BBB Investigation: Online Company Racks Up Hundreds of Complaints During the Holidays

Consumers are alleging San Antonio-based company Outdoors Online never delivered products they ordered online AUSTIN TexasAn online outdoors company allegedly based in San Antonio has racked up hundreds of complaints and dozens of negative reviews since November. Customers from 44 states are alleging they never received their ordered products from Outdoors Online after paying upfront for advertised sale items. When customers tried to get information for an estimated delivery date or request a refund the company either never responded or provided little communication as to the status of their orders. The company has yet to answer any of their complaints. Outdoors Online previously went by Camping & Fishing Outlet and operated a website called campingandfishingoutlet.com. This website now directs to Outdoors Onlines primary website at outdoorsonline.com. BBB found both companies were linked after discovering their websites contained the same phone number and Camping & Fishing Outlets Facebook page advertising the outdoorsonline.com website. The online store offers various outdoor items including YETI products. BBB found the address listed on the companys website 227 North Loop 1604 East Ste 150 San Antonio Texas is not a physical address but a virtual address operated by Regus. Regus did confirm to BBB that Outdoors Online operates out of this site but could not give more details due to the companys privacy policy. BBB has sent multiple letters via regular mail and email to Camping & Fishing Outlet asking questions about their business practices and pending consumer complaints. BBB asked the company to provide ownership information contact information proof of business registration in Texas and the companys delivery process. The company never responded to BBBs request and did not answer multiple phone calls or messages. BBB was unable to find a required business registration for the company and confirmed with YETI that Outdoors Online is not an authorized retailer of their products. In total consumers have allegedly lost around $2250. Shonda Gonzalez of San Antonio was one of many customers of Outdoors Online who filed a complaint. Gonzalez bought a YETI Tumbler in November from the company online and was charged around $43. I got a promotional email from them with a sale. I thought it was perfect and it was plenty of time to buy before Christmas Gonzalez said. After purchasing her item Gonzalez said she received a confirmation email that stated her YETI would be shipped in 5-10 business days. However Gonzalez never received any notification that her item had been shipped or any tracking information. After three weeks of waiting Gonzalez tried to get answers. I started emailing and not getting any type of reply. They have a chat option on their website and when you attempt to chat it told me to call them or email them Gonzalez said. Gonzalez decided to call but still could not get a representative on the phone. There was some type of prompt that told me to please email them. There wasnt even an option to get to a person. After many attempts Gonzalez was finally able to speak with a representative. But the conversation didnt result in any action. According to Gonzalez she was put on hold multiple times throughout the conversation. The representative told Gonzalez her YETI had not shipped but could be placed on a priority list. Gonzalez said she tried getting more details but couldnt. Ultimately she decided to hang up. He was just very vague about everything so the whole conversation got very shady Gonzalez said. I was just trying to get some type of confirmation that it was going to ship and get a tracking number things you can get from a valid company. Gonzalez is one of few customers who has been able to get in contact with the business. Alissa Stevens of Austin also spoke with someone at Outdoors Online. She said she paid $40 for a YETI but like Gonzalez never received her item. It was an ad on Facebook. I clicked on it and of course it was for like $40 when its usually a lot more Stevens said. After purchasing she received an email that her YETI would arrive in 7-10 business days. Two weeks went by and she never heard or received anything. It was all super appealing. The website looked legitimate Stevens said. Like Gonzalez Stevens was able to get in contact with a representative from Outdoors Online. She was told that there was a backup with orders and that they would expedite her order. At this point Stevens still believed she would get her product and ordered some accessories to go along with her YETI. When Stevens still did not receive her products she decided to email the company for a refund. She was promised one but said she never received it. I ended up just filing a claim with my credit card company and getting my money back Stevens said. BBB offers these tips when ordering online:

• Check it out. Always check out companies at bbb.org before making buying decisions. When purchasing from an online store be sure there is adequate contact information on the website. If an online retailers price is far below prices offered by other retailers it could be a red flag.
• Pay with a credit card. Under federal law charges made on a credit card can be disputed up to 60 days after the purchase. However keep in mind under the Fair Credit Billing Act liability is limited to purchases that are $50 or more. Most major credit card issuers do waive that liability.
• Keep documentation of your order. After completing the online order process there should be a final confirmation page or an email confirmation. Save any receipts for future reference.
• Know your rights. Federal law requires that orders made by mail phone or online be shipped by the date promised or if no delivery time was stated within 30 days. If the goods arent shipped on time the shopper can cancel and demand a refund. There is no general three-day cancellation right but consumers do have the right to reject merchandise if its defective or was misrepresented. Otherwise its the companys policies that determine if the shopper can cancel the purchase and receive a refund or credit.
• Review a companys refund policy. Make sure to go over the refund policy of the company. There may be additional fees in the terms and conditions you need to know before you complete your purchase.

For the latest news and information follow us on watchyourbuck.com Facebook and Twitter. To check out a company and find trustworthy businesses visit bbb.org. Find other news story topics by visiting our Press Release News Center.