[cblake]

Yes! It seems as if the "script" is well rehearsed, doesn't it? I contacted this company to potentially place an order for a camera. I was told that the battery that comes with the unit only lasts 20 minutes. I contested this because I had done my homework. The staff were rude and openly deceptive at every possible opportunity!

BEWARE: They send you e-mail notice of any order changes and conveniently leave off items that are supposed to be included for the claimed price. Then, if you call them on it, they say, "Oh, yea, I just sent you an e-mail with that added." My head was spinning after speaking to them for just a few minutes and looking at what they had done via the e-mail verification process! The more I asked questions, the more lies they told!

They also have the gall to tell you that "other companies" will send you imports and that is how they offer the prices that they do. Interesting, isn't it? THEY are the "other companies" doing this at the expense of the customer! Once they finish the scam, their "deals" are outrageous overcharges---no, fraud!

I think a starting place would be RipOffReport.com. The fellow who runs this site NEVER takes down the postings. The companies are free to do a rebuttal, but the information stays up there regardless. After that, I recommend starting an online petition at onlinepetition.com. It would be intersting to see how many people come forward. You should see how many disgruntled Toyota owners are speaking out about failing engines right now at very low mileage. Check out "Toyota Owners Unite for Resolution: Engine Oil Sludge." Another must use site is ConsumerAffairs.com. This site is really having an impact as stories are shared by deceived consumers. In the Toyota issue, for instance, each story sounds identical in regard to corporate response after product failure.

Some companies can and will do whatever they can to exploit the customer. The hope is that we, the overworked and frustrated consumers, will simply go quietly away. Government has far too few resources to monitor what consumers are going through. Don't you know that these same companies take full advantage of this!

Go forward with your consumer advocacy, but be ready for these deceptive companies to use any means they can to squelch your freedom of speech. This is usually done by "cyberstalkers" who personally attack the organizers until they give up because of the stress. Don't give up, though. Be persistent, consistent, and creative. The word can spread quickly if you proceed cautiously! After all, the TRUTH should be known, shouldn't it?

Fotoconnection is working very hard, it seems, to catch consumers who have not done their homework. How many of these folks have gone away quietly already? My guess is that the BBB complaints are just the tip of a huge iceberg.

Start thinking "out of the box" and take action online! You might think that it is just little companies...back door in the alley kind...that do this sort of thing. However, it is truly unbelievable what consumers are putting up with when dealing with very large corporations. The key is sharing consumer experiences until the company cannot ignore them!

Good luck!