Branch Basics LLC

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because:In response to the nonsensical reply from Branch Basics, LLC, let me be clear, it is of no consequence that Branch Basics, LLC or [redacted] , [redacted] ***, [redacted] and [redacted] agree with anything -- they are in violation of law and duped an estimated 35,consumers out of millions of dollars since The injuries caused by this quartet are astronomical and they owe this debt now to everyone that has ever been misled into buying their fake organic soap with unknown levels of toxicity and undisclosed synthetic chemicals.Branch Basics, LLC advertised their so-called “soap” as safe to use on babies as a wash, safe to use as a food rinse, safe to bathe in, safe to use to remove makeup, and safe to ingest They specifically targeted pregnant women, young mothers with infants, immunocompromised people, people with cancer, asthma and other respiratory disabilities, and those with skin disorders with claims of miracle healing in articles they posted all over their website Each of these claims are intentional fraudulent misrepresentations that the owners ( [redacted] , [redacted] ***, [redacted] and [redacted] ) knew were at that time they made them going back as far as 2012, and not supported by a shred of medical evidence, studies or testing These outrageous claims convinced thousands of people (and me) to purchase their fake organic soap Their wild specious claims are in violation of law and make unsubstantiated medical claims, offer up their “soap” as a miracle drug to unsuspecting consumers, and allude to promises of healing and recovery from a variety of serious medical conditions that would normally require medical treatment (https://branchbasics.com/blog/) The FDA would disagree with ALL of their claims.Even after they were exposed for the fraudulent product, they continued to deceive, mislead, and defraud consumers with unproven, impossible medical miracle stories:“We found ourselves wanting to share with others the safe, effective, simple solution that [redacted] had used for years, after it proved invaluable in her son ’s recovery from a chemical injury due to chlordane.”This company has not made a single truthful claim about their product since starting their business The owners of Branch Basics, LLC led thousands of people (including me) to believe that their so-called soap was organic, natural and safe, and made in “small batches” in Austin, TX which is in all respects They convinced thousands of us that they made this product themselves, which was also in all respectsTheir so-called soap is not soap at all – it is a synthetic detergent petro chemical degreaser and floor cleaner made in Malaysia and shipped to a distributor in Florida named Kaylin D’Aire who then ships gallon totes of the synthetic detergent petro chemical degreaser and floor cleaner to Branch Basics, LLC in Austin, Texas This is nothing organic, natural, or safe about it and no soap at all in it Moreover, people are being hurt by the lies, deceit outlandish medical claims of owners [redacted] , [redacted] ***, [redacted] ***, and Charles “***” Ransler On their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BranchBasics/ , consumers are begging for answers regarding medical problems possibly associated with the degreaser that Branch Basics, LLC sold to them as a personal care product[redacted] wrote on February 3, at 7:30pm that, “I am extremely disappointed that you have chosen to not disclose what the synthetic ingredients areI'm sorry, but after finding this out, I find it quite difficult to blindly trust that it is safeI have been using this product for a few years and my health has been in steady declineI have the right to know what is in this product, and if it possibly has had any effect on my healthI also feel duped and cheatedI am a single mother on a fixed income, and this product is not cheapI have sung your praises and recommended you to everyone I knowI thought your company was in full control of your ingredients, overseeing it allAnd now I find out that is not the caseI really hope you choose to do the right thing, and tell us what is in the productIt will look much better on you as a company to disclose it willingly.” [redacted] wrote on February 9, at 9:30pm that, “...we switched to all BB cleaning products and my husband complained that his hands would get irritated from using it and I would dismiss him because I believed it wasn't possible.........maybe he was right! Hmm.” [redacted] wrote on February 19, at 1:08pm that, “After years of use and exposure to Branch Basics I now have cancer It may be tested to be Non Toxic, but it sure might be carcinogenic.”On February 2, 2016, the owners claimed that they received a toxicology report on the product, but refuses to release the toxicology report to the consumers whom they sold the synthetic chemical petro degreaser floor cleaner to on the basis of it being a cosmetic ingredient or drug for personal use The owners of Branch Basics, LLC claimed that they, “ brought in one of the nation’s leading experts who reaffirmed through a full assessment that the product is still safe, non-toxic, biodegradable, and non-irritating to the eyes and skin when used as directed.” [redacted] , [redacted] , [redacted] and [redacted] will not release the elusive toxicology report to harmed consumers Thousands of injured consumers deserve and demand the toxicology report that the owners of Branch Basics, LLC claim to exist Their abundance of excuses for keeping the ingredients secret are against the law since they lied for years about the ingredients while injuring consumers in the process and taking money from pregnant women, mothers, cancer victims, and cleaning services under intentional fraudulent pretenses It is estimated that Branch Basics has taken money from over 35,victims since 2012, resulting in millions of dollars in unjust enrichment The Revdex.com has an obligation to report my complaint to the Texas Attorney General, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Federal Trade Commission.Currently, the owners of Branch Basics, LLC are seeking sympathy for their conscious and calculated fraud and alleged crimes against the public Whether or not they go out of business as they claim is of no consequence to the thousands of injured pregnant women, mothers, and other victims [redacted] , [redacted] ***, [redacted] and [redacted] owe an estimated 35,victims refunds for every dollar they took If that puts this company out of business, then that is what the law intended There is no sympathy for the years of violations of the law, millions of dollars in unjust enrichment, and the calculated fraud and deceit This company should be shut down immediately to protect thousands of consumers from future injury at their hands They have gotten away with this fraud for so long, they actually think that the thousands consumer they intentionally injured are somehow concerned if Branch Basics, LLC goes out of business Some of us pray for it.In SummaryI am an injured victim of Branch Basics, LLC and:* I demand the toxicology report they claim that exists as of February 2, in their Press Release (https://branchbasics.com/announcement/).* I demand the name and contact information for the “nation’s leading expert” that performed the toxicology report* I demand the Non-Disclosure Agreement that Branch Basics, LLC claims to exist between the “toxicologists” and their “supplier/formulator”.* I demand the contract that Branch Basics, LLC claims to exist between themselves and their “formulator.”* I demand the exact day, month and year when any officer of Branch Basics, LLC learned that their so-called soap was not natural or organic, that it contained no soap, or that it was synthetic* I demand the EXACT ingredients in their so-called soap* I demand a full and unconditional refund for every cent they took from meI have been refunded only two orders on Feb ( they had assured you/Revdex.com that they had refunded me before this date of 2/but had not)Untrustworthy Company = Branch Basics02/24/ WWW..BRANCHBASICS.COM CREDIT FOR CHECKCARD XXXXXX$ 02/24/ BRANCH BASICS TX CREDIT FOR CHECKCARD XXXXX*** $ * Finally I demand the name of their insurance carrier, the insurance policy number, the amount of general liability coverage, and the telephone number and contact information for their insurance agent Regards, [redacted] ***

Hi, All of us at Branch Basics are extremely upset to receive this complaint because we make every effort we can to have exceptional customer service It is very unfortunate that [redacted] feels like we did not honor our wordI have spent some time talking with my employees and I believe there was a simple misunderstandingI also believe we did everything we could to try and make things right with [redacted] That includes attempts to follow up with her in order to make sure she felt taken care ofThe phone hung up after saying "Branch Basics" so we called back and left a voicemail and also sent an email As shown in the attached pdf’s, we very clearly indicated we’d do everything to “make it right” and wanted to be helpfulWe have attached supporting documentation that presents very clear evidence that (1) we did honor our commitments, and (2) we were responsive to her inquiries, and (3) in the end we issued a refund (three hours after [redacted] ordered)Though we could have and should have more clearly explained from the start how the coupon calculated, it is difficult to say what we could have done better or responded more kindly and responsively Please note, the repetitive communication in the PDF is not a mis-print but rather representative of all of the communication channels used as we use a service that combines all of our Live Chat, email, and Contact page messages together, all of which were used in this caseWe would like to apologize for upsetting a customer and our hope is that the she can see that we honored our word by giving the correct discount from the start (although it didn't clearly state "25%" upon checkout) and by issuing the refund right away (although it didn't go through the bank for several days)Sincerely, [redacted] ***President | Co-Founder

While we do not agree with all of the desired settlement requests, we have done our best to resolve this complaintWe have refunded the customer in full for the orders she has made from our company, which totals $We did not advertise our product as 100% organic, but we were misled by our supplier that it was 100% pure soap with no synthetic ingredientsWe made the decision to discontinue selling that particular product because moving forward we are committed to working with suppliers that value full transparencyWe later stopped sales of our other products on February 17th due to low order volumeThe orders did not meet our minimum requirement for our fulfillment center nor was it justifiable to ship the products ourselvesWe are a small business that unfortunately is in debtHowever, we are dedicated to doing what is best for our customers and therefore are looking for financial aid in order to reformulate and also issue refunds to those who have requested it We recognize it is very easy to make assumptions about companies, people and situations based on appearances and accusations, and there is really nothing we can do about thatWhile we do not know if we will be able to stay in business, we are choosing to focus on how we can be a better company for our customers in the future by implementing the many lessons we have learned from the unfortunate circumstances we have faced

The product is safe and non-toxic, however, we have emailed this customer directly and are working to resolve the issue

We have spoken to *** regarding this issue and granting the refund requestThe story regarding us knowing about this misrepresentation since is simply not trueWe are deeply sorry for the inconvenience and concern that this has caused *** and from our current communications, believe we
are reaching a mutually-agreed upon resolution. Sincerely, The Branch Basics Founders

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me
Regards,
*** ***

Complaint: ***I'm flumoxed as to why on Revdex.com site it shows this complaint to be closed with customer satisfied?? I would like an answer from Revdex.com why it shows that
I am rejecting this response because: Only two of the four "refunds" were deposited into my bank account. I can do a screenshot too! As you can see on Feb Branch Basics made deposits in amount of $and $75.46. No other deposits have been made to my bank account from Branch BasicsBranch Basics needs to reconcile their bank account and they will see that those are the only two deposits that went into my account.
Regards,
*** ***

Please see the attachments, which show that all four of the customer's orders with our company were refunded on February 22nd. We are unwilling to engage in allegations about us and our company that are unfounded, unfair and not true.

Hi, All of us at Branch Basics are extremely upset to receive this complaint because we make every effort we can to have exceptional customer service.  It is very unfortunate that [redacted] feels like we did not honor our word. I have spent some time talking with my employees and I...

believe there was a simple misunderstanding. I also believe we did everything we could to try and make things right with [redacted] That includes attempts to follow up with her in order to make sure she felt taken care of. The phone hung up after saying "Branch Basics" so we called back and left a voicemail and also sent an email.  As shown in the attached pdf’s, we very clearly indicated we’d do everything to “make it right” and wanted to be helpful. We have attached supporting documentation that presents very clear evidence that (1) we did honor our commitments, and (2) we were responsive to her inquiries, and (3) in the end we issued a refund (three hours after [redacted] ordered). Though we could have and should have more clearly explained from the start how the coupon calculated, it is difficult to say what we could have done better or responded more kindly and responsively.  Please note, the repetitive communication in the PDF is not a mis-print but rather representative of all of the communication channels used as we use a service that combines all of our Live Chat, email, and Contact page messages together, all of which were used in this case. We would like to apologize for upsetting a customer and our hope is that the she can see that we honored our word by giving the correct discount from the start (although it didn't clearly state "25%" upon checkout) and by issuing the refund right away (although it didn't go through the bank for several days). Sincerely, [redacted]President | Co-Founder

We are truly sorry for the reaction [redacted] experienced from using our product and for the way she was treated by our formulator. As soon as this was brought to our attention we contacted [redacted] directly and are trying to do our best to take care of the matter. We are a small team and...

because all three founders were unavailable we thought having our formulator talk to [redacted] would be the best option especially since she keeps us from disclosing all of the specific ingredients. We do encourage individuals with sensitive skin or health concerns to test a small amount of our product before using it all around their environment or on their body, but that was not clearly communicated to [redacted] and we plan to make that more clear on our website. (However, [redacted] did not purchase from our website so we know that unfortunately we cannot make sure everyone sees or hears that precaution message.) We have told [redacted] a likely ingredient that could potentially be responsible for her reaction. We are extremely upset that this happened and we are actually in the process of making changes within our company and the partners we work with so something like this does not happen again. Although we've had over 20,000 customers use our product and this is the first time we've heard of something like this happening, we are taking this very seriously and will continue to be in communication with [redacted] to try and help in all the ways we possibly can. Sincerely, [redacted] Co-Founder and President

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:In response to the nonsensical reply from Branch Basics, LLC, let me be clear, it is of no consequence that Branch Basics, LLC or [redacted] and [redacted] agree with anything -- they are in violation of law and duped an estimated 35,000 consumers out of millions of dollars since 2012.  The injuries caused by this quartet are astronomical and they owe this debt now to everyone that has ever been misled into buying their fake organic soap with unknown levels of toxicity and undisclosed synthetic chemicals.Branch Basics, LLC advertised their so-called “soap” as safe to use on babies as a wash, safe to use as a food rinse, safe to bathe in, safe to use to remove makeup, and safe to ingest.  They specifically targeted pregnant women, young mothers with infants, immunocompromised people, people with cancer, asthma and other respiratory disabilities, and those with skin disorders with false claims of miracle healing in articles they posted all over their website.     Each of these claims are intentional false fraudulent misrepresentations that the owners ([redacted] and [redacted]) knew were false at that time they made them going back as far as 2012, and not supported by a shred of medical evidence, studies or testing.  These outrageous claims convinced thousands of people (and me) to purchase their fake organic soap.  Their wild specious claims are in violation of law and make unsubstantiated medical claims, offer up their “soap” as a miracle drug to unsuspecting consumers, and allude to false promises of healing and recovery from a variety of serious medical conditions that would normally require medical treatment (https://branchbasics.com/blog/).  The FDA would disagree with ALL of their false claims.Even after they were exposed for the fraudulent product, they continued to deceive, mislead, and defraud consumers with unproven, impossible medical miracle stories:“We found ourselves wanting to share with others the safe, effective, simple solution that [redacted] had used for 22 years, after it proved invaluable in her son ’s recovery from a chemical injury due to chlordane.”This company has not made a single truthful claim about their product since starting their business.  The owners of Branch Basics, LLC led thousands of people (including me) to believe that their so-called soap was organic, natural and safe, and made in “small batches” in Austin, TX which is false in all respects.  They convinced thousands of us that they made this product themselves, which was also false in all respects. Their so-called soap is not soap at all – it is a synthetic detergent petro chemical degreaser and floor cleaner made in Malaysia and shipped to a distributor in Florida named Kaylin D’Aire who then ships 250 gallon totes of the synthetic detergent petro chemical degreaser and floor cleaner to Branch Basics, LLC in Austin, Texas.   This is nothing organic, natural, or safe about it and no soap at all in it.   Moreover, people are being hurt by the lies, deceit outlandish false medical claims of owners [redacted], and Charles “[redacted]” Ransler.   On their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BranchBasics/ , consumers are begging for answers regarding medical problems possibly associated with the degreaser that Branch Basics, LLC sold to them as a personal care product.[redacted] wrote on February 3, 2016 at 7:30pm that,  “I am extremely disappointed that you have chosen to not disclose what the synthetic ingredients are. I'm sorry, but after finding this out, I find it quite difficult to blindly trust that it is safe. I have been using this product for a few years and my health has been in steady decline. I have the right to know what is in this product, and if it possibly has had any effect on my health. I also feel duped and cheated. I am a single mother on a fixed income, and this product is not cheap. I have sung your praises and recommended you to everyone I know. I thought your company was in full control of your ingredients, overseeing it all. And now I find out that is not the case. I really hope you choose to do the right thing, and tell us what is in the product. It will look much better on you as a company to disclose it willingly.”[redacted] wrote on February 9, 2016 at 9:30pm that, “...we switched to all BB cleaning products and my husband complained that his hands would get irritated from using it and I would dismiss him because I believed it wasn't possible.........maybe he was right! Hmm.”[redacted] wrote on February 19, 2016 at 1:08pm that, “After 5 years of use and exposure to Branch Basics I now have cancer.  It may be tested to be Non Toxic, but it sure might be carcinogenic.”On February 2, 2016, the owners claimed that they received a toxicology report on the product, but refuses to release the toxicology report to the consumers whom they sold the synthetic chemical petro degreaser floor cleaner to on the basis of it being a cosmetic ingredient or drug for personal use.   The owners of Branch Basics, LLC claimed that they, “ … brought in one of the nation’s leading experts who reaffirmed through a full assessment that the product is still safe, non-toxic, biodegradable, and non-irritating to the eyes and skin when used as directed.”[redacted] and [redacted] will not release the elusive toxicology report to harmed consumers.  Thousands of injured consumers deserve and demand the toxicology report that the owners of Branch Basics, LLC claim to exist.  Their abundance of excuses for keeping the ingredients secret are against the law since they lied for years about the ingredients while injuring consumers in the process and taking money from pregnant women, mothers, cancer victims, and cleaning services under intentional false fraudulent pretenses.    It is estimated that Branch Basics has taken money from over 35,000 victims since 2012, resulting in millions of dollars in unjust enrichment.   The Revdex.com has an obligation to report my complaint to the Texas Attorney General, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Federal Trade Commission.Currently, the owners of Branch Basics, LLC are seeking sympathy for their conscious and calculated fraud and alleged crimes against the public.   Whether or not they go out of business as they claim is of no consequence to the thousands of injured pregnant women, mothers, and other victims.    [redacted] and [redacted] owe an estimated 35,000 victims refunds for every dollar they took.  If that puts this company out of business, then that is what the law intended.  There is no sympathy for the years of violations of the law, millions of dollars in unjust enrichment, and the calculated fraud and deceit.   This company should be shut down immediately to protect thousands of consumers from future injury at their hands.  They have gotten away with this fraud for so long, they actually think that the thousands consumer they intentionally injured are somehow concerned if Branch Basics, LLC goes out of business.  Some of us pray for it.In SummaryI am an injured victim of Branch Basics, LLC and:*    I demand the toxicology report they claim that exists as of February 2, 2016 in their Press Release (https://branchbasics.com/announcement/).*    I demand the name and contact information for the “nation’s leading expert” that performed the toxicology report*    I demand the Non-Disclosure Agreement that Branch Basics, LLC claims to exist between the “toxicologists” and their “supplier/formulator”.*   I demand the contract that Branch Basics, LLC claims to exist between themselves and their “formulator.”*    I demand the exact day, month and year when any officer of Branch Basics, LLC learned that their so-called soap was not natural or organic, that it contained no soap, or that it was synthetic*    I demand the EXACT ingredients in their so-called soap. *    I demand a full and unconditional refund for every cent they took from me. I have been refunded only two orders on Feb 24 ( they had assured you/Revdex.com that they had refunded me before this date of 2/24 but had not). Untrustworthy Company = Branch Basics. 02/24/2016     WWW..BRANCHBASICS.COM 8004141210 CREDIT FOR CHECKCARD XXXXXX5675 $61.50    02/24/2016     BRANCH BASICS 8004141210 TX CREDIT FOR CHECKCARD XXXXX[redacted]     $75.46                 *  Finally I demand the name of their insurance carrier, the insurance policy number, the amount of general liability coverage, and the telephone number and contact information for their insurance agent.
Regards,
[redacted]

While we do not agree with all of the desired settlement requests, we have done our best to resolve this complaint. We have refunded the customer in full for the orders she has made from our company, which totals $242.12. We did not advertise our product as 100% organic, but we were misled...

by our supplier that it was 100% pure soap with no synthetic ingredients. We made the decision to discontinue selling that particular product because moving forward we are committed to working with suppliers that value full transparency. We later stopped sales of our other products on February 17th due to low order volume. The orders did not meet our minimum requirement for our fulfillment center nor was it justifiable to ship the products ourselves. We are a small business that unfortunately is in debt. However, we are dedicated to doing what is best for our customers and therefore are looking for financial aid in order to reformulate and also issue refunds to those who have requested it.  We recognize it is very easy to make assumptions about companies, people and situations based on appearances and accusations, and there is really nothing we can do about that. While we do not know if we will be able to stay in business, we are choosing to focus on how we can be a better company for our customers in the future by implementing the many lessons we have learned from the unfortunate circumstances we have faced.