Re: "The thing to know is that you cannot apply for a refund by email."
Probably the next step will be for the letters and so on to cite US and state laws that (when viewed a certain way) require banks and the like to offer refunds for instances of fraud (sort of like chargeback requests for fraudulent credit card transactions). Adding the stain of legality may make more people take the bait in spite of countermoves by the firms because the customers will think the companies are trying to scam them and that if all else fails they can consult a lawyer.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
