St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 22, 2009 – CupCakeIntimates, a Creve Coeur, Mo., Web-based business with a sweet-sounding name, is leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of some consumers.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) said the online lingerie and costume business, operated by former Doxy Lingerie head Jennifer Lutke Reynolds, has been the target of a series of customer complaints in recent months, most alleging slow or non-delivery of items and poor customer service.
In April the BBB alerted the public that Doxy had received more than 600 complaints from customers over a 36-month period. At that time, the BBB noted that Reynolds had formed a new business – BadGirlIntimates.com – that appeared to be similar to the former Doxy site. Less than three months after the alert, the BBB began receiving complaints about CupCakeIntimates and its Web site, www.CupCakeIntimates.com.
On its site, CupCakeIntimates.com lists the same UPS mailbox address in Creve Coeur as Bad Girl Intimates: 11469 Olive Blvd., Suite 134. Complaints to CupCakeIntimates are being handled by Reynolds, who also headed Doxy and BadGirl.
Michelle Corey, president and CEO of the BBB in St. Louis, Mo., said it appears that Reynolds is running into many of the same problems that haunted Doxy. “Not only are we seeing complaints from people who are not receiving their orders in a timely manner, but more disturbing, perhaps, is that many of them have been frustrated repeatedly in their attempts to contact the company for an explanation.”
CupCakeIntimates.com advertises a wide variety of lingerie and costumes, including a “Two-piece Flight Attendant” costume, a “Touchdown Tease” cheerleader outfit and a “Vampire Vixen” outfit.
The BBB has logged more than 25 complaints and reports involving CupCakeIntimates since July. On an A+ to F grading system, the business has an F grade with the BBB.
Among the complaints is one from a woman in Delmar, N.Y., who told the BBB she placed an order on the CupCakeIntimates website on Sept. 12 for a “Burlesque Babe” costume that she hoped to wear at an upcoming Halloween party. She said she notified the BBB three weeks later when the costume had not yet arrived, after first trying to contact the company repeatedly through its e-mail address. Four days after filing the complaint, she received notice that her order had been canceled. “They gave me zero explanation about what happened,” she said. “It was terrible customer service.”
A woman from Canada said she paid $146 for a series of items including a corset, go-go shorts and fishnet stockings from the website on Sept. 14. She said she had not received her order two weeks later even though she was told one of the pieces she needed for a Halloween outfit was in stock and would be shipped immediately. She said she received no response to five e-mails.
“All I wanted to know was whether my items had been shipped,” she said. After contacting the BBB, she said the order was canceled and she was not charged.
A man from Princeton, W. Va., said his girlfriend ordered merchandise for $111 on Oct. 2, paying extra for a three-day rush delivery. When she had not received the items a week later, he filed a complaint with the BBB.
On Oct. 15, he told the BBB that the merchandise still had not arrived even though his credit card had been charged for the order. He said the business has not responded to several e-mails.
“They are just not professional at all,” he said of CupCakeIntimates. “That’s the nicest way to put it.”
Two years ago, after the Missouri attorney general’s office filed suit against Doxy, a judge in St. Louis County ordered Reynolds to make thousands of dollars in restitution to customers and ordered the business not to accept payments for items until they had been shipped.
Reynolds told the BBB last week she does not process charges until she knows the merchandise is on its way to the customer. She declined to meet with the BBB to discuss its concerns about the business, but said in an e-mail that she has answered and will continue to answer all BBB complaints. She said most complaints have been prompted by consumers reading about previous company problems on the Internet.
Reynolds said the company’s shipping policy is clearly outlined on the website. “I do know that one of the main things we need to work on is better communication with our customers,” she said. “I am certainly not trying to paint a perfect picture of myself and my company; there are definitely areas that need improvement.” But she said she is doing “the best I can.”
The BBB offers several tips for consumers shopping online. Among them:
- If you are ordering from a new merchant, ask the merchant for a physical location and a phone number.
- Know the company’s refund and return policies before ordering.
- Be cautious about supplying personal information, such as a Social Security number or personal bank account information.
- Print copies of your order and confirmation number for your records.
- Check the BBB for a reliability report by visiting www.bbb.org or by calling 314-645-3300.
Contacts: Michelle Corey, President & CEO, 314-645-3300, mcorey@stlouisbbb.org or Bill Smith, Trade Practice Investigator, 314-645-3300, tpc1@stlouisbbb.org