Vignettes for Understanding Literary and Related Concepts. She also writes for CityWatch.)
-cw
CityWatch
Vol 12 Issue 48
Pub: June 13, 2014