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If you didn't order something, don't pay for it

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by By / KING 5 News

Posted on September 30, 2009 at 10:00 PM

Updated Wednesday, Oct 14 at 3:10 PM

Video: If you didn't order something, don't pay for it

A Buckley family got an unwanted delivery and a big bill.

"Oh, the light bulbs arrived on my back porch," said Julie Green, who had in her hands $200 worth of light bulbs she never ordered.

Some of the 24 light bulbs arrived broken and were sent to her by a business that sounds a whole lot like a charity.

Their name: Disadvantaged Workers of America.

What's really crazy is how the business found them. They called her to verify their address. That's it.

Jesse Jones: "Your son wouldn't order any light bulbs?"

Julie Green: "No, he's 15 years old, he doesn't need light bulbs!"

We tracked the business to a now-closed office building in Tempe, Arizona. The payments were supposed to be sent to a mailbox in Gilbert, Arizona.

In fact, the state of Pennsylvania has stopped the company from doing business in their state.

I got thinking about those bulbs. A quick search of the Internet revealed they cost a whopping $.55 each.

Julie won't be paying that invoice anytime soon because she's too busy cutting coupons and trying to save her family some money.

"Why would I order $199 worth of light bulbs if I want to save 35 cents?" she wondered.

Julie tried many times to talk to someone about the order, but no one returned her calls.

I've heard of this game being played on businesses. The advice I got from the Federal Trade Commission: If you didn't order it, don't pay for it.

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