Frustrating Mix Up Has Rockland Jewelry Store Battling Slew Of Misplaced Complaints
SUFFERN, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A frustrating store mix up has people lashing out at the wrong jewelers.
For a year now, a jewelry store in Rockland County, has fielded multiple calls a day from customers who are angry about not receiving their merchandise.
But as CBS2's Alice Gainer reported, the problem is, they have the wrong store.
The mix up has caused negative review after negative review on Facebook and Google.
"Been waiting more than 3 months. This is a scam and they are not Christians at all. They are thieves," one review read.
Then there's the daily phone calls from all over the country.
"Probably at least 6 or 7 just today," Special Designs Jewelers, co-owner Mark Shahinian said.
For the past year, it's all been wrongly directed at Special Designs Jewelers.
"They're calling, yelling at us, so we tell them it's not us," co-owner Kevin Shahinian said.
The family run business -- a 30 year legacy -- is having its reputation tarnished online by another business with a similar name 'Special Design Jewelry.'
That company was selling a Jesus ring, and apparently many who ordered online never received one.
But Special Designs Jewelers in Suffern not only doesn't sell those wrings, they don't even sell online.
A website for the other company said it operates out of Houston Texas, and doesn't list a phone number, only an email address.
Owners of the Rockland County store emailed, pleading with the online firm to list a phone number so customers can get in touch with the correct business.
Someone wrote back to them last January, apologizing and saying, 'they're an international company, so a phone number is hard to organize.'
"It started getting a little out of hand, and then we never heard back. Constantly send them emails, and we never hear back," Shahinian said.
An email from CBS2 also went unreturned.
The Better Business Bureau has rated the online company with an F for multiple complaints.
Suzanna McNaught a longtime customer of the Rockland store, tries to reply to some of the negative online comments herself.
"You can't get to everybody," she said.
That's the message from the owners.
"Do your research before you leave a review, not just us, but for anybody, because for small business it's very important," Shahinian said.
Trying to rid themselves of the reviews has been time-consuming. CBS2 reached out to the Federal Trade Commission, but has not heard back.
