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Woman Facing $3,500 Fine For Posting Online Review

sabri writes "Jen Palmer tried to order something from kleargear.com, some sort of cheap ThinkGeek clone. The merchandise never arrived and she wrote a review on ripoffreport.com. Now, kleargear.com is reporting her to credit agencies and sending collectors to fetch $3,500 as part of a clause which did not exist at the alleged time of purchase. 'By email, a person who did not identify him or herself defended the $3500 charge referring again to Kleargear.com's terms of sale. As for Jen being threatened — remove the post or face a fine — the company said that was not blackmail but rather a, "diligent effort to help them avoid [the fine]."' The terms and conditions shouldn't even apply, since the sales transaction was never completed."

10 of 519 comments (clear)

  1. Re:A "Cheap ThinkGeek Clone?" by i+kan+reed · · Score: 4, Informative

    I was going to comment that Dice hasn't done anything to ruin thinkgeek yet, but they don't actually own that one.

  2. Unconscionable Contract clause by imp · · Score: 5, Informative

    First, it's not clear a contract was established. And even if it was, unilateral changes generally are unenforceable. And even if it were there when the attempted purchase was attempted, this is an unconscionable contract clause, against public policy (1st amendment, etc) and should be thrown out.

    This person's best bet is to dispute the credit reports, counter sue for whatever they can think of to recover legal fees.

    If it were me, I'd just send them a letter telling them to go F themselves and I'll see you in court. Bring it. My lawyer, however, would likely wish that I not do that.

  3. Re:Hello Streisand Effect by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    They already are. They're removing all comments from their facebook page.

  4. Give them a call! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    You can also reach us by phone or snail mail at:

      You should give them a call, let them know what you think.
    KLEARGEAR.COM
    2885 Sanford Ave SW Suite #19886
    Grandville, MI 49418
    Se Habla Español
    Phone (866) 598-4296

  5. Re:in sue happy america by SirGarlon · · Score: 5, Informative

    The only people who get rich by going to court are the lawyers.

    --
    [Sir Garlon] is the marvellest knight that is now living, for he destroyeth many good knights, for he goeth invisible.
  6. Re:Hello Streisand Effect by kermyt · · Score: 5, Informative

    And now they have disallowed all commants on their FB page.

  7. CFPB by Nick · · Score: 5, Informative

    She needs to go to http://cfpb.gov/ right away and report this. It'll come off her credit reports ~30 days or so later. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was setup for exactly this kind of thing.

    --
    Fuck Ajit Pai
  8. (866) 598-4296 by frovingslosh · · Score: 4, Informative

    Their phone number is (866) 598-4296. They will pay for the call for you to call them and tell them what you think.

    --
    I'm an American. I love this country and the freedoms that we used to have.
  9. Re:Credit Reporting Agencies by ageoffri · · Score: 4, Informative
    Pretty much everything you stated is wrong. You can sue all three of the consumer credit reporting agencies in small claims court assuming you followed the processes outlined in the federal laws for consumer protection.

    http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/special/19990820.asp

    Check out creditboards.com and the ficoforums.myfico.com and you will find multiple success stories of people suing one or more of the CRA's.

    I can also say that from personal experience that merely making the threat to the CRA that you will be suing them in small claims court with proper citations will cause the CRA to fix their errors.

    --
    -- Slashdot, making the Left look conservative since 1997.
  10. Re:Hello Streisand Effect by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    And now their FB page has been deleted.