Video Professor

My seventy some odd year old grandmother got a computer right before Christmas.

One of the things she said was she expected it to come with instructions on how to use it. What I TRIED to explain was they can't really do that because computers can be used for so many different things, there isn't really a way to do that.

She then brought up the Video Professor advertisement she saw on TV. I told her I had seen his commercials for years, but have never tried them. I figured they were OK, because he's been around for so long. Scams usually don't last that long.

So, since she doesn't have a debit or credit card, I ordered her the Internet lessons for the $6.95 shipping last week or so. She got them Tuesday I think.

It came with a little pamphlet and 3 CD's. Yesterday, her friend was looking at the booklet, and noticed that it said you had to return 1 of the CD's within 10 days, or your card would be charged around $78. (I don't remember the exact price, between 70 and 80).

There was no mention of that on the TV commercial (as my grandmother told me several times while I was over there last night). I never saw anything on their website about that when we ordered them (which it may be, I don't tend to look at the fine print stuff very much). It was only written in the little book which on the cover says "Read Me First".

So thanks to my grandma's friend, I wont get charged the $78 or whatever.

I went over to my grandma's house last night to take a quick look and help her figure out with of the 3 CD's she wont need so she can send it back. I think she'll only be interested in the second half of the first CD. The other disks talk about stuff she'll never use.

From what I can tell, the CD's looked ok but I only looked at the introduction on each disk. I also didn't care for his panhandling of his software that were on the disks (at an extra cost of course).

Anyway, if someone you know is looking into the Video Professor stuff, it probably will be ok, but be warned about what I personally call shady business practices in hiding that your free disks will cost you over $70 if you keep all 3 that they send you. (oh yes, not return envelope. You have to call their 800 number for more information on returning it.)