Hydro-Sil is/was a heating-equipment company. I ordered baseboard heaters and programmable thermostats from them in October. Paid by check, which was deposited as soon as they received it (I have the canceled check). My order was marked "Awaiting Shipment" on their web site. It still is. I called and emailed after a month and finally received an email saying there had been some delays but they'd be shipping within a week. Few weeks later I tried contacting them again, with no response. THEN their web site had a notice that they had "regretfully" gone out of business because their supplier was not supplying. Fine, but how about my money back? I have since learned that several other consumers were similarly scammed — told (in some cases, for MONTHS) that their items would ship, then no communication, and no money back. Want to point out, also, that after I began my on-line order but left it incomplete for a couple of weeks last year, I was constantly bombarded by emails from HydroSil encouraging me to complete the order, offering discount coupons or reduced shipping costs (easy to do, I guess, when you don't plan to really ship) as inducements. Clearly, since by this time they were already NOT shipping to others (as I've since learned), they knew by then that they had nothing to sell; they were just scamming people into sending them money. Isn't this pretty much the DEFINITION of fraud? I've sent a registered letter to which they have not responded. Also contacted the NC Atty General, who says they've gotten several complaints and are "looking into it" (as of January — nothing since). Also learned the Sanford family, owners of Hydro Sil, are apparently politically connected in both NC and SC. So I guess they can just get away with stealing money from working people.
0 comments