BBB Identifies Misleading Advertising, Products and Services Middle Tennessee Consumers and Businesses Can Do Without. Your Better Business Bureau has identified the following businesses as offering services and products, which have resulted in numerous complaints alleging misleading ads/offers, unsatisfactory services and misrepresented products.
Each business identified in this BBB Accredited Business Member/Media Update has been contacted by BBB concerning their business practices, unresolved customer complaints, and failure to discontinue the cause of customer complaints.
Consumer Depot, LLC -- BBB Rating: F
615.851.2125 -- 3332 Powell Ave, Nashville, TN 37204 -- www.ConsumerDepot.com
This company, owned by Martin and Carol Fike, specializes in refurbished, demo and "surplus" electronics and software at discounted prices; however, some consumers say it's nothing more than junk! In the multitude of complaints filed with BBB, consumers allege the company advertises one thing, but delivers another, fails to refund money for damaged merchandise, is difficult to reach for return authorization assistance and charges restocking or retains shipping fees for damaged or incorrect items. Consumers who purchased TVs, GPS units, stereos, computers, DVD players and Xbox or PlayStations report the items arrived damaged, inoperable or were not what was advertised. Some complaints indicate they did not receive all the parts such as power cords or other connective devices for stereos, computers or game consoles making the item useless. Numerous consumers who purchased iPods complained they arrived with severe gouges or scratches on the unit. One even stated the ear buds for the iPod arrived with earwax embedded in it! The majority of complaints allege the company is extremely difficult to reach as emails and phone calls go unanswered. Almost all complaints request refunds for items returned due to no fault of the customer; however, the company retains shipping and/or restocking fees referring the customer to its refund policy. The State of Tennessee Attorney General filed suit against Consumer Depot due to the numerous complaints filed with BBB and other agencies alleging violations of the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act. This is definitely a business Middle Tennessee can live without.
Smart Data Solutions, LLC - BBB Rating: F
615.382.9595 -- 4676 Hwy 41 North, Springfield, TN 37172 -- www.SDSFirst.com
In an economy where the jobless rate has hit 10% or more there is an increasing number of people who have lost their employer health plans. Smart Data Solutions (SDS) lures in unsuspecting consumers with "health plans" touted as "insurance." "Pre-existing Conditions OK!" - "Guaranteed Acceptance!" say the unsolicited fax ads. Consumers later find out the plans are really a discount health plan...not insurance. BBB investigators were unable to procure Tennessee licensing information for any known principle of SDS. In fact, insurance investigators for 4 states (NC, IN, CT, & WA) who issued Cease & Desist orders couldn't find a license for SDS or its alter ego American Trade Association either. According to court documents on file with BBB, SDS and its principles, Bart Posey/President, Richard Bachman/Vice President and Obed Kirkpatrick/associate, marketed and sold unauthorized products to the general public via illegal and unapproved fax blast solicitations, and has also been marketing and selling bogus Beema products issued by Beeman Insurance Company, an unauthorized, alien insurer located in Pakistan for which SDS provides third party administrator services. BBB files also indicate that SDS has marketed insurance for which polices have never been issued by the authorized insurer. This is not a healthy business practice! Consumers beware!
Cathedral Rosaries -- BBB Rating: F
615.424.3923 -- 506 Cedar Pointe Pkwy, Antioch, TN 37013
This online store, owned by Kathy Chambers, offers the sale of prayer rosaries. The only problem? Getting them! Numerous complaints to the Better Business Bureau state that orders were made, credit cards debited... and then .... Nothing! Most consumers report the company failed to deliver their merchandise. Failure to return phone calls and emails further frustrates consumers. Ms. Chambers' company leaves her customers praying for delivery.
National Credit Associates, Inc. -- BBB Rating: F
888.399.9910 -- 5543 Edmonson Pike, Nashville, TN 37211 -- www.NationalCreditInc.com
National Credit Associates, Inc. boasts in their Internet advertising they can clean up bad credit reports and increase credit scores, removing even bankruptcies, and they back it up with their $10,000 "Guarantee". Consumer complaints allege the company charges up front fees for their services and then fails to perform the credit repair services as promised. Jeff Seidel, President of NCA, is in direct violation of the Federal Trade Commission's Credit Repair Organizations Act which prohibits credit repair organizations from receiving payment BEFORE any promised service is fully performed. National Credit Associates then proceeds to do nothing at all for the $795 it charges its customers. The following statement from a consumer sums it up: "In January of 2009, I hired and paid this company to restore my credit and raise my credit score ... Since that time, my credit score has dropped and no information has been deleted. I have attempted to contact this firm to no avail. Some of the numbers are disconnected and others you cannot reach a live person. Not only has he not helped my credit rating, he has made it worse." BBB offers FREE advice on improving your credit report, and advises consumers that information in an individual credit report which is accurate cannot be removed unless the information is obsolete or erroneously entered into the credit record.
Horsein' Around, Inc. -- BBB Rating: F
615.677.6418 -- 929 Pleasant Shade Hwy, Pleasant Shade, TN 37145 -- www.HorseinAroundInc.com
Horsein' Around, Inc., owned by Deanna Rubio, offers horse transportation services. 15 complaints on file with BBB allege failure of the company to complete the services as contracted and paid for. Numerous complaints allege the company claimed the truck broke down and they were unable to complete delivery causing the consumer to hire another transportation company incurring more fees. All complaints allege difficulty contacting the company to figure out where the consumer's horse was, or to determine if the scheduled pick-up had occurred, and failure of the company to refund money for transportation services not performed. One complaint alleges the company failed to properly care for her horse during its transportation. The horse was delivered several days later than promised, and the trailer had "at least 2 feet of muck in it that several horses were standing in, and as a result my horse had a severe fungal infection on his hind legs that I am still treating." Ms. Rubio's lack of concern for her customers and their horses is not welcome in Tennessee!
RLC Enterprises, LLC -- BBB Rating: F
615.891.1163 -- 4636 Lebanon Pike, #348, Hermitage, TN 37076 -- www.RLCEnterprises.net
Are you interested in becoming a bodyguard, special agent or subcontractor for counter-terrorism? That's what Ricky Lee Coleman, Owner of RLC Enterprises, LLC, formerly known as Advancement Solutions and International Executive Services, promises consumers who come across advertisements his company places online and in newspaper advertisements across the country. BBB has received numerous complaints from consumers who thought they were guaranteed a career in one of the advertised positions, but after paying fees for training, the company failed to deliver the training & jobs as advertised. After a lengthy investigation, BBB discovered RLC Enterprises' advertising is deceptive and misleading. The company is nothing more than a registration office, and has NO career opportunities as advertised. BBB has also confirmed with the Secret Service and Tennessee Bureau of Investigations that an investigation into the company's business practices is on-going. BBB advises consumers with information regarding this company's services to file a complaint at www.nashville.bbb.org and contact the U.S. Secret Service at 615-736-5841. Since 2006, this company has repeatedly appeared on BBB's list of businesses Middle Tennessee can do without!
Summerstone Nursery, Inc./Autumn Ridge Nursery -- BBB Rating: F
931.668.7991 -- 8627 Morrison Hwy, Morrison, TN 37357 - www.SummerstoneNursery.com
931.474.3386 - 81 Union Hill Rd, McMinnville, TN 37110 -- www.AutumnRidgeNursery.com <http://www.AutumnRidgeNursery.com>
Ahhh! Springtime is for planting! Maybe not if you order your stock from Summerstone Nursery, Inc. or Autumn Ridge Nursery. These businesses advertise on the Internet boasting thousands of varieties of plants available. Complaint information received by the BBB shows there's no telling which variety you'll get... or whether it's even alive! One consumer states they got a "Dried ball of roots". Others state they got "Dead weeds" or "Dead sticks". The company stands firm on its "NO REFUNDS" policy. Instead they offer replacements....in November! Sometimes next spring! Consumers also complain about lack of customer service: failure to return email or voice messages and unanswered customer service lines. BBB has issued warnings in the past outlining Sam & Melinda Womack's poor business practices which have generated over 250 complaints to the Bureau.
National Fitness Center -- BBB Rating: F
615.661.8660 -- 7105 Moores Lane, Brentwood, TN 37027/various other locations in Middle TN -- www.NFC1.com
Note on the door: Sorry. We've closed. You can now utilize the services of (Another) Gym. On 5/9/09 National Fitness Centers closed its doors in Smyrna Tennessee. The Knoxville based company chose to pay another gym to service their contracts rather than release consumers from their contracts. Consumers were upset as the "replacement" gym was smaller, had less equipment, and did not offer childcare, personal training or classes. Customers aren't getting what they paid for. On more than one occasion, NFC members were asked to leave the new facility because the gym had not been paid by National Fitness. The BBB is still "weighting" on resolutions to 35 of the complaints on file with the BBB.
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