Specialy Merchandise Corporation, ecommerce, spent thousands of dollars to run this site with no success SImi Valley California

I am not in Los Angeles...I'm in New York, but have been in the exact same boat...looking for others to join in a "CRUSADE" against this company. They've hurt way too many innocent people, including myself...and it MUST STOP! I am so tired of seeing them get away with this. With as many people as there have been, that have been scammed out of alot of money by this so-called company...I cannot believe their hasn't already been a class action started by someone, at some point against them. If there isn't one, I am so ready to start one with you.

Well... I just wrote a letter to my states Attorney General, asking them to please send me copies of all reports they have on record against this company. I am also out a great deal of money, after purchasing a website from SMC/EMC, and after the site cost, plus search engine advertising not to mention print advertising (since the search engines do not see SMC sites)...I am out over $4000. I have also been denied a refund. They are kidding themselves, if they think I am going away! With all the communications I've had back and fourth with SMC about my issues with them, the one thing they refuse to comment on, is that they also shut down my account privelages for being able to fulfill orders. I was told by them, THIS WOULD NEVER happen. That of course was obviously BS.

And they don't even have the guts to address it, with a response. I've asked them out right, why they lied about the fact that my account would NEVER be blocked, even though I had started to make a claim against them for the website. They are so obviously gilty, by not commenting on what they know very well they did!!

PLEASE. . .all who are out there, that have been BURNED by SMC and E-Merchant Club (EMC), please come forward, so we can start a lawsuit against these monsters. I want to see them squirm, and of course see them have to cough up lots of money to settle the case. Boy would that be some sweet revenge!

Hello people,

I posted recently about my adventures with SMC and its partner site E merchant club. About a wekk ago I started to wonder why my site seemed to have so many bugs and did not work properly. So I started to dig into my website and really look at what was going on.

I discovered an online validation/mark up service for web sites. This service checks the validity and conformity of the SCRIPT (HTML)that a site was constructed with. Low and behold I found over 700 errors on a page and over 100 broken links. I did not cause this , the site came like this.

I then looked into Google and signed into the Webmaster tools section to submit my site and see site statistics. Upon logging in I discovered by Google that the last time the "googlebot" the crawler,last crawled my site was Oct.7th,2006.

This to me seemed a bit odd. So I spoke to many Google webmasters and researched more online. I discovered how Google will put you in what is called the sandbox if your site is not submitted or registered properly. Well, since I bought the "Search Engine Optimization " package, I was told that my site would be submitted every month. It was not, and if it was, it was not conforming to one of the Google standards.

So I compiled my information, and I asked the "techs" at www.emerchantclub.com if they knew that their scripts were written in HTML 1.0 transitional coding, and if they knew that their site templates would appear like garbage to the new search engine crawlers/robots. They had no clue what I was talking about. I also tried to ask them why I couldnt not EDIT certain things inside my site manager. They had no answer. The issues with my site manager were beyond any of my control, it was an error in the site ITSELF. But they wouldn't give me a reasonable answer on how to fix it. Many of their "techs" just seemed like they were inventing answers as they went along.

So about 3 days ago, I contacted the "return department". I was told that I would be contacted by them, but the person answering the phone seemed unclear to exactly who I should speak to. So, I thought ok well at least I have the right department.

My message was handed over to a man named "MIke". Mike asked me what the problem was and I asked him how one would go about getting their money back for a faulty site that wasn't being crawled or indexed properly. He told me to send him a fax containing the reasons that I want a refund. I also asked him to notify me when the site will be taken off line, as I was SURE I would get a refund. I documented all my errors with screen shots and told him that this will stand in a court of law. Also, I asked him to please keep the site up longer because I had given dozens of gift cards away, and I was also left with about 30 of my own.I wanted to at least redeem them before my site goes down. He said that he understood and that he'll make sure that didn't happen.

So I put a list together of the money I was out, the amount I wanted back,my grievances, my frustrations, my offers, what fees I would wave to save them trouble, etc. I sent the fax, and called him to confirm he received it, he said yes.

In the fax, I also included that should I not receive a confirmation within 7 days of the fax, if I will or will not receive a refund, that I will take it as an invitation to seek legal counsel. He understood and told me that I will be contacted by someone within the week.

Two days goes by, and I call to speak to a guy named "Caeser". I was told he was not in by the lady on the phone. So I asked the lady if she knew the status on my claim for refunds. She said' Well let me see if theres anything in the notes here". I waited for a few minuted and she came back and said "Well sir, it looks like they're denying your refund request". My mouth dropped. There was no MAYBE, no offer, no apology, NOTHING. I said to her " well then can you give him a message that I will be forced to seek legal action". She took the message we hung up the phone.

So, I'm sitting at home totally in shock at whats happening. I log onto my computer to use my leftover gift cards. I thought "well, Im going to get something out of this before I have the site closed". I logged into my site manager first. Couldn't log in? Interesting. I tried a second time. cant log in. I thought to myself "they wouldn't do what I think they're doing". So I went directly to my website (the customer view) and WHOA, they dismantled my site. Thats right, you heard me correct, they had my website taken down without notification or approval from me.

This was to bizarre to be real, but its happening as I'm typing this. They have STOPPED a business without permission. They have locked me out of my STORE. They have taken the keys and closed my shop. THIS CANNOT BE LEGAL. You cannot decide to stop a place of business just because a merchant ASKED you for a refund. You CANNOT tear down a website right after you deny a refund, if that owner is still paying you to have it on. I OWN THAT SITE. It is not theirs. I registered as a sole proprietor and that site is registered as my business.

So now, I am looking for a way to bring this criminal syndicate to justice. This is flat out extortion and ransom. They are strong arming clients like myself like the MAFIA. They must be stopped. They took my last $4,000 dollars from me and ran with it. I have NO choice but to fight this, because this is a blatant and willful act of thievery.

I will be willing to get together with other residents of Los Angeles that have experienced the same thing. I would be willing to talk to anyone who can lead me in the right direction. SMC corp. is located in Simi Valley, so those of us with a "rip off" experience can go straight to their offices.

If anyone out their wants to expose these cons, please take my story. I am willing to be contacted by any media source and will give my full story plus evidence I have gathered. If anyone in this blog would like to organize against SMC , please, let me and others here know. Thugs like this cannot be allowed to prey on people that are most likely using their last amount of savings to have it stolen and kicked out the door.