buymerchant.com Kelly the fake name they use for the online chat feature on their website I believe they were trying to steal my identity. Who requires a tax ID number to buy a case of gloves with a credit card? Bronx, New York

My wife is into crafts and wanted to buy a case of ladies leather gloves, which she planned on modifying with college "buttons" to sell as Christmas stocking stuffers. 

She found the buymerchant.com website and asked me to gather info on the gloves such as the makeup of sizes, how long before we would receive the gloves, shipping costs etc.  I emailed them 2X with no response, then I called and talked to whomever answers the phone.  I left 2 messages before he responded.  He promised to give me the sizes included and how many per size.  He never did.

Disgusted with the customer service but eager to buy the gloves (prices are too good to be true...and if it sounds too good to be true, it is too good to be true) I went ahead and bought the gloves on the website. 

To my surprise the card was denied, even though I had a $10,000.00 limit with $9,200.00 available!  I contacted Kelly through their chat feature (it is not his or her real name) to find out why my card was denied.  "Kelly" began by asking for my company name (which I gladly gave "her"), but when she asked for my tax ID or social security number I became suspicious. When I asked her why she needed it, she replied "why do you have a problem giving it?"  I responded with "why do you answer my question with a question?"

In the middle of our chat my bank texted me with a question about a transaction...you guessed it from buymerchant.  I contacted my bank and told them not to authorize a charge from them.

I called the number on the web page and talked to someone who explained he was "in charge" and that getting a tax ID was a standard practice.  He tried to intimidate me buy saying I must be new to buying wholesale and that he deals with huge companies and gets tax ID's "all the time" and in fact it was "company policy"

He also accused me of trying to defraud him, and claimed his website was mirrored to the FBI's website and they would be contacting me.  I replied "you have got to be kidding me!"  "All I want to do is spend $400 on your site", "I spent $2,000.00 on Apple's site and they didn't need my tax ID".  He then said "don't worry I am canceling your order.  Even if we shipped you the gloves by mistake we would have you arrested for fraud"

At that time I had had enough and told him I believed he was insane.  I told him there was no point in talking any longer and I would look forward to the FBI investigation.  He ended the conversation by saying "don't go to our site anymore" (like I would ever endure those idiots again).

I did a web search and could find almost nothing about the company except another ripoff report.  They can't possibly be as big as they claim to be, with as many products as they claim to have, and yet have such a small footprint on the web.

Their behavior suggests they are out to steal identities.  I consider myself lucky that my bank denied the charge!