July
27, 2011 – Conway, SC
The Better Business Bureau of Coastal Carolina is
issuing a nationwide alert to consumers regarding “Dr. Bass, LLC”, an online store that sells custom built speaker
cabinets based out of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The BBB has received 39 complaints against Dr. Bass since October of 2008, the
majority of which allege that products are not being received. Consumers are purchasing products on the Dr. Bass website, paying for them in
full, but either never received the product or they are sent a completely
different product than what was ordered.
Out of the total number of complaints we have processed, 28 of them have
gone unanswered by the
business. These complaints come to our
BBB office from various states, including: SC, NC, CA, CO, NY, TX, WI, VA, FL,
HI, OR, MO, MD, and Puerto Rico.
The South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs
office has also received 13 complaints about Dr. Bass that have gone unanswered.
“Sometimes we see this sort of thing when
an internet-based business gets too big to handle”, said Kathy Graham, President/CEO of the Better
Business Bureau of Coastal Carolina, Inc. “The appropriate action would be
for Dr. Bass to respond to consumer concerns and let the BBB work with them to
help resolve the issues”. Graham continued, “Since Dr. Bass has
chosen to not respond to their unhappy customers, they leave the impression of
being just another scam, and that leaves a lot of frustrated and angry
consumers out there with no relief in sight”.
The BBB offers the following tips for
consumers to protect themselves when purchasing over the Internet:
- Verify the
company’s contact information (name, address, phone numbers) before you
give out any personal information.
- Read the terms
and conditions carefully. If you
don’t understand them, ask. If you
are unable to get a suitable response, don’t do business with the company.
- Use a credit
card for your purchase instead of a debit card. Debit cards take money out of your
checking account, immediately.
- If a pop-up
appears after purchasing an item, read the box carefully to see how you
can close it out without agreeing to a purchase.
The mission of the Better Business Bureau is to
promote, through self-regulation, the highest standards of business ethics and
conduct, and to instill confidence in responsible businesses through programs
of education and action that inform, protect and assist the general public.
Contact the BBB by phone at (843)488-2227, or
http://coastalcarolina.bbb.org
or investigations@coastalcarolina.bbb.org
