PSA: A FRAGILE THING
I’m passing along without judgment a note I received. Y’all can decide for yourselves if 3Moms.com is a company worth doing business with:
Hi Daryl,
I really hope you can help me. I have, unfortunately, ordered $106.30 worth of computer software from the 3 Moms Free Homeschool Software website. I am beginning to believe I have been scammed. I have called the 805-637-xxxx telephone number today and encountered a recording stating the number is not receiving incoming calls. That is the first time I have ever heard anything like that?!? Anyway, I have sent numerous e-mails to several different addresses trying to find out what is going on with the order; all to no avail. Have you received other “scam” notices or alerts from other homeschooling parents in regards to this “free” software. Supposedly, the $106.30 was to cover the “shipping”. If you will reply, I would be most grateful.
Thanks and best regards,
Michele
And here is an email I sent to the company several days ago on Michele’s behalf. I’ve changed only the private stuff:
One of your customers in SC has sent a VERY discouraging email to my blog indicating that the software that she ordered has not been shipped and she is out $106.30 She has attempted to contact you several ways, including calling 805-637-xxxx. Please contact me to indicate what you are doing to assure that Mrs. Michele xxxx gets her software ASAP.
A business such as yours is dependent on the goodwill of the homeschooling community. And that goodwill really is a fragile thing.
Daryl Cobranchi
HE&OS (http://cobranchi.com)
I sent that on 10/23. As of right now, neither Michele nor I have heard a single word back from 3Moms.com.
Caveat emptor.
7 Responses to “PSA: A FRAGILE THING”
 Comment by Andrea October 27th, 2006 at 12:04 pm |
Sadly, this is not the first time I’ve heard of this. |
 Comment by JJ Ross October 27th, 2006 at 12:25 pm |
A FL yahoo list Nance and I were on years ago did an indignant thread about this company and the women named as running it – as I recall the beef was that they “sell” newbies otherwise free public info packaged as HS starter kits, stuff no one needs to pay for, such as homeschool regulator addresses for mailing in forms, the forms themselves, etc. But you don’t realize that until it’s too late and technically, they are sending you something you’ve agreed to purchase, so complaints were unsuccessful in shutting them down. All I know is what passed through my email back then, though, never needed to take a look myself. Caveat emptor indeed. |
 Comment by COD October 27th, 2006 at 12:42 pm |
I got a similar email from somebody else a few months ago. They ordered, got the wrong thing, and were having trouble getting a $90 refund. I suggested reversing the charge on the credit card. |
 Comment by Ulrike October 27th, 2006 at 5:44 pm |
Here’s the review I wrote about 3Moms back on Tuesday, Aug 23, 2005: I ordered their curriculum fair in a box about 6 months ago, and I was rather disappointed. Even overlooking the typos, well over half of the curriculums in my package were Alpha Omega Publications (aop.com/). Their insert for Sonlight was misleading on the cost–implying that the cost of books was in addition to the cost of the “Core Curriculum”–and didn’t include the Sonlight Catalog, which gives the details of each year’s curriculum. In fact, their “samples” were less detailed than the ones in the FREE Sonlight catalog. Based on their packet, I never even would have CONSIDERED Sonlight, which I had already used for 2 years with 2 kids. Additionally, I ordered both the Pre-K/K and the 1st-3rd grade packages, and they were virtually identical! What a waste of money. If you want information about curriculums, I recommend signing up for free mailings from the publisher or simply surfing around their websites. …A Google search will usually find whatever curriculum website you want quite easily, and from there, you can either view the catalog online or request that they send you a paper copy. ***end quote*** At the time, I was homeschooling overseas, where I didn’t have easy access to an annual curriculum fair, and I thought their product would be a good way to get information on products I wouldn’t otherwise consider. That was not the case at all, and I will never do business with them ever again. |
 Comment by KayBrooks October 28th, 2006 at 8:34 pm |
They were the focus of discussion on the Homes School Web Master’s list back in 2003. One insisted they were legit (despite being named Bonnie & Clyde) but some thought they were just repackaging free information. He never responded to my request for free Tennessee information so I could check the accuracy. |
 Comment by Karl October 28th, 2006 at 11:21 pm |
Well, you could alway try the conact number listed on the Domain registration (listed below) and also, as mentioned before, notify the credit card company to dispute the charge : Registration and WHOIS Service provided by directNIC.com Intercosmos Media Group, Inc. provides the data in the directNIC.com directNIC makes this information available “as is”, and does not guarantee Registrant: Domain Name: 3MOMS.COM Administrative Contact: Technical Contact: Record last updated 08-24-2004 08:51:51 PM Domain servers in listed order: |
 Comment by traci October 30th, 2006 at 11:38 am |
Daryl, Didn’t you blast these women a few years back on your blog for selling information that was already essentailly free w/ a little research to newbies for $50? |