Virginia consumers are advised to exercise caution if considering purchases from Ridgewell Retail, a company that reportedly offers products to reduce electric and gas bills.

Over the past 30 days, BBB reports receiving over 1,100 inquiries about Ridgewell Retail and three customer reviews, each alleging similar experiences.

Consumers claim Ridgewell Retail advertises products on social media that promise to help customers save money on utility bills. Then, during checkout, additional products are offered at discounted prices, and although the offer is declined, customers allege they were still charged for products they didn’t authorize.

Here are two of those comments from the BBB site:

BBB findings

The BBB conducted a review and reported that Ridgewell Retail’s business location couldn’t be verified. The company lists a Richmond, Virginia, address on Laburnum Ave., but the BBB determined that it is a shipping and packing store that rents virtual mailboxes.

BBB also discovered that the return address in Boca Raton, FL, is linked to an e-commerce fulfillment and drop-shipping service rather than an operating business location. On its website, Ridgewell Retail lists SVB Group Inc. as the operating company, but BBB was unable to locate a registered business entity under that name in Virginia or Florida.

Slow down and investigate

“Any time we see a spike in consumers researching a company before or after making a purchase, it’s a signal that people have questions or concerns,” said Barry Moore, President and CEO of BBB serving Central Virginia. “We encourage consumers to slow down before clicking ‘buy,’ carefully review every step of the checkout process, and verify they’re purchasing from a legitimate business. Taking a few extra minutes upfront can help prevent a much bigger headache later.”

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