Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/20/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am filing the following dispute against Sumner Communications Inc. We signed up for a one year membership and paid the fee for the entire year. The charge was posted on our account on 05/16/23. This fraudulent company stopped our account claiming they were not able to reach us which is a complete lie. We called this company and were met with verbal abuse from so called employees and CEO. Sumber Communicaitons ( AKA ********* ******* has stolen money from us ) and has failed to provide the service. This company is a complete fraud.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/22/2022

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  The following complaint is regarding the way this company conducts business and how they vet their suppliers.
  We were under the impression that suppliers, wholesalers that use ********* ******* ( one of the websites under which Sumner Communications, Inc.) does business are legitimate.
  We used a supplier who advertises on ***************** and we got scammed. The following review and complaint is a word of caution to be vigilant as apparently they allow anyone to advertise without actually having specific measures in place to check on a credibility or validity of a supplier. We have been scammed substantial sum of money after we used this website and a supplier on that website.
  
  After filing our complaint and asking them to do something about the supplier in an effort to protect the public, they seemed unreluctent about the issue . So I guess so long they are making money, they will allow anyone to advertise and they don't care whether a consumer will get scammed or not.
  
  This is a complete negligence on Sumner Communications, Inc's part. Even after submitting them evidence of fraud, they have not done anything to remove the supplier from their site.
  
  The should be held accountable for their negligence and allowing fraudsters and unethical people who disguise themselves as a business to advertise.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/22/2022

  We have spoken to the complainant many times over the last day in a professional and assisting manner. Our customer service team has done their best to explain our business model and practices to her, but she still felt it necessary to make a complaint o the BBB about a completely separate, independent company that she chose to do business with. The company she made a purchase from is not owned by Sumner Communications or ********* *******. The only vetting we offer is that we have confirmed that they are a legitimate business with a working phone number, email and live human being. The companies also are subject to our Terms of Service, and if they violate those terms, they are removed from the site.  Furthermore, the independently owned business she is referring to has been listed on our directory site ********* *******, for many years, and has never had another complaint lodged against them to us, so they are not in violation of our Terms of Service. ******************** is a directory, much like the Yellow Pages used to be. We do not buy, sell, or ship products, nor do we process payments or any kind of financial transactions. We also do not earn a commission on sales between sellers and buyers, and therefore have not earned any compensation from the transaction referred to in the complaint.

  Here is the body of the email sent to the complainant today:
  

  Dear ****,
  Thank you for contacting ********* ******* with your concerns. We do take buyer concerns and complaints seriously and do investigate them to the best of our ability to try to reach a favorable outcome for both parties. The sellers listed on ******************** have agreed to rigorous Terms of Service and must stay compliant to those terms to remain active on the site. ********* ******* has always had a “Two Strike” rule, which essentially means we remove any seller that has two unresolved buyer complaints against them, in which the seller has not shown good faith measures to work with the buyers to resolve the issue.
  
  Please understand that ******************** is a directory site and is not in the business of buying or selling merchandise. We also make no claims of quality or authenticity of the products the sellers offer. Furthermore, we are not involved in the transactions between the sellers listed on ********* ******* and the sellers who place orders with them. We do not take a commission or process payments of any kind. The Disclaimer and Terms of Use located on every page of our site offer us broad indemnity in such matters, and can be viewed here: *********************************************** *** ***** ****************************************. By using the site, a buyer like yourself agrees to these terms and any risks involved.
  
  We are sorry to hear that you have had an unfavorable experience with the seller you identified in your complaint. This seller has been a committed seller on ********* ******* for many years and has never had any complaints prior to this incident. We reviewed your documentation, and while we cannot make any judgements about the authenticity of the items, it does appear to us that the seller did not violate our Terms, nor her own stated store policies. The invoice that was sent prior to your payment clearly stated that there are no refunds and that merchandise was sold on an “as-is” basis. Also, the seller also clearly demonstrated good faith efforts to rectify the situation within the bounds of her store policy and was in communication with you.
  
  While we regret that you feel you cannot come to a favorable resolution with the independent business you listed in your complaint, there is no other action that we can take to assist you in this matter.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/23/2022

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  **** *
  

  
  

  
  

  This business is completely ignorant and negligent in their actions and supports  a businesses who scams and defrauds   consumers. A license to do business does not mean a business is doing things by the book. We assumed that this site has done their due diligence and advertises ethical and honest businesses but they keep scammers on their site because they are a directory site and get paid. Such a disgrace that Summit Communications supports a businesses that has engaged in a fraudulent conduct. This company is aiding and abetting fraudsters. They informed me that  they have contacted the business but failed to provide any type of prove.  Use ********* ******* ( Summit Communications Inc) at your own risk because they are a directory site and are worried about getting ad dollars and can care less if a consumer got scammed by a fraudulent business on their site. This site needs to be shut down to protect the public.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/28/2022

  We are sorry you are not satisfied with our company policy. However, you willingly entered into a transaction with a third party business, who stated up front that they do not offer refunds, period. The seller, according to your own email documentation, attempted to make the situation right, but you weren't satisfied and demanded a full refund. The seller didn't violate our Terms or service or her own. As stated previously, this business has been listed for years and has never had another complaint. We saw good faith efforts on the part of the seller to rectify the issue in your own documentation. Our Customer Support representatives were also trying to help you, but instead you filed a complaint with the BBB. We do NOT support "scammers" in any way, and adhere to our strict terms of service and two-strike policy. Perhaps you and the seller can still come to an arrangement, but smearing her business and per****l details all over the internet probably has probably prevented that from happening at this point.
  
  The Terms of service that you agree to when using our site are linked in the footer of every single page of the site and can also be viewed here: ****************************************
  
  and here: ***********************************************