This company sells parts online for laptop computers, and also repairs laptops. I tried to place an order by phone using a bank ATM checking account card. The person taking the order said the bank declined the payment because the billing address did not match the billing address for the account, or some such.

But it turned out the bank did process the transaction; the transaction does show up on my checking account. I phoned the company and was told that that was impossible, and that if this really happened, I should contact my bank. So I did—and was assured that, yes, the transaction really was showing up on my account. I was told that I should set up a three-way phone conversation with the bank, someone from Mundo Corp., and me.

When I called Mundo, I was nastily told that they do not “do” three-way phone conversations. I also was nastily told I had to speak with their accounting department—which does not answer its phone. (The “returns” department doesn’t, either, by the way.) I left several voicemail messages, which of course were not returned.) When I called their sales department back and said their accounting department does not answer their phone and had not returned my two voicemail messages, I was told to wait 24 hours for a return call. I asked to be transferred immediately to someone in the accounting department who would answer the phone. I was transferred.

The person in accounting was even nastier than the sales person. She refused to participate in a three-way call with my bank, claiming “privacy concerns.” I called my bank back and was told that the charge might disappear from my account by the next day if the transaction really did not go through. The next day—today—when the charge was still there, I called Mundo back. I had to call the repairs department simply to be able to reach anyone. I asked to speak with a manager of the company, and was transferred to the same person in accounting that I had spoken with the day before. This time, she didn’t dispute that the transaction was showing up in my checking account, but nastily said it would disappear eventually, when no payment was made to the company.

She then threatened to report me to the FTC—the FTC???—for harassment (!!!) if I called again, and hung up on me.

At some point during this two-day sequence of events, someone from the company told me to fax a letter to them. I tried. The fax machine was not tuned on; there was no answer. I tried again today. Same result.