ComplaintsforRichards & Southern, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  03/13/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This company falsely reports small business owners listings on websites like Etsy, claiming the items up for sale are copyrighted. They reported a vinyl sticker I had listed for sale, claiming they own the rights to the song I got the lyrics from to make this sticker. I have spoken to another person, who has been dealing with issues from this company for months, reporting their listings claiming they are copyrighted, when they in fact are not. This company makes and sells merch for specific country music artists, and report anything they can that could possibly take business away from them. This is happening to so many small business owners. They are having products removed off of peoples shops and claiming they have the rights to things they do not.

  Business response

  03/14/2023

  This was sent to customer on *********...

  Hello ******,
  This is in response to your complaint filed with the BBB. 
  Richards & Southern, **** is the exclusive merchandiser for a large number of popular musical artists and is authorized to enforce certain intellectual property rights of those artists, including certain copyrights, rights of publicity, and / or related trademarks. We did not, however, make a copyright claim against your product(s) or Etsy store, and make no claim or statements regarding any song lyrics that your product(s) may have featured. Please see the notice of infringement sent to you by ****, which notified you, as well as numerous other Etsy sellers who also received similar notices, of our claim that your product(s) infringe on certain rights of publicity granted under Tennessee state law. Furthermore, there is an educational link included in that notice to help you learn more about how publicity rights operate, so that you may amend or remove those products in your store that illegally use a celebritys name, image, or likeness in a commercial manner without authorization. Please know that we support all small business owners, as we ourselves started as a small postcard business and grew into the merchandising company that we are today. We further encourage all small business owners to know and operate within the bounds of the law when it comes to their products and advertising, and in that respect, will continue to enforce all intellectual property rights for which we are legally authorized to enforce and protect.
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  08/01/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I ordered a product and it said it was delivered to my house but it was not at my house. I checked with family and neighbors and nobody knew anything about it. I tried contacting them and they told me to let them know if I located the package and which I have not. I just want a simple refund for the product I have not received and spent money on. I don't even want the product anymore I just want my money back.

  Business response

  08/04/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/08/02) */ To whom it may concern. Please see the latest email that was sent to ******. ****** has been fully refunded. This was taken care of on August 1st. I will also send an email to the customer. I also have provided below the confirmation for her refund. Thanks, ***** Richards & Southern R&S Info <****@richards-southern.com> Aug 1, 2022, 8:14 PM (17 hours ago) to ********** Hi ******, I apologize for that were never responded to. I have issued you a full refund for your order. This hat is out of stock at this time. Sorry for any disappointment this might have caused. Order #RSXXXXX Card details Visa ** ** ** **** Name on card ****** ******* Refunded by R S Authorization key *************************** Message Transaction approved Amount $35.64 Refunded items 1 × Chase ******* **** and Black ******************** Shipping ($5.64 of $5.64) Consumer Response /* (2000, 7, 2022/08/04) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) They never sent that as an email they did send me an email about wanting me to tell BBB that it was resolved. I would not have reached out to you guys if I received an email back.

• Initial Complaint

  06/30/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I waited over 6 weeks for an item to be in stock. I checked the website every day. It finally was restocked so I ordered (2) only to receive the wrong items. Now it shows the item is out of stock once again!😡The receipt shows the correct item. I have reached out to them twice through email with no response. I don't feel like I should have to pay to return these items I don't want! Right now I am out $****** and would like the correct items sent or my money fully refunded and shipping paid to return the wrong items! I have attached my receipt and a picture of what I received.

  Business response

  07/13/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2022/07/12) */ We have taken care of the customer:) ***** ********* Mon, Jul 11, **** PM (** hours ago) to me Thank you so much!! Sent from my ******* On Jul 11, 2022, at **** PM, ***** <************@richards-southern.com> wrote: Ok! We will ship 2 tomorrow and refund the order for one:). ************************ **** PM ***** ********* <*******@hotmail.com> wrote: Hi *****, I would really like (2) of them if they are in stock. It only showed (1) left when I re ordered. I was just really upset because I couldn't get a hold of anyone and I've been waiting for these hats to be in stock for months. When I finally got a chance to order them the wrong ones were sent which made me so mad! Sent from my ******* On Jul 11, 2022, at ***** PM, ***** <************@richards-southern.com> wrote: Hi *****! We want to help you with your order. We see that you contacted the ***. Help us understand. We sent you a return label so you could return the incorrect items. We see that you placed another order. Do you need 2 Wave Straw hats or 3. Please let us know and I'll take care of this asap! Thank you, ***** R&S Concert Division www.richardsandsouthern.com Consumer Response /* (2000, 10, 2022/07/12) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

• Initial Complaint

  06/21/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Says shipped however **** has not received item paid priority shipping , after reading other reviews I'm now concerned I have been scammed as well how can you let these people keep doing this

  Business response

  07/06/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2022/07/04) */ We sent a delivery confirmation to the customer on June 22 and also today: R&S Info ***** AM (4 hours ago) to *********, **, ** Hi ***, Your order shipped on the 18th of June and according to tracking you received your order on June 25th. Can you confirm that for **? Please see your tracking information below. Thanks Tracking Number: ********************** Your item was delivered in or at the mailbox at ***** am on June 25, 2022 in **********,*** *****. **** Tracking Plus(r) Available Status Delivered, In/At Mailbox June 25, 2022 at ***** am **********,*** ***** Consumer Response /* (2000, 12, 2022/07/05) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

• Initial Complaint

  01/09/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I purchased two items from the ********** merchandise store on November 25, 2021. I received the items in the mail but one of them was the wrong item. I have reached out to the fulfillment company on three different occasions about this error and not heard back from them. They have a note on their website about returns/exchanges, but I had a particular question about the item and did not want to send to them without this question being answered. In order to not miss the item return date (in order to receive a refund/exchange), I mailed back the item based on the information on their website on December 21, 2021 with an expected arrival date of December 24, 2021 to their facility. I paid $**** in postage in order for this to occur. I have yet to hear back from the company and now I no longer have possession of one of the items purchased. At this point, I am seeking a refund for the incorrect item that was shipped and my shipping charges.

  Business response

  01/25/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2022/01/18) */ Hello, We shipped the customer the correct item and also refunded their shipping charges in full. We also have emailed the customer to see if there is anything further we can do for her. Consumer Response /* (2000, 9, 2022/01/21) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) I received the refund for my shipping.

*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. ↩