sarahsmom73
<a href="http://www.wdwinfo.com/dis-sponsor/" targ
- Joined
- Aug 13, 2003
- Messages
- 3,497
Do a complaint with the BBB.. I think the more of us who do, the better!
Had good luck with Main Street Megastore!
- Thread starter laceemouse
- Start date
sugarmouse
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2004
- Messages
- 2
*****see our up date on page 3 01/07/05****
There is possible fraud going on here!
Everyone needs to file a complaint to: http://www1.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp (This is the FBI's internet fraud complaint record)
We placed an order on 12/6/04, and our credit card was charged on 12/8/04 and we still have not seen our item.
We have contacted them numerous times on their e-mail (with NO RESPONSE)
We have found the following information regarding this company:
Main Street Megastore, LLC
5 Lowe Hill Road P O Box 700
Essex, MA 01929
Sole Prorprietorship - SUSAN H. STAYMAN
Phone on credit card 978-768-7051 - DISCONNECTED/No Longer in service
Phone on LLC registration: 978-768-3177 - DISCONNECTED/No Longer in svs.
There are numerous complaints on the BBB which have gone UNANSWERED by the business.
We are disputing the charge, and filing the complaint with the internet fraud line to the FBI - along with the Attorney General of Massachusetts.
you can also contact Inspector Michael French of the Essex Police Dept. 978 768 6200. He is currently investigating this matter.
This has got to stop!
There is possible fraud going on here!
Everyone needs to file a complaint to: http://www1.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp (This is the FBI's internet fraud complaint record)
We placed an order on 12/6/04, and our credit card was charged on 12/8/04 and we still have not seen our item.
We have contacted them numerous times on their e-mail (with NO RESPONSE)
We have found the following information regarding this company:
Main Street Megastore, LLC
5 Lowe Hill Road P O Box 700
Essex, MA 01929
Sole Prorprietorship - SUSAN H. STAYMAN
Phone on credit card 978-768-7051 - DISCONNECTED/No Longer in service
Phone on LLC registration: 978-768-3177 - DISCONNECTED/No Longer in svs.
There are numerous complaints on the BBB which have gone UNANSWERED by the business.
We are disputing the charge, and filing the complaint with the internet fraud line to the FBI - along with the Attorney General of Massachusetts.
you can also contact Inspector Michael French of the Essex Police Dept. 978 768 6200. He is currently investigating this matter.
This has got to stop!
sarahsmom73
<a href="http://www.wdwinfo.com/dis-sponsor/" targ
- Joined
- Aug 13, 2003
- Messages
- 3,497
Had my merchandise not arrived, I would have done the same, so I second the suggestion.. Please file a complaint.. This has got to stop!
EsmeraldaX
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2003
- Messages
- 14,910
I would never order from them.
They buy stuff at retail cost from the parks and then charge double for it. With few exceptions, everything from that site can be ordered directly from DisneyWorld mail order at the same cost it is in the park.
They buy stuff at retail cost from the parks and then charge double for it. With few exceptions, everything from that site can be ordered directly from DisneyWorld mail order at the same cost it is in the park.
sorcerermickey1000
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2005
- Messages
- 6
Hiya everyone....I'm a longtime lurker, mainly because it's so much fun seeing Disney through other people's eyes other than my own bored/jaded ones. I used to live in Orlando, and while I lived there I decided to start a little side business for fun on ebay selling some of the same merchandise this Main St Megastore website seems to sell. This was back in 2000, so I'm not sure but I guess there was no MSM....
Well, the business was a total disaster. Not because things didn't sell, but because the stock levels at WDW were always crazy! It made me crazy too....here I was, selling quite a bit of WDW stuff (more than I ever thought I would), and I would go into the parks and 1/2 the time the things people had won on my ebay auctions were either out of stock, liquidated, discontinued, whatever.... it got to the point where if something was in stock it was a bit of an event to say the least. It's very deceiving when you just go to WDW on vacation.... it seems like they always have the same things. But that's so far from the truth.... take it from me, they literally change and alter their selections weekly! I used to work in retail and, to be perfectly honest, I've never seen anything quite like it. It's no wonder that Disneydeals.com site has grown so fast.... i imagine the sheer volume of things they have to liquidate is insane.
I am not writing in Main St Megastore's defense...far from it actually. I placed an order with them about a year ago out of curiosity, since my business failed so badly due to WDW's crazy stock levels and I wanted to see what (if anything) they were doing differently (i'm an eternal optomist.... in a perfect world i would love to start my little ebay thing all over again
. I was browsing their site, kind of in disbelief, since it's so insanely huge...I just couldn't quite figure out how they were pulling it off. I tried so hard to turn even just a tiny profit doing mine and, at a certain point, it really just seemed impossible due to WDW's merchandising strategy. And, what do you know, it takes like 2 months for them to ship my order. So clearly they ran in to (and still deal with) the same problems as I did. I even filed with the BBB to see what they would do (yes, I'm nosy and have lots of time on my hands...don't kill me....) They resolved by refunding my order and letting me keep it. That impressed me, especially since I used to be in retail and it was very uncommon for the company I worked for to issue outright refunds (it was always a gift certificate, because those cost much less in retail than a refund obviously). Overall, though, the experience still felt very lackluster. In a sense i applaud their effort to make such a vast and complicated selection available, but at the same time they really need to get their customer service in order and find a way to fill orders more quickly (i should be talking.... i completely failed at that).
Based on decades of retail experience, their problem actually seems quite simple: they have way too much demand and not enough manpower to meet it. They probably got clobbered with the holiday rush, sending their "infrastructure" into a tailspin....believe me, it's what happened with my little ebay venture back in 2000, and it was not pretty. I probably had it worse, because everything went through ebay. This is all just so wild, because it's like a perfect (though bigger) mirror of what happened ot me 4 years ago.
So my point is that, while I think their recent customer relations skills are deplorable, what has happened is obvious to me since I have 20+ years retail experience, and I even tried my hand at what they are trying to do. So on another hand I (cautiously) applaud their effort. It looks like they, despite all of these problems (which NEED to be fixed... it really is amazing at a certain point....) are growing.... it may simply be because they're not dealing with ebay like I had to and they don't have listing fees killing them so if WDW is out of something the listing fees don't kill them.
Most of all, though, I applaud your efforts: I would definitely bet that you will change the way they do business eventually, although I doubt it's a wake up call to them. Most people who file with BBB think they are really pushing a company's edges or waking them up, when actually the company usually is fully aware of it (we used to joke about it at the company i used to work for).... change just takes time. And when all of their product availability isn't controlled by them, I'm sure they are pulling their hair out just like I was. I closed my ebay store..... it will be interesting to see if they can come up with a system that works, because I sure couldn't and would have loved to.
Again, though, do not take this as defense of them. I'm just very intrigued by how this is panning out, since I was in their shoes four years ago and had absolutely no idea how to handle it. Let me know how they handle your BBB complaints!
This posting thing is kind of fun. I might become as addicted as some of you Maybe I'll go post somewhere else now You'll always be able to recognize me by my long-winded replies. 
Sorcerer Mickey
(can you guess that my favorite show is Fantasmic? )
Well, the business was a total disaster. Not because things didn't sell, but because the stock levels at WDW were always crazy! It made me crazy too....here I was, selling quite a bit of WDW stuff (more than I ever thought I would), and I would go into the parks and 1/2 the time the things people had won on my ebay auctions were either out of stock, liquidated, discontinued, whatever.... it got to the point where if something was in stock it was a bit of an event to say the least. It's very deceiving when you just go to WDW on vacation.... it seems like they always have the same things. But that's so far from the truth.... take it from me, they literally change and alter their selections weekly! I used to work in retail and, to be perfectly honest, I've never seen anything quite like it. It's no wonder that Disneydeals.com site has grown so fast.... i imagine the sheer volume of things they have to liquidate is insane.
I am not writing in Main St Megastore's defense...far from it actually. I placed an order with them about a year ago out of curiosity, since my business failed so badly due to WDW's crazy stock levels and I wanted to see what (if anything) they were doing differently (i'm an eternal optomist.... in a perfect world i would love to start my little ebay thing all over again
. I was browsing their site, kind of in disbelief, since it's so insanely huge...I just couldn't quite figure out how they were pulling it off. I tried so hard to turn even just a tiny profit doing mine and, at a certain point, it really just seemed impossible due to WDW's merchandising strategy. And, what do you know, it takes like 2 months for them to ship my order. So clearly they ran in to (and still deal with) the same problems as I did. I even filed with the BBB to see what they would do (yes, I'm nosy and have lots of time on my hands...don't kill me....) They resolved by refunding my order and letting me keep it. That impressed me, especially since I used to be in retail and it was very uncommon for the company I worked for to issue outright refunds (it was always a gift certificate, because those cost much less in retail than a refund obviously). Overall, though, the experience still felt very lackluster. In a sense i applaud their effort to make such a vast and complicated selection available, but at the same time they really need to get their customer service in order and find a way to fill orders more quickly (i should be talking.... i completely failed at that).Based on decades of retail experience, their problem actually seems quite simple: they have way too much demand and not enough manpower to meet it. They probably got clobbered with the holiday rush, sending their "infrastructure" into a tailspin....believe me, it's what happened with my little ebay venture back in 2000, and it was not pretty. I probably had it worse, because everything went through ebay. This is all just so wild, because it's like a perfect (though bigger) mirror of what happened ot me 4 years ago.
So my point is that, while I think their recent customer relations skills are deplorable, what has happened is obvious to me since I have 20+ years retail experience, and I even tried my hand at what they are trying to do. So on another hand I (cautiously) applaud their effort. It looks like they, despite all of these problems (which NEED to be fixed... it really is amazing at a certain point....) are growing.... it may simply be because they're not dealing with ebay like I had to and they don't have listing fees killing them so if WDW is out of something the listing fees don't kill them.
Most of all, though, I applaud your efforts: I would definitely bet that you will change the way they do business eventually, although I doubt it's a wake up call to them. Most people who file with BBB think they are really pushing a company's edges or waking them up, when actually the company usually is fully aware of it (we used to joke about it at the company i used to work for).... change just takes time. And when all of their product availability isn't controlled by them, I'm sure they are pulling their hair out just like I was. I closed my ebay store..... it will be interesting to see if they can come up with a system that works, because I sure couldn't and would have loved to.
Again, though, do not take this as defense of them. I'm just very intrigued by how this is panning out, since I was in their shoes four years ago and had absolutely no idea how to handle it. Let me know how they handle your BBB complaints!
This posting thing is kind of fun. I might become as addicted as some of you
Maybe I'll go post somewhere else now You'll always be able to recognize me by my long-winded replies. Sorcerer Mickey
(can you guess that my favorite show is Fantasmic?
)
laceemouse
laceemouse
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2003
- Messages
- 4,495
Sorcerer, thanks for the interesting insight! Welcome to the DIS!! We are a friendly bunch and you can learn a lot here, as well as teaching us a thing or two 
E
erikthewise
Guest
I had an "experience" with Main Street Megastore about 1 1/2 years ago that was very similar to those described here. They charged my credit card upon order and I withheld payment until my item arrived. Afterward they said they would change their policy and not charge until shipment. So you know how much you can believe what they say...
It's clear that they keep little or no stock on many items, and operate by periodic shopping trips to WDW. Aside from that I do not believe they are intentionally dishonest or fraudulent. But the outcome of your order is highly uncertain, and they often cannot fill orders in a timely fashion. Unless you are obsessed with an item and there's no other way to get it (which was my situation), I don't suggest you deal with them.
It's clear that they keep little or no stock on many items, and operate by periodic shopping trips to WDW. Aside from that I do not believe they are intentionally dishonest or fraudulent. But the outcome of your order is highly uncertain, and they often cannot fill orders in a timely fashion. Unless you are obsessed with an item and there's no other way to get it (which was my situation), I don't suggest you deal with them.
bballmom56
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2004
- Messages
- 3,037
DH had ordered something from them as a Christmas gift. After a while of hearing nothing from them, he emailed them four separate times, with no response. After reading this thread, he filed a complaint with the BBB. He got an email from the BBB today saying that MSM agreed to cancel the order (the credit card had not yet been charged). The reason for the delay was that they were experiencing heavier volume than they expected .
.MikeScott8
SSR-Poly DVC Member
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2001
- Messages
- 1,044
Here is MSM reply to my BBB complaint:
We have issued a full refund to Mr. ********'s credit card. Due to an overwhelming volume of orders and guest inquiries over the holiday season, our ability to ship at our normally rapid rate and field emails was temporarily delayed. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this unusual situation may have caused, and very much appreciate the continued patience and understanding of our guests.
-----
I am still waiting for this "credit" to show up, and let the BBB know so they do not close it until I actually get the refund. I also replied they (MSM) could have saved the BBB getting involved and effecting the BBB level for them by SIMPLY RESPONDING TO ME!! If they had just let me know that what was happenning I would have been more forgiving. BUT NO RESPONSE TO MY REPEATED inquiries was a MAJOR factor in my dissatsifaction with them.
Mike
We have issued a full refund to Mr. ********'s credit card. Due to an overwhelming volume of orders and guest inquiries over the holiday season, our ability to ship at our normally rapid rate and field emails was temporarily delayed. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this unusual situation may have caused, and very much appreciate the continued patience and understanding of our guests.
-----
I am still waiting for this "credit" to show up, and let the BBB know so they do not close it until I actually get the refund. I also replied they (MSM) could have saved the BBB getting involved and effecting the BBB level for them by SIMPLY RESPONDING TO ME!! If they had just let me know that what was happenning I would have been more forgiving. BUT NO RESPONSE TO MY REPEATED inquiries was a MAJOR factor in my dissatsifaction with them.
Mike
sarahsmom73
<a href="http://www.wdwinfo.com/dis-sponsor/" targ
- Joined
- Aug 13, 2003
- Messages
- 3,497
At least you did get a response... I never got one from the order I placed in September and was charged for..I finally did receive it in November after numerous email attempts on my part and the BBB getting involved (although they did not respond to the BBB) I wonder if my problem was due to "an overwhelming volume of orders and guest inquiries over the holiday season" in September!
in September!sugarmouse
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2004
- Messages
- 2
UP date on Main Street Mega Store
According to the local police this person is on the run but still has a post office box in Essex Ma. She is a 51 year old woman Who has apparently done this before and moves around the state quite often.
We have provide some links that should be helpful in your complaints..
link http://www.mainstreetmegastore.com/contact_us.cfm
And a direct email address for the owner is julian.lowy@mainstreetmegastore.com
You need to complain to the IFCC in order to get the site shut down. The link is
http://www1.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp .
you can also contact the BBB even if the Main Street Mega Store isnt reregistered with the BBB it lets others know to stay away..
this Julian is a 51 year old woman form MA. She has been around the block a few times. You also need to file with the MA
Attorney Generals office the contact site is http://www.ago.state.ma.us/sp.cfm?pageid=929
Please contact everyone involved.
Thank you for your support.
You may contact us for more information at
sugernthor@comcast.net
According to the local police this person is on the run but still has a post office box in Essex Ma. She is a 51 year old woman Who has apparently done this before and moves around the state quite often.
We have provide some links that should be helpful in your complaints..
link http://www.mainstreetmegastore.com/contact_us.cfm
And a direct email address for the owner is julian.lowy@mainstreetmegastore.com
You need to complain to the IFCC in order to get the site shut down. The link is
http://www1.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp .
you can also contact the BBB even if the Main Street Mega Store isnt reregistered with the BBB it lets others know to stay away..
this Julian is a 51 year old woman form MA. She has been around the block a few times. You also need to file with the MA
Attorney Generals office the contact site is http://www.ago.state.ma.us/sp.cfm?pageid=929
Please contact everyone involved.
Thank you for your support.
You may contact us for more information at
sugernthor@comcast.net
sarahsmom73
<a href="http://www.wdwinfo.com/dis-sponsor/" targ
- Joined
- Aug 13, 2003
- Messages
- 3,497
I hope everyone follows this post to a T!
All I can say is
All I can say is
This has now been posted on their website. Not sure how long it has been there...
-----
*****Notice To Guests Who Placed Orders Between 11/1/04-12/31/04*****
Walt Disney once said, If you can dream it, you can do it. In starting Main Street Megastore, it has been our dream to provide the thousands of items available exclusively at the Walt Disney World® Resort to our guests from the comfort of their own home. It originally sounded like a unique, fun, and exciting idea, so we decided to do it. Little did we know just how much interest there would be in a website like this.
Over the 2004 holiday shopping season, we received a flood of orders. So many that our entire infrastructure became severely overwhelmed. From shipping to guest services and everything in-between, we never could have imagined the volume we received.
If you have not yet received your order, it should ship within the next 2-10 business days. If you do not want your order once you receive it, simply write Return To Sender on the label to return it to us free of any additional charge. Upon receipt of your return, we will happily issue a full refund to your credit card.
It is our hope to have our system back up and in full operation by January 15th. We sincerely appreciate your continued patience and understanding and apologize for any inconvenience this highly unusual situation may have caused. We dreamed it, we did it, but now we need to make sure that we are fully capable of serving our guests at the highest level possible, the level they deserve.
-----
*****Notice To Guests Who Placed Orders Between 11/1/04-12/31/04*****
Walt Disney once said, If you can dream it, you can do it. In starting Main Street Megastore, it has been our dream to provide the thousands of items available exclusively at the Walt Disney World® Resort to our guests from the comfort of their own home. It originally sounded like a unique, fun, and exciting idea, so we decided to do it. Little did we know just how much interest there would be in a website like this.
Over the 2004 holiday shopping season, we received a flood of orders. So many that our entire infrastructure became severely overwhelmed. From shipping to guest services and everything in-between, we never could have imagined the volume we received.
If you have not yet received your order, it should ship within the next 2-10 business days. If you do not want your order once you receive it, simply write Return To Sender on the label to return it to us free of any additional charge. Upon receipt of your return, we will happily issue a full refund to your credit card.
It is our hope to have our system back up and in full operation by January 15th. We sincerely appreciate your continued patience and understanding and apologize for any inconvenience this highly unusual situation may have caused. We dreamed it, we did it, but now we need to make sure that we are fully capable of serving our guests at the highest level possible, the level they deserve.
bballmom56
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2004
- Messages
- 3,037
I wonder what the excuse was for sarahsmom73's order that she placed in September ?
?
sarahsmom73
<a href="http://www.wdwinfo.com/dis-sponsor/" targ
- Joined
- Aug 13, 2003
- Messages
- 3,497
I never got an excuse... I tried to get in touch with them over the period of 2 weeks and then I got really mad! That is when I got in touch with the BBB.. They had 2 failed contact attempts... It wasn't until then that I got an email saying my order had indeed shipped. That was in NOVEMBER!!!! I have saved all of the emails and info etc... My next step would have been to involve the FEDS as they charged my CC in September...
MikeScott8
SSR-Poly DVC Member
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2001
- Messages
- 1,044
I finally did get a refund after the BBB contacted the "merchant".
Still wish I had gotten the monorail pilot wings pin I had ordered.
Mike
Still wish I had gotten the monorail pilot wings pin I had ordered.
Mike
sandyluvsdisney
Wishes do come true
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2003
- Messages
- 58
I can't believe it worked but thanks to all you Disers i got a response and I just finished emailing them and i almost immedialely i got a response from them check it out, i hope this helps more of you out there still waiting for your orders.
"Hi Sandy,
Thanks so much for taking the time to contact us. Due to unprecedented
demand over the holiday season, our email systems have been backlogged and
we have been unable to resolve guets issues at our normally rapid rate.
A full refund will be issued to you for your two orders immediately in the
form of two corporate checks, which will be mailed out today.
We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this situation may have
caused, and very much appreciate your continued patience and
understanding.
Thank you for your interest in Main Street Megastore,
Julian Lowy
General Manager
Main Street Megastore
http://mainstreetmegastore.com
julian.lowy@mainstreetmegastore.com
"Hi Sandy,
Thanks so much for taking the time to contact us. Due to unprecedented
demand over the holiday season, our email systems have been backlogged and
we have been unable to resolve guets issues at our normally rapid rate.
A full refund will be issued to you for your two orders immediately in the
form of two corporate checks, which will be mailed out today.
We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this situation may have
caused, and very much appreciate your continued patience and
understanding.
Thank you for your interest in Main Street Megastore,
Julian Lowy
General Manager
Main Street Megastore
http://mainstreetmegastore.com
julian.lowy@mainstreetmegastore.com
Blueberry
Happy to be a Croc Mama
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2003
- Messages
- 4,016
I just tried to cancel my order for a T-shirt today. Wrote them an email and hope to get a refund..Ordered a T-shirt for my DD birthday on January 9th, her birthday was not until Feb 2nd, so figured that gave them time to get it too me..Have not heard a word on my order yet, so canceled it out after reading all I have here. No longer need the T-shirt, her B-day came and went so I got her another gift....
Never again will do business with those people...I wish I had read the thread here before I placed an order at all with them..
Never again will do business with those people...I wish I had read the thread here before I placed an order at all with them..
Ware Bears
Bring me that horizon
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2003
- Messages
- 27,443
I have also been "caught" by this company.
In September I ordered a CD, it took about 3 weeks to arrive but I was not charged until after it was shipped and it was sent with an apology for the delay and a discount code to use with my next order. I ordered a further two CD's separately (I order separately so as not to incur excessive customs charges), these were both received within a week of ordering which is very impressive seeing as I live in England.
On 10 December I ordered another CD. I did not expect to receive this until the New Year so when I saw the message posted on their website about all orders being delayed, I was not worried. Until that message disappeared and my order was still showing as "processing". Then, when I received my credit card bill, I see I was charged on 17 December. THEN I started worrying. I have sent an email to Julian Lowy and will contact my credit card company on Monday to see if there is anything they can do (not sure how I stand as I am in another country).
Glad I found this post, at least I know the situation now.
Elaine
In September I ordered a CD, it took about 3 weeks to arrive but I was not charged until after it was shipped and it was sent with an apology for the delay and a discount code to use with my next order. I ordered a further two CD's separately (I order separately so as not to incur excessive customs charges), these were both received within a week of ordering which is very impressive seeing as I live in England.On 10 December I ordered another CD. I did not expect to receive this until the New Year so when I saw the message posted on their website about all orders being delayed, I was not worried. Until that message disappeared and my order was still showing as "processing". Then, when I received my credit card bill, I see I was charged on 17 December. THEN I started worrying. I have sent an email to Julian Lowy and will contact my credit card company on Monday to see if there is anything they can do (not sure how I stand as I am in another country).
Glad I found this post, at least I know the situation now.
Elaine
Ware Bears
Bring me that horizon
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2003
- Messages
- 27,443
Thought I'd update you. Immediately after emailing Julian Lowy, I received a reply apologizing, and agreeing to refund my money but still send me the CD as compensation for the inconvenience. To date, I have not received a refund, but as I have finally received the CD I do not mind. However, all my purchases of Disney merchandise will be only in the parks from now on!
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