We have a machine (folder-inserter) for which we purchased a service contract from TMC Business Solutions. We were satisfied with the service, so well before the expiration date we renewed the contract by paying with a credit card over the phone. The renewal invoice was sent on 11/11/10 and indicated it should be paid within 15 days. We are customer number 02523 and the invoice number is C19276.

In the weeks after that renewal, in totally unrelated circumstances, we were offered a folder/inserter with significantly increased functions at a price we couldn't refuse. We bought it, and thus had no need for the current machine, and no use for the service contract on the current machine.

The contract indicates that the period of service is 1-8-11 to 1-7-12.

On 12-27-10 we advised the service provider that we did not want to renew, and requested a refund via a charge-back to our American Express credit card.

It took several weeks of run-arounds from the service provider company; the guy was out of town, he was unavailable, then only the president could decide -- finally on 1-21-11 Ed Carter, Service Manager, told us that it was "policy" not to grant refunds. Policy as established by the president of the company.

We pointed out that we had requested the refund prior to the beginning of the service period, and, of course, had made no service requests under the renewed contract.

Our pleas fell on deaf ears. We were told that we would not be given a refund. We have requested a charge-back from American Express, but would greatly prefer to simply have a refund of unneeded services from the service provider.