"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
. ..

"Greg" wrote in message
...
"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
news:n52Wd.62036$sR5.38404@trndny05...
The law was intended for mail-order firms that were taking the money and
not
delivering on a timely basis. Special orders often require a deposit of
cash or CC to insure you will not cancel and stick the company with a
special item they cannot sell otherwise.

Again, I believe that there is no such law. Have you actually seen the
law?
Is it state or federal?

Seems like it is not a Federal law
http://www.pcguide.com/buy/pur/prob/comPre-c.html
Credit Card Pre-Charge

Of all the different policies that differentiate vendors, the one that is
probably the most controversial relates to when a vendor charges your credit
card on a mail order or online purchase--especially if the item is
backordered or cannot ship immediately for some other reason. Some companies
will charge your credit card the instant you place your order, even if the
item you are ordering is not in stock, and even if they have no idea when or
even if it will ship. Others will take your order but charge your card only
when the item actually is sent.

Unfortunately, in many jurisdictions it is not illegal to precharge a credit
card for an item that is backordered, though in some places it is. You have
to check your local statutes. Where it is legal, many credit card merchant
service companies specifically disallow this practice as a condition of the
contract the vendor signs to accept credit cards. Of course the typical
vendor doesn't publish its credit card merchant agreement, even if they
aren't violating it, so it's not like you can easily check this. ;^)

http://www.howtoadvice.com/MailOrderLaws
THE 30 DAY RULE

To protect the consumer the FTC has enacted the Mail Order Merchandise rule
which is generally referred to as the 30 Day Rule. Many states have enacted
similar laws. some of those laws have a more narrow definition than the
federal law; the most notable is New York State.

The 30 Day Rule requires the seller to deliver the order within a 30 day
period, unless otherwise stated in the sales literature. if the seller, for
example, states in the order form that delivery takes 4 to 6 weeks, he has
effectively insulated himself from the law. In a practical matter, however,
he may have also affected his business in a negative way.

The 30 day period begins when an order arrives and has been properly paid
for.

The 30 Day Rule is an easy regulation with which to comply. It should rarely
take longer than 30 days to fill an order. If it does, the seller must
notify the buyer of the delay and the reason for it.

Some mail order companies delay shipment of orders until checks rendered for
payment have cleared. This should generally not take longer than 10 days. If
the seller wishes to follow such a policy, he should so state in his
literature. From the perspective of a mail order operator, I do not consider
this to be a sound policy. NSF and ACCOUNT CLOSED checks are relatively rare
and can be minimized with proper controls. If you practice such a policy,
you may save a few dollars but in return you will make customers unhappy. I
personally do not buy from companies that state in their literature that
they hold checks for clearance. Most mail order companies experience very
small bad debt ratios. It is recommended that you call the bank the check is
drawn on to verify funds on larger amounts; as for example, on orders over
$50.

Once the buyer has been notified that an order has been delayed, the seller
is automatically granted an additional 30 day delay unless the customer
advises the seller that the delay is not acceptable. If he does not reply to
the notification, it constitutes legal acceptance of the delay. In general,
and in most states, the seller may obtain a second 30 day delay as long as
there is a good enough reason.

The New York law differs from the federal law in that it stipulates a
maximum period of 65 days (including delays) for an order to be filled.
Newcomers to the mail order field residing in New York State should obtain a
copy of the New York regulations.

The 30 Day Rule does not pertain to credit card sales. Credit card charges
should be processed when an order is filled. If a mail order credit card
sale is cancelled, the seller must issue a credit against the account of the
buyer within one billing cycle following receipt of the cancellation
request.




Found some interesting information on consumer laws here also.
http://www.crimes-of-persuasion.com/...sumer_laws.htm