Hundreds of people say they've been ripped off by owner of New Jersey-based children's shoe store called Monkey Feet
NEW JERSEY -- Hundreds of people across the country say they've been ripped off by the owner of a New Jersey-based children's shoe store.
Online shoppers told CBS2 they paid for products months ago that were never delivered.
Four years ago, Linda Ainger started regularly ordering shoes for her grandchildren from an online store called Monkey Feet.
"Between my grandson and my granddaughter, I would say well over 100," said Ainger. "We never had any issues. The product was wonderful. Shoes were relatively inexpensive."
Kristin Arvallo and her daughter were also loyal customers.
"Their feet grow so fast. So you're just constantly putting in orders, not thinking they were never going to come," said Arvallo.
Last year, customers started getting messages saying their orders were delayed or canceled. So, they started asking for refunds.
"She'd give us every excuse under the sun, 'they were stuck in customs,' very snarky messages," said Ainger.
"Then everything shut down and she completely ghosted," said Arvallo.
Arvallo noticed dozens of people complaining online, including on TikTok. She started a buyer beware Facebook page that grew to nearly 14,000 members and was flooded with messages about missing orders.
"We figured out over 57,000 orders," said Arvallo.
The Better Business Bureau's website listed 106 customer complaints and gave Monkey Feet an F rating.
Court documents show the business was evicted from a Florida warehouse, sued for $225,000 in rent owed and that "boxes of shoes" were left on the property.
We tried to contact the owner of Monkey Feet at an address in Chesterfield, New Jersey where she was served, but there was no response.
Monkey Feet's website and social media accounts were also shut down.
"They should start a class action. It's a no brainer," said business attorney Andrew Lieb. "There's public diversity jurisdiction, meaning people from different states. They should all join together and get their money."
Ainger and Arvallo said they're deciding if a lawsuit is worth the cost. They're already out hundreds of dollars.
"I can't even tell you the number of hours I put into it trying to get my money back," said Ainger.
They just want other buyers to beware.
