[BC] Warning: AVW dba Max Professional "The Blow off People"

[Alan Alsobrook]

Just a word of caution to anyone doing business with AVW, phone order 
aerosol canned air and other cleaning products.

A few months ago I had them call me, after being told twice that I would 
call them and not to call. I told them yet again that I didn't want 
anything and to never call again! 4 days later a package arrives from 
them, it's a case of blow off. A few days after that the bill arrives 
for the case of blow off. I being my stubborn self decided that I would 
not pay the bill and notified them of such by phone.

As time progressed I would get calls from them asking why the bill 
wasn't paid, to which I would remind them that when you send an 
unsolicited product, according the the FTC mail and phone order rules it 
is a gift, and that I took it as such. I also told them if they had 
proof that I ordered the product provide such proof and I would be happy 
to pay.

In January I received a collection letter from a law firm stating that 
they would be collecting. I call the law firm and again explained to 
them that as far as i was concerned this was a gift and I wasn't going 
to pay. They asked a few questions about how the package was received, 
and then stated that they agreed that the debit was invalid and 
uncollectable and that they would write it off.

Three days later when I was checking by bank statement online I see a 
pending transaction from AVW on my checking account for the amount of 
the bill. I was unable to stop the "ACH" Automated clearing house 
transaction from going through. I can contest it after the fact but it 
would cost me $30 to place a stop payment on the $43 bill. I'm guessing 
that they went back in their records and found a copy of one of my 
checks for when I had paid them for product I ordered. (which I would 
have quickly done had I ordered this batch) Of course I'm quite 
aggravated that they could debit my account without my knowledge I do 
plan to file an official complaint with the FTC, and entertaining the 
idea of filing criminal charges of theft (if I have legal grounds to do 
so).

So bottom line if you do business with this company it might be a good 
idea to close any accounts you have with them.
-- 
Alan Alsobrook CSRE AMD CBNT
St. Augustine Fl. 32086 904-829-8885
aalso at Bellsouth.net