CommunityEditor
02-14-2009, 07:01 PM
A Maine Superior Court has ordered online military uniform retailer Military Accessories and Community Support, also known as MAACS, to refund a total of $18,716 to 96 military members who paid for uniforms that were never delivered, according to the Maine attorney general’s office.
In a statement Friday announcing the decree, Attorney General Janet Mills said her office received complaints from U.S. service members “stationed around the world.”
“This court order means the MAACS customers will finally receive back their money,” she said.
Neither MAACS, based in South Portland, Maine, nor its owner, Allison MacDonald, admitted to any wrongdoing by entering into the agreement in the consent decree.
Any new MAACS complaints should be mailed to Gail Cyr, Maine Attorney General Consumer Protection Division, 6 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333, or e-mailed to gail.cyr@maine.gov. The phone number is 207-626-8502. There is no time limit on the complaints, said Jim McKenna, a spokesman for the attorney general.
If additional complaints are received by the attorney general’s office, refunds must be paid within 30 days, according to the consent decree. If MAACS objects, the matter will be settled by arbitration, which the company will pay for.
The 96 complaints generally were filed over 2007 and 2008, McKenna said.
As of Friday, the Better Business Bureau reported 590 complaints about MAACS in the last 36 months.
BBB has given MAACS an “F” rating because of the number of complaints, the company’s failure to respond to those complaints and the number of complaints not resolved. Of the 590 complaints, 119 are unresolved, 89 were resolved, 302 have received no response and 80 have been administratively closed.
A Military Times column published in June detailed complaints about MAACS. One Air Force lieutenant colonel ordered the new airman battle uniform from MAACS on Dec. 10, 2007, and the company charged his credit card $155.60, but he didn’t received his uniform. The company eventually stopped returning his calls and e-mails.
At the time he ordered the ABUs, they were not available in the military exchange because of a shortage.
The lieutenant colonel then bought a uniform from the exchange. “I’m worried about the junior enlisted or junior officer” who could face a financial crunch while waiting for a refund from the commercial store, he said.
At the time, MacDonald said MAACS has been “overwhelmed” with ABU orders. “We never expected this much of a backlog,” she said.
The company must also pay a $5,000 civil assessment to the attorney general, under Maine’s Unfair Trade Practices Act.
Article: http://www.militarytimes.com/news/2009/02/military_MAACSorder_021409w/
In a statement Friday announcing the decree, Attorney General Janet Mills said her office received complaints from U.S. service members “stationed around the world.”
“This court order means the MAACS customers will finally receive back their money,” she said.
Neither MAACS, based in South Portland, Maine, nor its owner, Allison MacDonald, admitted to any wrongdoing by entering into the agreement in the consent decree.
Any new MAACS complaints should be mailed to Gail Cyr, Maine Attorney General Consumer Protection Division, 6 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333, or e-mailed to gail.cyr@maine.gov. The phone number is 207-626-8502. There is no time limit on the complaints, said Jim McKenna, a spokesman for the attorney general.
If additional complaints are received by the attorney general’s office, refunds must be paid within 30 days, according to the consent decree. If MAACS objects, the matter will be settled by arbitration, which the company will pay for.
The 96 complaints generally were filed over 2007 and 2008, McKenna said.
As of Friday, the Better Business Bureau reported 590 complaints about MAACS in the last 36 months.
BBB has given MAACS an “F” rating because of the number of complaints, the company’s failure to respond to those complaints and the number of complaints not resolved. Of the 590 complaints, 119 are unresolved, 89 were resolved, 302 have received no response and 80 have been administratively closed.
A Military Times column published in June detailed complaints about MAACS. One Air Force lieutenant colonel ordered the new airman battle uniform from MAACS on Dec. 10, 2007, and the company charged his credit card $155.60, but he didn’t received his uniform. The company eventually stopped returning his calls and e-mails.
At the time he ordered the ABUs, they were not available in the military exchange because of a shortage.
The lieutenant colonel then bought a uniform from the exchange. “I’m worried about the junior enlisted or junior officer” who could face a financial crunch while waiting for a refund from the commercial store, he said.
At the time, MacDonald said MAACS has been “overwhelmed” with ABU orders. “We never expected this much of a backlog,” she said.
The company must also pay a $5,000 civil assessment to the attorney general, under Maine’s Unfair Trade Practices Act.
Article: http://www.militarytimes.com/news/2009/02/military_MAACSorder_021409w/