MANITOWOC (NBC 26) — A Manitowoc metal sign company is facing complaints from customers across the country who say they paid for custom products that were never delivered.
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Metal Art of Wisconsin ships custom metal signs nationwide. But customers say orders went unfulfilled, and attempts to reach the company went unanswered.
Buck Marshall, a Texas resident and customer, said he tried repeatedly to contact the business after his order never arrived.
"So I fired off an email, nothing. So I called them, and I never got anyone, it would just ring ring ring and then go to a voicemail box .. that's weird so, I went to the website, and the website no longer exists so my heart sunk a little bit," Marshall said.
Marshall said the experience made him feel taken advantage of.
"I felt like I was being scammed; it was a bad feeling. I worked a lot of overtime to buy that gift for my dad that he never received," Marshall said.
I went to Metal Arts of Wisconsin and reached out to the owner, and I have not heard back.
Michelle Reinen of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection said consumers who believe they have been scammed should document everything.
"Contacting the business in writing allows you a paper trail; it's important to have any documentation, receipts, or contracts that may exist, and then filing that complaint with consumer protection would be another step that a consumer can take," Reinen said.
If you think you have been scammed, here are steps you can take:
- Reach out to your credit card company or bank
- File a complaint with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection
- Report the issue to the Federal Trade Commission
Reinen also provided this advice for future purchases:
"Be cautious as to the amount of money that you are putting down on something and understand what that amount of money is purchasing," Reinen said.
The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection says the most important step before making any online purchase is to check a company's reviews and social media.
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