Warning: Don't order the "Chocolate Factory" toy! Major ripoff.

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It's advertised on the kids' channels and during Saturday morning cartoons. It's a set of molds that you use with melted chocolate to make different shapes of chocolate candy. My niece saw it and wanted it for her birthday. There is no web site or mailing address, only a 1-800 number.

You call them and talk to someone who takes your credit card info. The guy I talked to sounded like he is in India, with that fake American accent thing. For me, the product never arrived. I only realized this a couple of months later. It showed up on my bank statement as a PayPal withdrawl from my checking account.

PayPal denied to me that the transaction ever took place. My bank verified that PayPal did get the money, but would not do any more about it since it was past the 30-day cutoff date for claiming a fraudulent transaction. PayPal still refused to admit that the transaction ever took place and wouldn't budge.

It's partly my fault for not monitoring my checking account more closely, if I had caught it right away I could have filed a claim for fraudulent activity. I changed banks because of this and I also block PayPal from my own web site since I don't trust PayPal at all.

I have since lost the 800 number so I can't call them back and ask what happened to my order. Just a heads-up - in my opinion this is a shady company, no matter how attractive and fun the product looks in their commercials!

[Deja Q]

1. I'm so sorry that happened to you.

:hug: And I'm sorry companies are so increasingly lacking in scruples and morals. (Lacking in Christian values too...)

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7. Did you see this earlier thread about you:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x5463664

[derby378]

2. That's rough - I feel for you

Me, I never buy from anyone that only has a 1-800 number.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

3. Wow...Thanks for the warning!

My 8 year old has been seduced by the same commercial. I told him I'd take him to the cake decorating store, where we can get some candy molds sometime. I've already got a double-boiler to melt chocolate in.

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4. The same product appears on some web sites, which may be other companies

and may be honest companies. As one example, it appears on this page:

http://www.asseenontvguys.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=63

but I don't know if this is the same company I called or not. There are other web sites that the product appears also, which may be different companies from the one I called. At any rate, I don't think I'll buy the product unless I can buy it in person somewhere.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

5. I'm still thinking I can get better quality stuff for about the same price

sans the double-boiler, which I don't need anyway. Wilton has candy making supplies that look great...

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6. I'm sure the legitimate candy-making supply companies would have

better quality products anyway, compared to something advertised on TV to small children.