Problem With TechForLess.com

UPDATE: Please see next post for refund.

It's been a long time since I've written anything I've been really busy, and blogging just wasn't at the top of my list... But just recently, I purchased a retail/boxed software called VMWare Workstation from TechForLess.com. Now, I'm not some internet newbie, and I've read about plenty of scams, but this most recent online purchase had me fuming. At myself! I cannot believe I fell for the oldest trick in the book. I hear it all the time: Buyer beware, Caveat Emptor, "If it's too good to be true, it probably is"...

Here's my story:

I had shopped online looking for the lowest price for VMWare Workstation. I compared prices from many different websites, and TechForLess.com had the lowest price. I even called their sales to ask how they are able to sell it for less. He said that it is probably overstocked. I was ready to buy, but hesitated because they were selling a retail box. I was highly suspicious of boxed software until I saw that Amazon.com is their affiliate. I figure I would have a recourse if anything went wrong.

Well... Guess what, I got ripped off. The box was already opened, and neither TechForLess.com or Amazon.com is going to help me. TechForLess.com has not responded to my email, and Amazon.com just said they're not involved. I've just become another victim. A statistic. All I can say is "Lesson learned".

TechForLess.com is a hit and miss. Some people say good things, while many others say bad things. It only makes sense that they can sell their products for cheap because it's already opened, trashed, or whatever - an inferior product no matter how you look at it. To the reader, please learn from my mistake. Seriously shop around. If you think that it's too good to be true, it probably is. I know I'm not going to TechForLess.com anymore.

UPDATE: Please see next post for refund.

Reading About The Economy

I've been seeing a lot of posts and comments about the economy from experts, journalists, Joe The Plumber, and my neighbor. Everyone has an opinion. I have one too. But I found some writing (from Yahoo) to be clinical and seem almost detached from the gravity of the economic situation. It seems funny as in Hmm... follwed by Hahaha! to me that those writers could be the next group to lose their jobs especially after watching CNN interview several prominent journalists who were laid off due to falling advertising revenues.

The Racial Republican Response

A couple days ago, President Obama delivered his address to Congress. Shortly after, the Republicans delivered their response. Here's what I have to say:

Did the GOP just use an ethnic minority governor to speak on their behalf? I don't know about other people, but it just amazes me how the Republicans think that the American people are stupid. First, Sarah Palin Hmm... Let's get the woman vote by choosing a woman VP candidate... Now, Bobby Jindal Oh! Obama is half-Black. Let's get a half-Indian to deliver our response... Give it a rest. The GOP should just accept the fact that they've lost popular support because they don't change along with the American population. It's just sad to watch them. Denial is not just a river...

Liars

Once again, banks are in the news. I only saw a bit of a Congressional hearing on CNN last night, but now I'm reading about it on the internet. Every time I see bank executives speak in front of a panel, I just know that they're lying to save their fat a$$. Here some statements as posted on Yahoo:

"We are frugal," said Wells Fargo's John Stumpf. "We're Americans first. We're bankers second."
I can imagine this guy lying all the while dreaming of the fat bonu$ he just gave to himself for being such a good liar...

"We understand taxpayers are angry" and they are right in demanding that institutions receiving their money take a "conservative, sober and frugal" approach to using it, said Kenneth D. Lewis of Bank of America.
Another liar. Let me translate: He understands that we taxpayers are angry, but he really does not give a crap! Oh I really hate Bank Of America...

You just know they're lying... "FBI Deputy Director John Pistole told that Senate panel that there are 530 active corporate fraud investigations, and 38 of them involve corporate fraud and financial institution matters directly related to the economic crisis."

Problem With Banks

I know that banks exist for the sole purpose of making more money out of some money. But I also thought that they are helpful. They can still make money by helping regular people like you and me save and invest. But banks don't really care about people. They only care about money. Think Mr. Potter from Frank Cappra's It's A Wonderful Life...

Actually, it's not the employees but the institution and its policies that don't care... There is a real need to boycott banks whenever possible! Check out your credit union. Really.

I'm really glad that Lehman Brothers failed. That's real capitalism. None of this quasi-socialist/capitalist BS.

The government is bailing out Wall Street and I keep hearing news of bank programs that help homeowners. But I'm seeing stories about the attitudes from banks and reactions from distressed homeowners. Here is one story from ireport.com:

My very good friend has a home in Weymouth, MA. The Chase Mortgage Company is the note holder. She slipped behind a month and tried to catch up on payments. She called numerous times to arrange a payment catch up plan. Chase refused to discuss it. After two months of run arounds her lawyer recommended she make weekly payments to Chase. This she did. Chase called several times to tell her to stop sending payments. Chase said the mortgage was going into foreclosure. Chase refused to acknowledge that these weekly payments were even made. It took a letter from the Bank president of the bank the checks were drawn on for Chase to admit they had cashed the checks and money orders. Chase said they were going to return the money over an undisclosed period of time and take the matter under advisement. Another month has passed and Chase still has not returned all the funds or stated what the conditions of a re written mortgage will be.

When you hear of people falling months behind in their mortgage payments think of this. It is not the homeowner but the banks themselves which are letting peoples home loans slip deeper and deeper in debt. The Congressional bailout has done absolutely nothing for this home owner and if Congress claims it is helping they are so wrong. There are most likely thousands of homeowners just like my dear friend who are in the same predicament. My hope is thousands of people will read this and push their legislators to really do something not just spin a tale of how wonderful they and their plan are. It is an outright lie! The banks DO NOT want to help homeowners and never did.