Submitting Complaint against HCI Direct, Inc. Unethical Practices

# 1 for January 15 , 2002

Complaints.com received the following e-message on January 14, 2002:

From: Debra King [Email User]

Submitting Complaint against HCI Direct, Inc. Unethical Practices 1/14/02 HCI DIRECT, INC.

P.O. BOX 8498

PHILADELPHIA, PA 1901-8498 To Whom It May Concern, I represent another very irritated “Un-wanted Silkies” Consumer. My

supposed account # is: 098605704-1. On 12/14/01 I received another shipment (this would be #2 counting the one FREE pair sent to me) and I did exactly what was stated on a letter I received from Eve Stonebury which came with shipment # 1.

“You may cancel at anytime by simply sending us a note or returning the hose” were the exact instructions from your company on how to cancel receipt of future Silkies shipments. I wrote CANCEL on the package and brought it directly to the US Post Office in my town and sent it back to you. Now on 1/11/02 I receive a letter stating that I still owed $13.77 for the shipment that I sent back on 12/14/01. What is with this “Still Owed”?! The letter then went on to the point of absurdity to state, “Since you are a valued customer, I’m surprised that we still have not received your payment.

It is already a few weeks late”. This is absolutely unethical to be charging me for unrequested items when I returned them (as instructed) as soon as I received them. I demand that HCI Direct, Inc. do the following to clear up this matter:

1.)Remove me from your Past Due Collections and all other derogatory records because I do not want to continue to be “a customer of yours”.

2.)I also expect in the next 30 days (that would be 2/13/02) to receive some kind of written correspondence that HCI Direct, Inc. has eliminated my account (#098605704-1) as well as my name from your database with nothing owed and that no future shipments to be sent to my address. If this request is not met, then I will be forced to take this matter to the Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Government (if someone else hasn’t already done so). In addition, to counter the past denials, HCI Direct, Inc. and Silkies are IN VIOLATION of the Mail Fraud Statute (Title 18, United States Code, Section 1341). This federal consumer protection statute is intended to

fight any product and service misrepresentation. “It defines fraud as a scheme or artifice which uses the US Mail to obtain money or property by means of false or fraudulent representations.“

Be Sure to Read the sentence in quotes again if you still disagree because that is exactly what your company is successfully (for now) doing. Sincerely, Debra King

Account #: 098605704-1