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  • Report:  #512567

Complaint Review: THe Military Club - Havelock North Carolina

Reported By:
SSG - , Hawaii, USA
Submitted:
Updated:

THe Military Club
925 E. Main St. Havelock, 28532 North Carolina, United States of America
Phone:
8003106605
Web:
themilitaryclub.com
Categories:
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good? What's this?


To the owner of this business,

 

Hello my name is Staff Sergeant Jason **** . I am an active duty Soldier in the U.S. Army. I am writing this to inform you of my intentions to report your business to BBB and the Army Times , as well as any other military read publications that contain your ads and to RIPOFFREPORT.COM . A copy of this email and any emails you send to me will be forwarded to the BBB as well as others. I'm sure you would like to know why. Well let's start with your ad on page 32 of the Army Times that is dated 26OCT09 but I recieved today 20OCT09.

 

1. Your Ad: You list a 42" tv for 1799.20 with a monthly payment of 84.95 for 36 months.

The ad shows a brand name of SHARP. So I went to your website and did some research. After a few minutes of research I found out that you are actually selling a discontinued Magnavox tv Model # 42MF438B/27 that when new could be bought for under $700.00. I know that I found the right one when ALL and I mean ALL of the specifications on your site matched with the specifications on this site:   (( (link redacted))) I also noticed that you do not list ANY model numbers for the tvs you are trying to sell. Now I see why. It would be unfortunate for you if someone noticed they were getting ripped off. If somone were to buy this and take your financing, it would come out to $84.95x36mos= $3058.20, about 340% of the $700 RETAIL price that I found.That means you would have taken a Soldier for about $2,358.20. Without your financing you would have made a profit of $1,100.00 or about 160% of the $700 RETAIL price that I found. Oh I forgot to mention that you throw in a home theater which I did not research but looks to be about a $150-$200 system. The only reason I noticed this ad is because I just bought an Insignia 42" LCD HDTV model number NS-L42X-10A from (((competitor's name redacted)))on sale for $700.00 and it's alot better than the Sharp, I mean Maganvox tv at your store, I mean site.

 

2. Your Website: Where to begin, there is so much "scam artistry" going on I almost got a headache. So I'll stick with tvs. You list a "discounted" price $2199.20 46" RCA LCD with a picture of a child in over-alls on the tv's display. So I went to the RCA site and found that same picture. The tv model number is L46FHD37R. But as I suspected the specifications you list do not match RCA's website for that model, but it does match exactly for the model number L46FHD37 which has a MSRP of $1499.00 from the RCA website. But at this site ( ((link redacted)))you get it brand new for $834.38. Doing simple math will show that you are cheating the HARD WORKING military and their families out of $1364.82 combat earned dollars. If they take the financing you list at $103.84x36=$3738.24. That's a scammed profit of $3738.24-$834.38= $2903.86. That profit is almost as much as my base pay! WOW! If only I didn't have any morals... I also bought a PS3 120gig from Best Buy for $300.00 you are selling a PS3 120gig bundle for $1599.20 that includes 10 games a Blu-Ray movie and a controller. Assuming the games are $60.00 a piece and the movie is $30.00 and of course the controller is included with the system, the total is about $930.00. Lets round it to $1000.00. So thats a ripoff of at least $599.20.

 

3. YOU, your employee(s), and the person receiving this email operations manager Gin Jones: Where are your morals? I understand a business must make a profit. And that is perfectly fine with me. But since you cater only to active military, retired military, and government employees, you should give the absolute best prices available and that includes financing. All that we volunteer to do, the numerous years we have spent in Afghanistan and Iraq ( I have spent 3 years in Iraq), all the sacrifices we make to keep America as safe as we can, and all you want to do in return is take more than is reasonable from our pockets and basicly spit in the faces of the ones that do not make sound decisions.  The reason you cater to us is simple. We are guaranteed a check, and if we don't pay, it is very easy to sue and collect from us. Your prices are not competitive whatsoever unless I can pay in Iraqi Dinar , which is 1,250 Dinar to one Dollar. I looked at your warranty disclaimer and you sell everything "as-is" no warranty. And your financing is ridiculous. I seen the 90 days no interest, but your rates start at 17.98% and go up to 21.98%. I bet there is a default rate you use for missing a payment and I would hate to know what that rate is. Lucky for me, I have always been too smart and my credit too good, to use the "military friendly" businesses I see come and go around bases and in the papers. I see that you are also located at 925 East Main Street, Havelock, NC . Which is near Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station, Camp Lejeune and is not too far from Ft. Bragg. I think I will send a letter to them as well as any other bases around your area.  Scam artists you are, military friendly you are not, bankrupt hopefully you soon will be.

 

Sincerely,

Jason **** SSG, USA, Infantry.

 

P.S. I live in Hawaii and I did all this research on the internet. This is my very first contact with your business. And you should make your myspace private.

 

CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

sorry, allowing you to give a competitors name would instigate others to just file against their competition, to only come back later to suggest their company, ..plus, if you post a competitors name more than likely they will show up on search engines as a Rip-off! - - your comments on this policy are welcome. CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report. In this case we removed an alleged competitors name


3 Updates & Rebuttals

SSG Powell

USA
To Inspector in Tobyhanna

#2Author of original report

Thu, October 29, 2009

This is going to be long winded so I can make sure I am clear. First off, I know scamming the military has been around forever as well as scamming the public, nothing new there but that doesn't mean we should stand by and let it happen. Why involve the Army Times? Simple, the Army Times is the #1 read paper in the Army by Soldiers. In my opinion, the Army Times should hold themselves to a higher moral standard and not sell ad space to a business such as this. Soldiers get info such as state of the Army, results from gear fielding, and new training ideas. All of it helpful to them. They should not advertise for a business that they know will do more harm than good.

You asked if I bought anything from them. No. I have good financial sense, but alot of young Soldiers do not. Why the wrath you say? As a Non-commisioned Officer I have two basic responsibilities, accomplishment of my mission and the welfare of my Soldiers. I care about Soldiers and their families, and do my best to keep them away from harm on and off the battlefield. I put the copy of the letter I sent on this website for the simple fact that if a Soldier Googles the business they would come across my letter and the examples in it. Hopefully that would discourage them from making a serious mistake. Im not benefitting whatsoever from any of this, but I believe Soldiers will. You think that these companies are not doing anything wrong. I disagree. I think it is morally wrong to seek out people that they know cannot afford to be buying from them and then selling them a product at 3x the fair retail market value. In society these days, people are morally bankrupt just as much as they are financially.

Your right about the BBB, it may not do any good. But a part of the BBB's mission statement is "denouncing substandard marketplace behavior" and this company fits the mold. Now you assumed that I think I am entitled to better treatment than everyone else. I know I am not, nor do I think I am better than anyone else. I have never had that kind of mentality and dispise that type of behavior. I have never expected more than I deserve, but I do expect to get what I pay for. As soon as I leave a military installation, I'm John Q. Public waiting in line like everyone else. But if a company says they only cater to active military and gov employees, then there should be a better reason then knowing they will recieve their monthly payment on time. Otherwise they should cater to the public as well.

Serving is an honor and my duty, and part of that duty is taking care of Soldiers which is not a trivial duty and should never be taken lightly.

There is something I would like to know about you. Do you support these companies or are you just playing devil's advocate? I would think that a vet would understand where I am coming from and would like to see these companies disappear.Lastly, you said I had my moment in the sun when I came home. What did you mean? Did you think it was a privilege for me to come home? Did you think I got a parade or alot of people where cheering for me? There was no ceremony or party for me of any sort. Just my family waiting at the airport, and that's all I wanted, nothing more.


Jeanski

Hamburg,
New York,
U.S.A.
Recourse

#3Consumer Comment

Wed, October 21, 2009

Jason, first of all, thank you for your service. I am also a vet, my ex-husband was a careerist, and my daughter is in the Air Force. She served in Afghanistan.

Please consider contacting your post Inspector General. I believe he has the authority to make a business "off limits". Also, see if there are other military sites (military.com and the AKO come to mind).

What this company is doing is reprehensible, whether the customer is military or not.


Inspector

Tobyhanna,
Pennsylvania,
USA
Hey Jason

#4General Comment

Wed, October 21, 2009

Scamming the military has been around forever.  Every merchant outside the gate of the military bases are selling products at higher prices than non military cities.  The Army Times is a private publication with no affiliation to the military, what makes them so different?

These businesses are doing nothing wrong or illegal.  Increasing your prices is not a crime.  Besides did you buy anything from them?  Why the wrath?

I seriously doubt if the BBB will pay credence to your rant, you must show proof of wrongdoing.

I appreciate your service (I also served) but, that doesn't entitle you to better treatment than everyone else.  To serve is an honor and also your duty.  Let's not trivialize that duty by expecting more than you deserve.  You had your moment in the sun when you came home, leave it be.

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