Another International Sales Direct case

On May 28 we featured a case submitted by Mr and Mrs Edward Micallef St John involving International Sales Direct (ISD). The case highlighted ISD managing director Mrs Rita Borg's strict policy with a particular focus on "Non-Returnable Deposits".

Mr and Mrs Micallef St John lost their Lm15 deposit. In the same article I named three traders who, unlike ISD, adopt a "Money Back Policy": Borg Barthet Home and Hardware of Guardamangia, tel: 2125-1666;

E. Maistre Stationers & Rubber stamp Manufacturers, 162, Melita Street, Valletta, tel: 2122-4888, 2123 1621; and Cartridge World, Bella Vista Street, San Gwann, tel./fax: 2128-6688.

Subsequently, I received another letter about yet another case in which Mrs Borg of ISD withheld somebody else's money in accordance with her 'Non-Returnable Deposits' policy.

It is very important for consumers to know about traders involved in such cases in which, once they get hold of your money, they hang on to it no matter what.

On behalf of her elderly aunt, Ms Mariella Mifsud, sent the following letter (on May 29) to Mrs Borg and copied me in:

I am attaching a copy of a letter I sent you on April 17, 2006.

I have been contacted by your sales representative and was told that Ms Fenech (my aunt) is to purchase an item worth the total price agreed upon. I stressed that it was not fair as Ms Fenech was contacted by your office to receive a 'present' which she did not ask for.

She had cancelled the order just one day after she paid the Lm40 deposit, well within the cooling off period. She had also been promised that she would be contacted to get an item worth Lm40.

Four years have passed but you did not give her a call and you didn't even follow up her cancellation. On the contrary, everything was put aside and forgotten until I got to know about the situation and 'phoned your office.

Subsequently I 'phoned your offices but I was taken for granted. Therefore, once again, I ask that my aunt, Ms Fenech, be treated in a fair manner and is given back her Lm40 'Deposit'. (Mariella Mifsud)

Here are excerpts from the April 17 letter Ms Mifsud sent to Mrs Borg in which she highlighted her aunt's age:

Back in 2000, Ms Fenech was contacted by one of your sales representatives informing her that she had been selected to receive a present and the sales rep asked to visit her at home. On the day, Ms Fenech, a 68-year-old woman, was offered three envelopes and she was asked to choose one. It turned out to be a Lm50 discount on the purchase of a product from ISD.

Ms Fenech signed an ISD sales order and submitted a deposit of Lm40 for an Easy Bread Machine. However, well within the cooling-off period, she 'phoned ISD to cancel the order as she thought that she would not be using an Easy Bread Machine.

The gentleman on the 'phone told Ms Fenech that there was nothing at Lm40 that she could take instead. He informed her that he would surely keep her name and he would call her when they would have an item worth Lm40. Years passed but no telephone call... (Ms Mifsud)

On June 21 I sent Mrs Borg copies of these two letters and asked for her comments, to no avail. Rather than send me her comments, on June 22, (after four non-communicative years) Ms Fenech received a telephone call from ISD informing her that she is going to receive a discount voucher.

Taking such an advantage of a 68-year-old woman is disgusting. Here follows the letter which Ms Mifsud sent to ISD and copied me in:

Today, Ms Fenech received a telephone call from your company informing her that she has been chosen (bil-polza) and will receive a discount voucher or a present and asked to visit her at her house. She had to phone back by 2 pm. I phoned to enquire about this, but no one got back to me when I left a message.

I wonder if this is the same old story repeating itself from the beginning, and, again, my aunt happened to be chosen! If this is the case, then you must really be joking. All we want is the Lm40 back, which are rightly due to Ms Fenech. (Ms Mifsud)

I appeal to Ms Borg to do the decent thing by giving Ms Fenech her Lm40 back with interest, particularly while bearing in mind that ISD have been in possession of Ms Fenech's money (Lm40) for over four years.

If there are any other consumers who were similarly bitten by International Sales Direct, they are welcome to write to me so that we can share the information. These cases are well worth sharing.