I purchased an expensive digital camera from Ritz because I was lured by their free-shipping/no-tax pricing AND their 6-month no-interest/deferred-payment promotion via Bill Me Later (BML). It wasn't until I received my first statement from BML that I realized the transaction had been put through as a regular credit purchase -- in other words, the full amount due and accruing interest from day one.

I first brought the error to the attention of BML, who immediately checked the Ritz Web site, confirmed the promotion, and promised to fix it. A month later, by the time I received my second statement with no apparent corrective action, BML had changed their tune. They claimed Ritz was denying the promotional offer. Ritz took the money, so there was nothing BML could do but keep the transaction on my account as a regular credit purchase.

Predictably, Ritz claimed BML was responsible for the mess-up. I didn't buy it. Ritz got paid by BML, so it was certainly in their power to work with BML to straighten out the matter. Dealing with Ritz customer support was, however, an exercise in frustration and futility. Most of the time, I found myself dealing with "offshore" (by their own admission) agents with American-sounding names but clearly non-native accents. The one agent I finally managed to contact at their Irvine, CA, office was more helpful but ultimately too low in the food chain to do me any good. I was left holding the bag.

While I seek remedy through legal channels, I thought it best that I warn potential buyers about this shady retailer. I suppose it's possible BML is the culprit here or even that BML and Ritz are jointly running a scam. My advice for now is to not do business with either entity.