CAVEAT EMPTOR!"

By Shirley M. Carolan

Regretably, I have not written in some time. You might say the muse left me. I’m now trying to get on with my writing projects and my life after a traumatic ordeal which began last spring.

Buying a new computer (regardless of the make) with all the latest bells and whistles and attendant software should be a fun and memorable experience. After all, it’s not an everyday occurrence. Alas, since last spring that has not been the case for me.

Let me begin with the end in mind: DO NOT PAY CASH OR BY CHECK FOR ANY MERCHANDISE PURCHASED FROM A RETAIL STORE! You may already be aware of this. I was not. I paid for my new Hewlett Packard computer system by check instead of using a credit card. This action has literally haunted me.

If you pay by check, or cash, beware, if the merchandise is defective, for whatever reason, you, the consumer, must bear the brunt/responsibility of getting satisfaction from a vendor. This can be a very time-consuming, frustrating, income/money losing proposition and a very stressful experience. I experienced this when I bought my new computer system at Fry’s Electronics in San Marcos in March 2007!

The system crashed innumerable times, was fixed twice at the store, the first time requiring a new motherboard; a 3rd time, a technician came to my home to repair/assess the problem, and it crashed again shortly thereafter. The store manager would not let me exchange it. Recently, an exchange was made but not like for like merchandise. Instead, a Hewlett Packard computer was inadvertently exchanged for a Compaq Presario costing much less …

The moral is: Always use a credit card when buying merchandise from a retail store. The bank, or credit card company, will pursue claims of defective merchandise far easier and more quickly than you can. While they do the pursuing, and you get your money back if that’s what you want, you can sleep soundly at night!

Shirley M. Carolan
artistwithaflair@att.net
Phone/Fax: 760-732-0332
www.shirleycarolan.com
http://smcarolan.blogspot.com
http://angelscross.blogspot.com

Copyright 2007 by Shirley Carolan. All rights reserved. To reprint any part of this article simply contact Shirley Carolan at artistwithaflair@att.net.