St. Louis, Mo., Nov. 21, 2012 – A Southern Illinois business that sells soaps and other cleaning products online is delivering orders months late or not at all, customers have told the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
The BBB says complaints involving Soaps Gone Buy of Eldorado, Ill., have jumped dramatically. Twelve complaints have been filed since Oct. 15.
The company has an “F” rating with the BBB, the lowest possible. Several recent complaints have gone unanswered, and Soaps Gone Buy has not responded to BBB requests for information.
Stephanie Woods heads the company. She reports an address in the 1000 block of College Road in Eldorado, Ill. She has not responded to emails and phone calls from the BBB.
A customer from Goldsboro, N.C., said she paid the business $123 for soap products more than two months ago, but has not received her order and has been unable to reach anyone at the company. “How can Soaps Gone Buy be allowed to continue (taking money) from unsuspecting customers?” she asked.
Michelle Corey, BBB president and CEO, said it appears that the firm had a spotless reputation until about two years ago when frustrated consumers began notifying the BBB of problems. “It’s a shame anytime a good business starts to slip,” she said. “And when a business stops communicating with its customers, you have to wonder why.”
Consumer losses have ranged from less than $20 to more than $200.
On its website, the business uses the logo: “Where soaps of yesterday are found today.” The site says the business began after the owner moved to Eldorado and was unable to buy Fels Naptha Soap – a product she had first used to treat her young son’s poison ivy. “I read every email I get and I will always respond to them personally,” the site says.
A consumer from Hillsboro, Ohio, said she had used a debit card to buy products totaling $51 on Oct. 4, but never received her order. She said she eventually got her credit card company to put the money back into her account. “I would never recommend them,” she said. “They are not a reliable company.”
A woman from Irmo, S.C., said she received her $71 detergent order four months after it was charged to her credit card. By then, she had obtained the product from another source. She said she had been a customer of Soaps Gone Buy for eight years, but will no longer do business with the firm.
The BBB offers the following advice when buying online:
- Be careful when ordering from an unfamiliar business. Read all website information carefully and understand all shipping charges and other fees. Know how long it should take to receive your order.
- It is a good idea to try to speak to a live person before ordering in the event you need to speak to someone later.
- Pay by credit card whenever possible so you can challenge the charge if the item is not delivered.
- Check a firm’s BBB Business Review by going to www.bbb.org or by calling 314-645-3300.
Contacts (News Media Only): Michelle Corey, President & CEO, 314-645-0606, mcorey@stlouisbbb.org, or Chris Thetford, Vice President-Communications, 314-584-6743, communications@stlouisbbb.org, or Bill Smith, Trade Practice Investigator, 314-584-6727, tpc1@stlouisbbb.org
The BBB is a nonprofit, business-supported organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. The BBB provides objective advice, free BBB Business Reviews on more than 4 million companies, 11,000 charity reviews, dispute resolution service, alerts and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust. Please visit www.bbb.org for more information.
