I purchased a "Vornado Heater" for $87.92 from "homebrands.com".
On October 19, $87.92 was deducted from my PayPal account by a "Metro Market Sales".
On October 31, I received a UPS notification that a "Gary Benson" entered a shipping bill for an 8 lb. Item.
As of November 11, the item has not shipped yet, as the UPS tracking indicates.
I have previously emailed the customer service address ([email protected]) for an explanation of the long wait, as well as requesting a refund.
I have not had any response whatsoever from "homebrands.com", and I'm currently in dispute with PayPal to get a refund.
Here's where it gets interesting (I did my own online investigating)...
The address of "homebrands.com" and "MetroMarketSales" is: 1204 Avenue U #1087, Brooklyn, NY 11229 which, thanks to Google Street View, is a Mail Drop address. Their 'Customer Service' phone number (their website states is 'down') is: 718-989-9318, which is a recording. Feeling immediately uneasy, I check the Better Business Bureau online. Well, it seems "homebrands.com" also does business as: dotcom project, giant savings, homebrands.com, ikitchen.com, kitchenhomegadgets.com, hcg logistics, metromarket.com, and many more, according to the BBB listing, along with their warning not to do business with them.
Visiting metromarket.com, one finds a similar merchant website, and when clicking "about us", one finds a photoshopped "Metro Market Stores" storefront supposedly at the same Avenue U address with a "Please visit our store when in the neighborhood". Yeah, sure.
Upon furthur investigating online, it appears that there are HUNDREDS of complaints against this company by other customers getting charged for their purchases, and not receiving their items, not only from homebrands.com, but ikitchen.com and other related webstores.
Homebrands.com are apparently run by a "Dave Balas" (real name: David Balassiano), also listed at 256 W36 St NY, NY. It also seems "HomeBrands.com" Corporation is listed at 2439 South 11th Street, Niles, MI 49120 and phone number: 616-683-7080, also a recording "Lines are Temporarily Busy".
"aboutus.org" lists "HomeBrands.com" contact as: FurnitureFind Corporation 616-687-8653, also a recording "Lines are Temporarily Busy".
You see where this is going.
A search on "my3cents.com" of "ikitchen" gives one a plethora of customer complaints.
I can go on with more information I've discovered, more supposed company addresses, etc., including finding that the domain, "homebrands.com", is 'privately listed' with WhoIs.
So, one can see this company does a fine job of presenting themselves as legitimate online, but in reality, they are accepting lots of orders, but not shipping product, hence, a fraud.
I'd like to make sure others don't get taken by this now-obvious scam.
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