Internet scams abound these days. It’s an unfortunate byproduct of the accessibility and popularity of the world wide web. Recently, we’ve been notified by some online shoppers that our name is being used in association with an online store called iSupperStore.info that is engaging in questionable practices. We’re writing this blog post to let you all know that our name is being used without our consent and, like you, we can’t reach this company to ask them to stop. We want to provide information to those who are looking for remedies. Here’s the rundown:
Who We Are and Who We Aren’t
- JB Media Group, LLC is a digital marketing agency. Our website is ugh.mystagingwebsite.com. All emails from us use our domain name.
- We do not sell electronics or fitness gear of any kind. In fact, we have no ecommerce or online shop for products—period.
- We are not affiliated at all with any online store that use the domain iSupperStore.info.
The Situation
Receipts from an online store not owned or affiliated with our company state that the purchase is from JB Media Group, LLC and provides a link to our website. Customers who have not received their purchase or haven’t gotten a response from the store are calling us to complain, ask for refunds, etc. The store has very poor customer service with no one answering the phone or responding to email. Some customers are not receiving the items they purchased at all. Those who are receiving their orders are receiving them weeks late and with no explanation on the tardiness. The email address to the store uses a variation on our name (mediabuyergroup) and the transaction information on customers’ credit card statements is very close to our company name but not the same. We have no way of knowing if the inaccurate company name and link in the receipts is a mistake or deliberate misdirection. The lack of response to customer service, use of Google Voice for their phone number, and Gmail for their email address are red flags but not conclusive.
Red Flags
In talking with those who have contacted us about this situation, we’ve noticed a few things about this online store that causes us concern. We’re sharing to help anyone making online purchases do so safely and confidently.
- Domain name for the store includes a misspelling (in this case “supper” for “super”)
- About Us page uses four different business names to describe themselves
- Customer service phone number has no voicemail or operator
- Customer service phone number is a Google Voice number
- Customer service email address is a Gmail address
- Link from receipt goes to a completely different website for a company that is unrelated to the site where the purchase was made
- Company name at top of receipt and company name listed for “your purchase from” don’t match AND neither are the same as what is shown on your credit card transaction
Actions We’ve Taken
We have returned calls and emails, and responded to social media contacts from frustrated customers of that online store. These people are victims. They made a purchase in good faith, have not received those goods as expected, and are unable to reach anyone at the store where they made their purchase.
For those who have reached out to us, we have:
- Explained who we are and that we are not affiliated with the store.
- Helped them understand that our name is being used without our permission.
- Encouraged them to dispute the charge on their credit card and provide their financial institution with as much information as possible.
- Let them know they can report this online store to the authorities.
- Received an incredible amount of gratitude that we’ve responded and tried to help them. While we feel terrible for these buyers. We feel returning their calls and talking them through the situation is the right thing to do (even if they are really frustrated when we first call them back thinking we’re the company they bought from).
We have reached out to the online store via the email address found on their website and asked that they cease and desist from using our name and linking to our website in their receipts. We have received no response. Like those who have bought from that online store, we can’t get anyone to answer the phone when we call the number listed on the website.
Having no other options, we have reported this situation to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. We are sincerely sorry for those who are dealing with this or a similar situation.
