Stay away from Lingvosoft and Ectaco

After reading that Lingvosoft won the Best Software Awared for translation software, I checked out their products.  I discovered a pda-type device they are selling called an Ectaco E15C800.  My experience with the product and more importantly with Ectaco is a complete disappointment.  Here is a description of what I encountered:

Forget the quality and usefulness of the Ectaco translator. I urge anyone interested in this product to stay away from Ectaco the company. Short version...DON'T DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY. Long version...read on. I have used internet orders for years and always had a good experience. This was by far the worst I have had. First of all, their return policy is very restrictive and unlike most retailers. You have 7 days to make a return and there is a 6% restocking fee on all returns. Keep that in mind when ordering. But as if that is bad enough, they don't even honor the policy. I tried out the E15C800 for a few days and on the 5th day I called to request an RMA to return it. I left a voice mail message. When I did not receive a return call within 2 days, I sent an email to them informing them I wished to return the item. Then, 3 days later, they responded to my email telling me the 7 days had passed and I was too late. I responded with the specific information about my return and my efforts to obtain an RMA. They said they would reconsider. After a few more days they emailed back to say they would not accept the return. I informed them I would keep the item in a box ready to ship to them and I would protest the charge on my credit card. After a week I received my credit card statement and I emailed to remind them of my intentions to protest the charge. They finally agreed to accept the return and gave me an RMA number. I immediately shipped the item to them. About 10 days later I tracked the package and found it had been delivered within 3 days of when I sent it. I checked my credit card statement on-line and there was no credit issued. I emailed them that they needed to post a credit within 36 hours or I would be forced to protest the charge after all since my credit card payment was due. They responded that they would issue the credit within that time period. But once again, true to form, they did not do what they said they would do. So after all of the time I had spent on this and all of the promises to resolve the issue, I had to protest the charge with Mastercard.  I received a temporary credit, while Mastercard contacts Ectaco. Then, from out of the blue, I got an email from Ectaco that provided an "authorization for the credit and gave a 11 digit alpha-numeric code. I checked my Mastercard account each day and no credit appears, so this was apparently a effort on their part to make me think they gave me my money back, when in fact they did nothing but send an email that meant nothing. So in the end, Mastercard will handle the final resolution of this matter. I have pages and pages of documentation to prove that I followed the return policy and procedure (bad as it is), so in the end, they will be forced to give me my money back. I would be glad to provide anyone who is interested in a copy of the email thread that verifies all of this. Contact me at orders [at] rickgans [dot] com and I will forward it to you.