I was just about to order Raven Media's Grant Master Software thinking I could cancel my membership and get a refund as long as I did so during the free trial period as stated in the promotion. Then I decided to read the Terms & Conditions — link at bottom of the e-mail promotion.
As soon as I saw that the company was officially domiciled (or based) in Belize City, Belize, I got nervous. Further reading revealed that ny complaints would be governed by the laws of Belize and ajudicated through the couts of Belize. The Las Vegas, Nevada address is nothing more than a supposed customer service center... Just as many American companies have customer service centers in India, Ireland, etc.
I am not a lawyer and know nothing about the laws of Belize, but my gut tells me that Belizian laws governing international sales, e-commerce and intellectual property rights aren't any stricter than laws in Nigeria regarding internet bank fraud.in other words, no such laws exist (or aren't enforced if they do exist). If you purchase something from Belize over the internet you, essentially, have no recourse or legal remedy available to you. Well, maybe if you flew to Belize, hired a local attorney... But that's a bit more expensive than a few $39 monthly membership fees, plus the original $2.99 S&H.
Lesson of this story:
1) Always read the Terms & Conditions of any Web site or promotion, particularly those promising you anything for "free."
2) Always check out complaint before giving anyone credit card or bank account information. (Also wouldn't hurt to check out Snopes.com, either.)
Most of us are good, trusting and honest folks. However, there are a lot of people out there ready to rob you blind while they smile and shake your hand, metaphorically speaking.
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