Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Dawn Cobianchi

With many businesses expanding to the Internet world to help lower their operating costs, fraudulent buyers have become increasingly 'astute'. It's easy enough to buy a pair of jeans at a mall, wear them a couple of times and return them; in online sales fraudulent 'buyers' get to keep their money in their wallets and keep the product at the same time.

'Oh so not technical' customers who complaint that they can't open the download are often not surprisingly quick on requesting a refund, putting a charge back and disputing a transaction after being provided excellent and timely customer service. Anything for a freebie!

Us, online retailers are often faced with losses and have to deal with them as a part of doing business.

Let's look at how reputable sources identify 'fraud'.

The definition of 'fraud' taken from The Free Dictionary online is 'a false representation of a matter of fact—whether by words or by conduct, by false or misleading allegations, or by concealment of what should have been disclosed—that deceives and is intended to deceive another so that the individual will act upon it to her or his legal injury.'

Similarly, TITLE 18, PART I, CHAPTER 47, § 1001 of US Code states:

'(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, whoever, in any matter within the jurisdiction of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the Government of the United States, knowingly and willfully—

(1)falsifies, conceals, or covers up by any trick, scheme, or device a material fact;

(2)makes any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation; or

(3)makes or uses any false writing or document knowing the same to contain any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or entry;

shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 5 years or, if the offense involves international or domestic terrorism (as defined in section 2331), imprisoned not more than 8 years, or both. If the matter relates to an offense under chapter 109A, 109B, 110, or 117, or section 1591, then the term of imprisonment imposed under this section shall be not more than 8 years. '

So, in layman terms, 'fraud' is making a promise without intent to perform a certain action, or knowingly and willingly making a statement that is not true as a matter of fact and/or with intend to derive certain benefits or to injure another who is acting upon or is injured as a result of reliance by another on such fraudulent statement.

An owner of cosmetics company that conducts their sales operations mainly online reports that fishy buyers account for about 5% of his sales. Here is how online purchase fraud occurs: a customer browsing online comes across a web site selling onine merchandise. That customer makes a purchase and upon receiving the shipment contacts the merchant claiming that product that arrived did not meet expectations. When the merchant politely agrees to issue a refund and requests the product shipped back, the customer asks if she can keep the product.

An solution that helps prevent physical product refunds is to include a return label in the shipment package. When a customer sees the C.O.D. shipment label, she will think twice whether she wants to go into trouble of requesting a refund knowing that she will not be able to keep the product.

In the event a customer contacts PayPal or the credit card issuer with a request to reverse charges, it is advisable to keep all proof of shipment and all records of communication with the customer that can proof that the product was received and that the customer did not have a problem with the description of the product or receiving the package.

With digital downloads it becomes more difficult. In case with a digital download nothing is shipped, and in many cases there is a grace period in which a customer can request a refund for any reason. This certainly is the case if you are selling a product through ClickBank, a major online digital download retailer.

ClickBank is known for their excellent customer service and prides itself in 100% customer satisfaction.

Here is how a 'savvy' customer Dawn Cobianchi, a Marketing Manager at Morel Eyewear USA easily obtains a refund from ClickBank after receiving two self-improvement e-books on relationship skills for the price of one: (these e-mail communications are posted with Dawn Cobianchi's expressed consent):

Note: E-mails from Dawn Cobianchi posted herein 'as is' without correcting any spelling errors as they appear in original correspondence from Dawn Cobianchi.

On or about March 14, 2010 Dawn Cobianchi made a purchase of an online book teaching women relationship skills sold through ClickBank.

On Tuesday, March 16, 2010 Dawn Cobianchi sent the following e-mail to the publisher and author of the book:

Subject: bad download, wrong product?

Tuesday, March 16, 2010 12:53 PM

From: "dawn4homes@aol.com"

Hi all,

I have paid for a book that is not downloading properly. It may be my computer as it is maxed out with Adobe graphics programs.

Rather than asking for a refund is there a print version of I think it is called "Getting Your Boyfriend Back"

Also the title of this email address link appears to be wrong... I may have been confused on your initial web page as there is an overload of information on that page -from a consumer perspective.

Anyway I am a women who needs answers in my personal life and I would like to have a book sent to me - but the correct book?

If there is a difference in price please advise.

Thank you
Dawn



Publisher's response to Dawn Cobianchi

To: dawn4homes@aol.com
Sent: Tue, Mar 16, 2010 3:38 pm
Subject: Re: bad download, wrong product?


Hi Dawn,

If you decide you want to read the book on your computer, please close all currently open Adobe PDF flies, download the latest version of Adobe Reader at http://get.adobe.com/reader/, after the download follow the instructions from Adobe to update your software. Once you update it, restart your computer and re-open the file.

If you want the hard copy shipped, please let me know exactly which book you bought, your mailing address and the e-mail used for your transaction; There will be an adjustment in price but I need to know where the shipment is going to calculate shipping charges.

Sincerely


Re: bad download, wrong product? Tuesday, March 16, 2010 8:11 PM

From: Dawn Cobianchi "dawn4homes@aol.com"

Yes I would like a hard copy of the book sent... I believe that it was called "Getting Your Boyfriend Back"

My address is:
15 Black Bear Court
Hamburg, NJ 07419

Please let me know, thank you!

Dawn

Note: (the address 15 Black Bear Court Hamburg, NJ 07419 was not found on mapquest or google maps)


Re: bad download, wrong product? Wednesday, March 17, 2010 12:26 AM

From: Dawn Cobianchi "dawn4homes@aol.com"

Yes that is the book that I want... "Getting Your Boyfriend Back"
can you please email me the electronic version to my work address then. I shouldn't have any problems downloading it there.

Can you bill me for the small difference in price or do I have to charge it?

My email address is:
dc@morel-eyewearusa.com

Please let me know... thank you!

Sincerely,
Dawn


To Dawn Cobianchi

On 3/17/10 3:04 AM,


The file is attached. Please let us know you got it


Re: bad download, wrong product? Wednesday, March 17, 2010 1:23 PM

Wed, 3/17/10, Dawn Cobianchi wrote:


From: Dawn Cobianchi
Subject: Re: bad download, wrong product?
Date: Wednesday, March 17, 2010, 1:23 PM


Yes, thank you.... I did receive it.

Sincerely,

Dawn Cobianchi
Marketing Manager

MOREL
Morel Eyewear USA
Toll Free: 800/526-8838
Fax: 888/631-9796
dc@morel-eyewearusa.com
www.morel-france.com


E-Mail From Clickbank comes to publisher about an hour later:

Refund Request, Open Wednesday, March 17, 2010 6:09 PM

From: "ClickBank Notifications"

This is an automated message from the ClickBank.com ticket system to confirm
that this ticket has been created. Below is the most recent comment regarding
this ticket.

CREATED: 2010-03-17 11:09:39 AM
I have contacted the vender in regard to this product not downloading and
possibly being the wrong product? Requesting that a physical copy of the correct
book be mailed to me?

They have not responded and now do not know if the vendor/product was
legitimate?

Can you please refund my credit card?

Sincerely,
Dawn Cobianchi


------------------------------------------------

Above is the customers email.
Thanks,
Clickbank


It appears that Dawn Cobianchi has contacted ClickBank to request a refund for the purchase price of the book.

Dawn Cobianchi received two books for the price of one, and after receiving both books Dawn Cobianchi expeditiously contacted ClickBank to request a refund without notifying the vendor who sent her the products.

From Publisher to Dawn Cobianchi
Marketing Manager

MOREL
Morel Eyewear USA
Toll Free: 800/526-8838
Fax: 888/631-9796
dc@morel-eyewearusa.com
www.morel-france.com

Hi Dawn,

You know, I don't think any of my books will help you get a guy back.

Having a good relationship starts with being a good person.

If you lie, deceive and are a dishonest, conniving, greedy, backstabbing person, who wants to get something for nothing and lies her way through life, you will never have a good relationship..... at least not with a good person... All you will get is people who treat you the same way as you treat others.... perhaps one day you will come to work only to find out that you are not getting your paycheck...

Don't take this as affront against you. Work on yourself. If you want to ever have a loving, supportive relationship with a man, get married and have a family, you cannot start off as taking advantage of people because they can see right through you.

What goes around, comes around. Perhaps this will enlighten you.... because this is the last piece of free advice you will ever get from me.

Regards,


From Dawn Cobianchi:

Re: bad download, wrong product? Wednesday, March 17, 2010 9:50 PM
From: "dawn4homes@aol.com"
First of all I would like to say that your message to me was anything but professional and makes me now question if I have spent my money wisely.

About me: I am a sweetheart, loving honest and always put others first.

I met the gentleman I am trying to reconnect with only months a few months ago, a long distance relationship me NJ him NE. We met on an interracial dating site and we were both hooked on each other. I have been single for three years and though on one or two of these sites in the past never took the time to meet any man -but him... -I just had a feeling about us.

We knew we were right for each other right away which is the first time in my life for me –we are both 52 yrs old. We met in Fl in Dec after my annual sales meeting and it was like magic.. and he came to NJ to see me in Jan. I planned every minute of his 4 days here so every moment would be perfect and again it was. He thanked me continuously for making everything so special for him - but I let him know that he didn't need to do that because I did it out of love.

I was supposed to see him in DC on his business meeting around a week ago but while Goggle his name on the net found a web site called MY YEARBOOK. I innocently enough went on the site thinking it was his class reunion site but found it was more like a dating site gone bad. He is very handsome and had some professional pictures posted and his "friends" consisted of almost 500 single women. I could read every comment and each one was about how attractive he was -can I have a bubble bath, I love you -why are you alone on New Years Eve, I should be there with you... some notes from women and comments actually said " I love you" "Are you home now hun.. missing you". Needless to say I was very hurt because he/we both agreed and took down our "dating posts" so it would just be the two of us.

After finding this information we spoke for a matter of seconds that morning I was freaked out and told him to read his email and pretty much hung up on him. The email consisted of all of the conversations that I "cut and pasted" from the web conversations with all of these women. I have not physically spoken to him since as he will not return my calls or text messages it is now over two weeks. All of the messages I have sent to him have been as result of me hurting and needing answers... none were mean -mostly just trying WAY TO HARD for him to talk to me, I let him know that I really loved him and that we could work through it.

Now this is a man who is a sweetheart as well, a great dad, smart, and lives his life for god and his children. A man that told me all the time how much he loved me and how deeply he missed me. He said he couldn't wait to bring me out there within the next year to marry me.

The saddest part for me is that my reason research him on the net in NE was to find the church where he is an active member – because I wanted to buy a mass card in memory of his mom and send it to him for Easter with some things for his little girls.

He told me everyday that he loved both by text message each morning and we spoke EVERY day on the phone and shared our lives.

So the only thing I know that I am guilty of is text message, email and voice mail overload -trying to get him to talk to me so I can have some closure or understand what it going on.

I have also invested $400 in a flight to see him which is 3 weeks from now and have asked him several times to ask him what I shoud do... cancel it, come out and if so if he might help me with the cancellation fee due to the circumstances?

So the next time -if you really are a professional you should think before you judge someone and ever send an email as unprofessional as the one that you sent to me.

I am just hurting and looking for closure... I now wonder if there is any merit in the book that I have purchased from you -which I have not yet had a chance to take a peek at.

Also from a business perspective you are a bit confused... I never asked you for free advice, I have the receipt right in front of me... it clearly says that I was billed $39.97.

I would like very much to post your comments to me on the internet.. If that is the way you really feel towards women who are buying your books -Are you for real or a scam artist?

All the best to you - You may want to check into some councelling for yourself :)

Dawn

Disclaimer: In writing this post the author has attempted to stay as neutral as possible and only document the facts as they are known to be true. No part of this article should be construed as legal advice.