Solicitor looks into Loris computer store

Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 5:56 p.m.

After months of investigating Seaside Computers and Computer Inferno in Myrtle Beach for fraud, the Horry County Solicitor's Office is taking notice of yet another computer store in Horry County.

There are several factors that make the solicitor a little curious about the computer store in Loris, and there is growing evidence this latest store may be connected to the embattled Seaside Computers.

"He's a rip off. He's not honest. He gives you the runaround," Tammy Hardee explained on Wednesday.

"I had purchased a laptop from The Computer Store here in Loris, and I said the guy just gave me the runaround."

A receipt shows Hardee paid $244 to The Computer Store on August 30th for a refurbished laptop. She never received the laptop.

"He told me to come back, and I keep coming back, and it's not ready," Hardee recalled.

Hardee called NewsChannel 15's Graeme Moore Monday to try to get some answers. Graeme placed a call to The Computer Store to ask what was going on but never heard back from them. But Hardee did.

"Monday evening, about 4:45 he (The Computer Store employee) called me and said 'I have your check here,'" Hardee said.

From the outside, The Computer Store has a lot in common with Seaside Computer and Computer Inferno. The sign out front looks just like the one that used to sit outside Seaside Computers. The front of the store also looks similar.

When NewsChannel 15 began getting complaints about The Computer Store in Loris, we passed them along to Solicitor Greg Hembree. The similar appearance between the stores isn't the only thing that piqued his curiosity.

"Some of the names that are affiliated with The Computer Store are also folks that had some affiliation with Computer Inferno and Seaside Computers," Hembree said.

Also, Hembree hasn't figured out who owns The Computer Store. The store's business license doesn't list any names. Hembree said that's curious.

"Most corporations you know who is involved in them because they're required to file with the Secretary of State."

Tammy doesn't really care about the specifics. She's just glad it's over and says "I would not purchase nothing else."

NewsChannel 15 checked to see whose name was listed with the Secretary of State's Office as owning The Computer Store. There are no names listed, just a bunch of letters and numbers: TDACWS 134-48, Inc.

"It would even appear someone doesn't want us to know who the real owner is," Hembree added.

When NewsChannel 15 went by The Computer Store, the employee there denied any involvement with Seaside Computer or Computer Inferno.

Hembree suggests before dealing with any local computer store, call the Better Business Bureau to check them out.

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The above was reported on WPDE. See their site at http://www.wpde.com.