[ic] Competitors placing fake orders; need help...

[Jim Balcom]

On Mon, 19 Nov 2001, Dan Browning wrote:

DB>>> From my work with Gaiam.com, I have always been under the
DB>>> understanding that it is illegal to charge a credit card
DB>>> before you have shipped the product. Can anyone verify this?
DB>>> Maybe it's just a policy that Gaiam has implemented to keep
DB>>> their customers happy.  We first developed the site 2 years
DB>>> ago, so my rememberance is a bit rusty.
DB>>>
DB>>> Patrick Bennett
DB>>
DB>>Insurance companies and government insurance (Medicare) place some
DB>>restrictions on that sort of thing (e.g. for copays that are paid via
DB>>credit card), but other than that I haven't heard of it.

Some years ago (8 maybe) I lost my merchant account for Visa and Mastercard
because I helped out a buddy in the carpet cleaning business. When I tried
to get it back I ran into a lot of obstacles, including my doing computer
consulting (which they refused to provide services for) as well as (a long
laundry list of things, including florists) billing at the beginning of the
month for services during the coming month (voice mail service in this case)

My current provider has but 2 restrictions (before First Charter sold out to
IMS, which may be different, but I haven't been told!)
1: No telemarketing
2: No adult content

I don't care what any of those companies say - if I have to special order in
a large amount of inventory, I want to make sure that the money is good
before I order!

There are too many companies that are desperate to sign up merchants for
merchant accounts to have obstacles such as this in the way.

-= Jim =-

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Tagline for Monday, November 19, 2001 at 19:20 PM:
Variables won't; constants aren't.

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