Better Business Bureau warns consumers of Fort Smith retailer

The Better Business Bureau warned consumers in a statement Tuesday to "exercise caution" when doing business with an online retailer located in Fort Smith.

Proud Americans Supply, which sells “premium patriotic apparel,” according to its website, currently has an F rating from the Better Business Bureau. Consumers logged 57 complaints against the retailer in the last 12 months, and many of those in recent weeks have gone unanswered, the bureau’s Little Rock office said in a statement.

According to the Better Business Bureau, consumers reported they never received products they bought and paid for, and some struggled to reach the business via email. Customers said that there was no phone number provided for customer service, the release states.

In a separate notice, the Better Business Bureau wrote that they contacted Proud Americans Supply in August about a claim on its website that the apparel company "proudly donate[s] a significant portion of every sale towards these charities helping Americans across our country." Below this claim, the retailer displayed logos for the Wounded Warrior Project, Volunteers of America and Fisher House, the bureau states. According to the notice, the company provided the bureau with "Charitable Donations Receipts" that did not state how much was donated to each charity.

Though the bureau said logos for the charities were still posted on the Proud Americans Supply website Nov. 15, the logos no longer appeared to be posted Tuesday afternoon.

Proud Americans Supply did not immediately return a message seeking comment Tuesday.

Upcoming Events