ClockWay-Gift Theory Caution

I recently ordered a Howard Miller clock online from ClockWay-Gift Theory at clockway.com for $279.30.

Every page on the ClockWay website shows a banner at the top which says, among other things, "No Sales Tax *" and a banner at the bottom which says "We Pay Your Sales Tax Today *(read more) >." The same appears on each of the several screens provided for online purchases.

I naively placed reliance on the many occurrences of "No Sales Tax" and "We Pay Your Sales Tax" and did not "read more." When sales tax WAS charged on my order, I requested reversal but was denied and referred to the "read more" boilerplate which includes the following:

ClockWay - Gift Theory Policy

By submitting orders using any means (via Online, Fax, Phone, etc.) customers acknowledge and agree to our posted policy stated below.

Sales Tax:

NO Sales Tax for ALL STATES - Big Savings *!

* No Sales Tax for All states. However, for California (bill to or ship to California addresses): The sales tax is included in our online sale price if your order is over $50. Please use this coupon code TAXINCLUDED. However, if your bill to or ship to is in California and your order is under $50, CA sales tax will be added to your order. To redeem this offer, customer MUST enter above stated coupon code at time of checkout, or order will be charged for CA sales Tax. Sales tax cannot be waived after order is submitted. This special offer is for online orders only. This coupon code cannot be used with other coupon codes or any other free promotion programs. This offer does not apply for Howard Miller, Ridgeway, or some other brands - CA sales tax will be added to the order for Howard Miller, Ridgeway when or after order is submitted.

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Okay, I was hooked; but I do believe that I was intentionally misled by banners that constitute deceptive claims. In good practice, asterisked footnotes are used to explain - not to contradict! For example: ALL OUR ITEMS ARE FIRST QUALITY* - and on a different page - (*except those that are not), would, I think, be considered by any reasonable person to be intentionally constructed to obfuscate if not deliberately deceive. Is: NO SALES TAX* - and on the last page - (*however, in CA and on Howard Miller and Ridgeway clocks, there is") so different? In actual ClockWay practice, "No Sales Tax" and "We Pay Your Sales Tax" prove to be false assertions.

I write this simply as a cautionary warning to online shoppers re this and other online vendors: Don't be misled by the banners; read the fine print to know what the deal really is.

Perhaps I should also note that in doing my research, I found other negative comments re clockway (see, for example, http://www.thethingsiwant.com/site/clockway.com/ ).