Complaint Review: Igia - Milinex - Power Storm Vacuum

My daughter and I were watching tv one afternoon the last week of April when we saw a infomercial for the Windstorm vacuum cleaner and for $119.95 you could get a second vacuum for free plus a free steam machine and all the accessories that went along with it. This same offer is made at officialtvwebsite.

I watched the infomercial and have to admit that I was impressed at what this vacuum could do. My daughter couldn't believe it would pick up a full size refridgerater. Wanting to surprize my wife for mothers day I thought this would be a nice gift, maybe not a proper gift but she had been asking for a new vacuum. I made the phone call and it was answered by a automated ordering system.

The ordering system was pretty much straight forward and even allowed me to add express shipping which I did wanting to make sure it was here before mothers day. I finished my order and considered it a done deal and went on my way thinking I was gonna get a couple of hugs for the new vacuum even if it was a lame mothers day gift. (To all you wives and mothers out there, I also bought her a new ring.) To my surprize this story was far from over.

I just happened to get my bank statement on May the 3rd and to my surprize there was a $540.00 charge to my account that I had no idea what it was. After some investigating my wife and I dicovered the charges where from the Milinex company. You can't begin to realize how embarrassed I was and the brow beating I took from my wife. I immeadiately got on the internet and tried to find the phone number to the company that had just ripped me off.

After a little searching I found a number to the mother company up in New York which apparently handles sales for smaller companies like Milinex. They in turn gave me a customer service number for Milinex. I called that number (1-800-278-6886)to stop the order and get a refund. After about a 20 minute wait I got to talk to a represenitive who informed me that my items had shipped on May 2nd and that he could not stop shipment and therefore could not refund my money.

He did inform me that when the products arrived if I wanted a refund that I could refuse shipment and when they got the items back I would recieve a refund. I thought that since the items had shipped on Tuesday the 2nd that surely I would see them by Friday the 5th so I agreed to his proposal and hung up. Needless to say I did not recieve the items on Friday so on Monday evening I called back.

They again waited 20 minutes to answere the phone but when I told them my story they assurred me that the items had shipped and that I should see them any day. I asked to speak to a supervisor to let them in on the problem and after being connected all I got was an answereing machine. I left a message asking them to call me back but I may have well told my wife she didn't need a new pair of shoes, new shoes 1 call backs 0.

Well today is May the 16th and you guessed it, still no product. I called the customer service department again and again told them my story (by the way it took over 30 minutes to answere my call this time) They informed me they had no idea where my stuff was at and when I raised my voice a little bit (because by this time I'm a little pissed) the guy threatened to hang up on me. I didn't even start cussing yet! Well I mellowed out and he ended up giving me the company number (1-800-958-1454) and web site listed above.

I again asked to speak to his supervisor and again got the answereing machine. While looking for the web site I came across this site and truthfuly was blown away at all the reports against this same company. 253 so far. Think of all those that don't know about this site. I have decided to go back to my bank in the morning and try and get them to refund my money and ask them why they hadn't told me about the Federal Regulation E and inform them that they had failed to assist me in a proper manner.

I think my chances are better with the bank than they are with this ripoff company. If not then maybe the Banking Commission will be of service. No matter what I will not let this go. I will report back here to let you know what I have achieved. By the way I did report this to my bank on the 3rd of May and they said there was nothing they could do. It was this forum that makes me believe otherwise. I hope the next time you hear from me I'm not sitting in prison somewhere.
Be Good Ya'll!

Bill
Louisburg, North Carolina
U.S.A.