Specialty Merchandise Corporation BBB Scam Reports
The Better Business Bureau has been providing consumers with information on reliable companies to work with since 1912. Specialty Merchandise Corporation has been providing Americans with a work from home business opportunity since 1955. Both companies have long histories in the business world, so why are there Specialty Merchandise Corporation BBB scam reports?
Reports are Incomplete
The majority of the Specialty Merchandise Corporation BBB scam reports filed lacked complete background information on the nature of the complaint. For example, one common report is that refunds on membership kits were not given, despite the fact that Specialty Merchandise Corporation has a 30-day return policy. These reports stated that the former members did not receive their refund, however, they did not state whether or not they were within the 30-day return period.
The condition of the membership kit is another factor that can determine whether or not a member is given a full refund. Specialty Merchandise Corporation's refund policy is that the membership kit must be returned in its original condition in order for the member to receive their full refund. If the kit is not returned in its original condition then the member may be entitled to a partial refund, assuming they are also within the 30-day return period.
Some other Specialty Merchandise Corporation BBB scam reports stated that the member had difficulty contacting their assigned business coach. New members are given the contact information of a business coach as an extra educational resource during the first 90 days of their membership. However, each business coach is assigned to guide several members through their transition into the business world, so it may be difficult for them to respond immediately to every concern. These Specialty Merchandise Corporation BBB scam reports also fail to indicate exactly how often the member attempted to contact their business coach. They simply state that they either tried to call or email their business coach and received no response.
Numbers are Not Relative
The Specialty Merchandise Corporation BBB scam reports state that over 1,000 customer service complaints have been filed. However, Specialty Merchandise Corporation has been in business for over 60 years, so 1,050 is a rather small number of reported complaints. Out of those complaints only 26 were considered to be serious. The BBB reports also state that Specialty Merchandise Corporation addressed every customer service issue.
BBB Rating System is Flawed
The BBB has recently included the payment of membership dues as one of the requirements to become a BBB accredited business. If a company pays their membership dues and meets certain industry standards, they are eligible to become accredited with the BBB. The membership fees vary between $350 and $10,000 per year, causing some to question if this BBB accredidation requirement is biased towards wealthier companies.