St. Louis, Mo., May 23, 2022–Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises consumers to use caution if doing business with Amara’s Apparel, an online retailer based in Ozark, Missouri. Consumers reported to BBB that the company failed to deliver products, did not provide refunds, failed to contact customers, and provided poor customer service.
Amara’s Apparel has an “F” rating, the lowest on BBB’s scale due to recent unanswered customer complaints. The business also has received several negative customer reviews.
The business sells hand-made children’s clothing. It markets its goods through social media and a website.
A Waynesville, Missouri, woman told BBB she placed six orders with the Amara’s Apparel in the fall of 2021, spending more than $300. She said she only received one order. The woman said the business gave several different shipping times for her other orders, but she never received them.
“She had been open for about a year, so it looked to be a safe place to order from,” the woman told BBB.
The woman wound up getting a refund for missing orders through the payment system she used. She said she was not able to contact the business directly for her refund.
A woman from Loveland, Ohio, told BBB she paid $178 for six orders from Amara’s Apparel in fall 2021. She said the business informed its customers via social media that orders would be shipped in December 2021. The woman said she received notification that a shipping label had been made for two of her orders, but she never received anything from the company.
The woman said the business blamed the U.S. Postal Service for the failed delivery. The woman said she was given another shipping date in March 2022, but never received her items.
“I’m a stay-at-home mom. When I see a good deal, I couldn’t pass it up,” the woman told BBB. “I trusted her to send my stuff, but I’m out nearly $200 and didn’t get anything.”
An Enid, Oklahoma, woman told BBB she placed five orders from Amara’s Apparel from October 2021 through January 2022, spending around $500. She said she never received her items. She said she was refunded nearly $350 by the company, but couldn’t get the final $150 she was owed. She had to get that refund through the payment system that she used to purchase the items.
“It was hard to understand what was really going on,” the woman told BBB. “She said she shipped things and blamed it on the post office when no one received their stuff.
”According to Missouri secretary of state records, the business was registered as Amara’s Apparel & Accessories LLC in May 2020.Maegann Riley Luevano Fuentesis listed as the registered agent. Consumers reported that she is the owner of the company.
BBB attempts to reach the business for comment failed and it did not respond to a BBB letter regarding how it plans to address its pattern of customer complaints.
The business has a message on its website that indicates it is “coming soon.”
“We’re closed as we get caught up!” the message reads. “Check out our VIP group for more info, updates, customs, discounts and more.”
BBB offers these tips on how to avoid online shopping problems:
- Research any business and its owners before paying any money. Check the company’s BBB Business Profile at bbb.org or by calling 888-996-3887.
- Be wary of sales or prices that seem too good to be true. In many of these cases, the items do not exist or are of poor quality.
- Read all terms and conditions before completing a purchase. Make sure to understand expected delivery dates and refund policies. Know your options in case you receive an item that was not as advertised.
- Pay by credit card whenever possible in case you need to challenge the payment.
- Check a site’s security settings. If the site is secure, its URL (web address) should start with “https://.” You also may see a picture of a small closed lock in the lower right-hand corner of the screen.
