Clouds of doubt envelop business's claims to help charities
»Play Video
PORTLAND, Ore. – An Oregon company is promising great deals while helping charity, but some people doing business with it say they're owed thousands of dollars.
They’re frustrated with SharingSpree.com. The company had their clients so excited with its great sales pitch and great discounts – like you can get on other sites like Groupon – while also doing a good deed.
But some clients say they’ve been left holding the bag.
Korysa Nation earns her living as an esthetician at Skin Tight Spa in the Pearl District.
Dozens of customers have redeemed the spa's discount deals through SharingSpree.com.
The website boasts to customers it's donated nearly $400,000 to local charities.
"They are thinking they're doing a good thing by buying from Sharing Spree and Sharing Spree is donating to a nonprofit agency; plus, they're getting a good deal, but Sharing Spree has stopped paying their vendors, which would be us," Nation said.
The spa says it's been waiting four months for about $3,500 and keeps getting the runaround.
Other business owners shared similar stories with KATU News.
The company is registered in Florida where it has an "F" rating from the Better Business Bureau. But public records say the owner is renting a more than 9,000 square foot house in Wilsonville with six bedrooms, six baths and surrounded by mansions.
At the front door, the owner's nanny told a reporter he wasn't home.
But by phone owner Ron Sapp said, "We're aware of the situation, and we are working on it. I can't comment on that right now."
It leaves Nation wondering if she'll get her promised commission.
"If they don't pay, I don't get paid," she said.
One of the charities Sharing Spree says it donates money to, is the Beaverton Education Foundation.
The director says they have received all the money promised to them, including a payment of about $10,000 in September.
KATU News has calls in to some of the other charities to see if they have been paid.
If you have a story for the KATU On Your Side Investigators email them at investigators@katu.com.
Beware, now businesses are NOT accepting Sharing Spree. I went to Sweet Story in Sherwood and they would not honor it.
If he did own that house, he sold it to a nonprofit for $10. This from another tv news broadcast.
You should also check out the posts on hip2save.com since January til now on the fake Clarisonic Mia 2s SharingSpree sold for $76 shipped (retail value $149). I was among the people ripped off, but I did get my refund. Early on, refunds were plentiful, but now calls and emails go unanswered. They even posted a NEW sale for the Mia2s even after the s___ hit the fan, and we are imagining they were trying to re-sell the fake products returned to their company. They also sold fake Urban Decay Eyeshadow Palettes.
"But public records say the owner is renting a more than 9,000 square foot house in Wilsonville with six bedrooms, six baths and surrounded by mansions." Â (from the story)
Well, this in itself should tell us where at least some of the money went... I don't imagine that this McMansion in Wilsonville is all that cheap to rent...Â
But by phone owner Ron Sapp said, "We're aware of the situation, and we are working on it. I can't comment on that right now."
In other words..."I spent all the money. Now I have to ask favors and pull loans to pay them back."
This headline would be clarified if the verb "envelop" were used instead of "envelope." Just a suggestion.
So if the payout would have or should have been the other way around..
Offer the coupons to customers and YOU get the money First, and Then forward the donation to sharing spree.
In stead of them getting your money Your profits first then make you honor the coupons and wait for them to pay you.
Even if on line this was wrong from the get go..
Class action lawsuit material.
Out of state East Coast scammers. Â Don't fall for it. Â Let's put the law to this criminal.