This is the claim I filed with the Better Business Bureau. EVERYONE WHO HAS HAD A PROBLEM WITH THIS COMPANY, PLEASE, PLEASE FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE BBB. this company NEEDS to be shut down!! Please read my story and then file your own complaint!

I found a camera in my price range and bought it. I paid $40.00 overnight delivery and received confirmation as well as a receipt via e-mail. TWO DAYS later i received a phone call from someone at CloseOut who began to attempt to up sell a different product to me. He began to argue with me and tell me I didn't know anything about cameras or else I would go with what he wanted me to purchase. My original $700 total went up to $1040. He then told me it was in the mail on it's way. A week later it finally arrived. When I opened the package there was the camera body but NO LENSES or CF. I called the company BEGGING them to please send the lenses. He told me he would ship them out that day and they'd be there within a few days.THEY NEVER CAME.I called the company during their "normal business hours" a few times a day for weeks! No one EVER answered. I e-mailed a few times-no response. I then called my credit card company to dispute thecharges since I now had a camera that was useless. I began to do some research on the company and found over a dozen forums, and online publications warning customers to STAY AWAY from this company. I went through all the steps required to dispute the charges with Chase. Chase attempted to get ahold of the company but couldnt. In the final step, I wrote an e-mail to CloseOut telling them since I didn't have a return address to send the useless equipment back, I have made the equipment available for pick-up, should they chose to do that. Again, no response. Chase finally reimbursed me for my $1040.00 total. That was in May. Today, I received a phone call from Chase saying that CloseOut came back and is dismissing my dispute, telling Chase that they NEVER received an e-mail or phone call from me and now Chase might have to take the money back. They are scam artists and this company is a joke. I did some more research and one of their addresses is located in a brooklyn slum and registered as "Close Out Scam." They also have about 15 different phone numbers and a few different company names ("Wholesale Genius" "SLR Genius"). I AM NOT THE FIRST ONE THEY HAVE SCAMMED!

I placed an order for a camera that I found on the internet on 4/5/09. On 4/12/09, I received an email that there was a security issue and I must call them. I tried for 5 days to call and got either a message stating they were closed or a message that my call could not go through. My emails were never returned. I finally sent an email telling them to cancel my order. I hope my credit card is not charged because I will definitely dispute the charge! They are still advertising the camera in various colors. I believe they are fraudulent.

I placed an order in early March for a Canon digital camera online at website, www.closeoutgenius.com, submitted charge card info etc. A few days later, I received not 1 BUT 2 phone calls from the company asking if I wanted to add a VERY EXPENSIVE extra battery to my order that had been placed. The caller words it as if no battery even comes with the camera. I questioned that and was told that it was an EXTRA battery, but not until I questioned it.
After both calls, I get an email saying my item, the camera is on BACKORDER for 2-3 weeks. No other details are given, such as do I REORDER or does my order just get filled after more cameras come in. I have emailed and called REPEATEDLY. The line is NEVER NOT BUSY and no email has been answered.
Just like all the other complaints read. This is a "bait and switch" company.
There should be something done about this type of online business practice.

This company is horrible and I am so upset that I didn't think to review all of these comments before I purchased a Garmin GPS Unit from them. I found them on a site that gave them 5 stars for customer service and decided that the Web site looked like a legitimate company.

After placing my order, I waited a couple of weeks and got a call back saying that the Garmin Unit that I ordered needed map updates and it would cost an additional $60.00. The Garmin site gives the maps for free, but I was told from the rep at Close Out Genius that this is a wholesale item and doesn’t qualify for free maps. I tried canceling the order and they would not give me my money back. I told the man on the phone I would reject the shipment and he told me I could not do that because he would not authorize a return that way (the web site was then updated a few days later with a disclaimer saying that this is their policy, but I have the original policy printed off).

After WEEKS of fighting with who I swear is the same man on the phone, my numbers were all blocked so when I called in I got a busy signal. Since January, I have no merchandise and I was charged more than $200.00.

I reported this company to the Better Business Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission and everyone who has been scammed by this company should do the same. Maybe if enough complaints are submitted, this company will be shut down.