Kalamazoo T-Shirt Company to Close for 1 Year After Failing to Fulfill Orders

According to a report from WKZO, on Tuesday, Oct. 20, Michigan’s Attorney General Dana Nessel reached a settlement with Kalamazoo-based Inspiring Clothing, accused of failing to fulfill hundreds of online orders for screen-printed T-shirts totaling almost $38,000 in purchases.

The settlement came about after the Attorney General’s office sent a cease and desist letter to the owner in September. The signed Assurance of Voluntary Compliance (AVC) between the Attorney General’s office and the company resolves the dispute.

The company also claimed that a portion of T-shirt sales would go toward various charitable causes. However, to date, WKZO says there have been no donations.

“My office remains firmly committed to protecting Michigan residents from being cheated out of their hard-earned money or from paying for products online that never show up at their doorsteps,” Nessel said in a statement. “Whether they are operating a major corporate enterprise or a mom-and-pop shop, my office will aggressively enforce Michigan’s consumer protection laws to keep businesses and entrepreneurs honest and to protect Michiganders’ pocketbooks.”

The AVC requires Inspiring Clothing to:

• Provide a $1,000 payment to the Attorney General’s office;
• Cease operations for one year;
• The owner cannot participate in any business activities for one year, including any attempts to open another business under a different name; and
• If more customers come forward with proof of an unfulfilled order or no refund, the company must make a $100 payment to that customer along with another $100 to the Attorney General’s office.

According to the AM radio station, over 100 customers complained about Inspiring Clothing to the Better Business Bureau. Complaints claim that months went by without communication from the owner.

In mid-June, the business owner contacted the Attorney General’s office with evidence showing almost 1,000 unfulfilled orders, totaling nearly $37,950. The owner then told investigators the unfulfilled order would ship in three to four days. WKZO says the Attorney General’s office received more complaints in August from consumers who placed orders they did not receive.

After more investigating and follow-ups with customers from earlier in the year, it became known that several more did not receive the goods they purchased or a refund.

Since then, the owner confirmed that all outstanding orders have either been fulfilled or refunded in full.

Read a copy of the signed agreement here.