When Mark Burgess saw a Facebook ad for discounted hand-sewn quilts, he jumped on the deal.
“I thought, ‘Man, that is really good,’” Burgess recalled. “Two for $100 dollars plus shipping and handling. What a deal.”
Burgess made the purchase and got an email saying his order would be processed in five to seven working days. Instead, the quilts showed up six weeks later in a crudely wrapped package from China.
Also, the merchandise that showed up at his Houston home looked nothing like the image advertised on the site.
"It's cheaply made,” Burgess said. “It’s not as advertised as far as hand done. As you can see, stitching is coming out here.”
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has received complaints from more than 600 unhappy customers in the past year.
Consumers find the sites through an online search or social media ads. After their purchase, they might get a tracking number and confirmation email. But in many cases, the merchandise never arrives or shows up looking nothing like what they ordered.
When customers try to reach the company, they either can’t find any contact information or the site has shut down entirely. Also, the business addresses for many of the sites are listed as a private home in Salem, Oregon.
Here’s a working list of the sites getting the complaints. Some of the pages are defunct. For every site pulled down, a new one pops up.
Here's a list of sites getting complaints:
- Click Kool
- Farmzily
- Amelia Quilt
- Amelia's Quilts
- Elsie Quilt
- Bella Quilt Company
- Elsie Cotton Quilt Company
- Ema Cotton
- NinetyFabric
- Ecrafta
- ECrafta, aka Emacotton
- Weirdo Stuff
- Sleepious
- Amelia Cotton Quilt Company
Marybeth Burgess appreciates her husband’s effort to find a good deal on a quilt for their bed. She just wishes that he would have researched the company and read about the complaints before buying.
"I knew where his heart was and I knew that he really wanted to buy me something nice,” Marybeth said. “I've told him multiple times, ‘If it's too good to be true, it probably is.’”
If you made a purchase from one of the sites, the BBB wants to hear from you. You can file a complaint by clicking here.
How can you protect yourself when shopping online? Here are three tips from the BBB.
- Think before your click. Be especially cautious about email solicitations and online ads on social media sites. Many sketchy retailers advertise great deals or trendy clothing that don’t measure up to the promotional hype.
- Beware of too-good-to-be-true deals. Offers on websites and in unsolicited emails may offer free or very low prices on hard-to-find items. There may be hidden costs or your purchase may sign you up for a monthly charge. Look for and read the fine print.
- Shop with a credit card. In case of a fraudulent transaction, a credit card provides additional protections; it’s easier to dispute charges that you didn’t approve. Debit cards, prepaid cards or gift cards don’t have the same protections as a credit card.