The TV ad on 12/31/07 said "Buy one, get one free - and as an added bonus we'll throw in the shears, all for only $10"... plus $7.95 shipping. I entered the order online and received and e-mail confirmation that mdse would be received in 4-6 weeks. On 3/4/08 I called to cancel but was told "the order shipped yesterday". The charge deducted from my checking account on 3/5/08 was $51.80!

When I called the customer service number for an explanation I was told I ordered TWO (plus I'd get 2 free), and shipping was $7.95 EACH - so the merchandise was $20, but shipping was $31.80. No mention of the free shears. I told "Kami" I would return the shipment unopened and expected a full refund. She said they'd refund $20. Then a circular arrived from Bed Bath & Beyond, which sells this item for $9.99. The shipment arrived today. It was a small bubble-wrap lined envelope sent through USPS parcel post, weighed 3 ounces, and clearly didn't contain 4 Samurai Sharks and 2 pairs of shears.

From the number of complaints on several complaint boards it's apparent the scam is consistent for all merchandise these crooks offer: inflated shipping charges, shipping as soon as cancellation is requested, and an outsourced co-conspirator customer service group (permissioninteractive.com) responding from scripts. The amounts are small enough that many who are burned just throw up their hands and don't complain, so these crooks continue on their merry way.

But how many hundreds or thousands who take the bait are losing $10, 20 or $30 or more? Do the math.