Waterloo Times

Greater Iowa Better Business Bureau issued the following announcement on July 23.

Better Business Bureau® (BBB) Serving Greater Cleveland and Better Business Bureau of Akron have received complaints from consumers across the nation who purchased products from a local online seller of weight loss and fitness products. Sabrina Parr Fitness (also formerly known as “Get Up To Parr”) is owned by Sabrina Parr, a Cleveland native, fitness coach, and instagram influencer once romantically linked to high-profile professional basketball players such as Lamar Odom.  Customers tell BBB that Parr took payments on her website, www.getuptoparr.com (now defunct), www.sabrinasdetoxteas.com (also defunct) and on www.sabrinaparrfitness.com, in advance for products that were never shipped.

BBB began receiving complaints about Get Up To Parr about unfulfilled orders before the COVID-19 pandemic; complaints date back to as early as January 2019. As of July 2021, BBB Serving Greater Cleveland and BBB of Akron have received over forty complaints and thirty-five of those remain unanswered by the company. Additionally, the websites for www.getuptoparr.com and www.sabrinasdetoxtea.com are no longer accessible, but Sabrina Parr continues to sell products on www.sabrinaparrfitness.com with an “UPDATED COVID-19 shipping agreement” which states that customers must understand that it may take "14 - 21 business days OR MORE” to receive their orders, customers will “not receive a response from any question that can be answered on the website,” and customers “must contact USPS and file a claim with them” after their orders have marked as shipped. 

During the past two years, Sabrina Parr has used multiple names and addresses for her businesses, including locations and mail stops in Atlanta, Cleveland, and Akron, Ohio.  BBB recently contacted consumers who previously filed complaints before the coronavirus pandemic in 2019 and learned that many had still not received either a refund or their products - even nearly two years later. A woman from Maple Heights, Ohio complained that she "contacted Sabrina Parr several times about my tea order and never received a response from her or my money back...If I had to grade her, she would get an F." Currently, “Sabrina Parr Fitness” has an “F Rating” from BBB due to failure to respond to BBB correspondence and complaints since July 2019. 

Sabrina Parr’s company used her own personal Facebook page, Instagram, and website to promote her products. Sabrina Parr directed potential consumers from her personal Facebook page to her various websites to place orders. Some customers in return posted comments about delayed orders, including a woman from Florida who said she has “been trying to contact (the company) about the product I ordered. I have gotten no response via e-mail or telephone which is temporal (sic) out of service. You took money from my account.”

Customers started reaching out to the business when they failed to receive their goods. A woman from Bedford Heights, Ohio ordered "a 5 week supply of detox tea and I only received [a partial order]. I have called many times, emailed many times, and sent many direct messages on Instagram to Sabrina at GetUpToParr. I have not received a response from [her]."

Another woman from Fort Lauderdale, Florida called Get Up To Parr the “worst business ever. They will take your money and never send you tracking information. I am asking my bank to dispute the matter and issue me a refund. She never picks up her phone or answers emails but is on Instagram posting videos and chasing behind Lamar [Odom].”

As you shop online or via social media, BBB offers these tips to prevent disappointment with purchases: 

Celebrity Endorsement. A celebrity endorsement does not necessarily equate to an indication of product quality or effectiveness.

Engaging Ads Don’t Always Equal Good Customer Service. It’s easy for someone to make an engaging promotion with paid ads through various social media platforms. Be wary and do your research, since just because an ad looks professional doesn’t mean the business is legitimate.

Pay with a Credit Card.  Purchases made by credit card can be disputed with your credit card company if the product fails to arrive or is defective. You may be able to have the charges reversed. 

Search for previous complaints. Research the business at BBB.org. Also, do a Google search of the business name followed by “complaints,” “reviews,” or “scam” and see what pops up. If you find other people have been cheated by this business, steer clear.

Original source can be found here.