DENVER – When Julia Ornelas saw a set of three replica Bronco Super Bowl rings advertised on Facebook, she couldn’t help but think of her father.
After all, Father’s Day was just around the corner.
“He’s a huge Broncos fan,” Ornelas said.
A brief tour through his home confirms that. It’s a shrine to his favorite team.
Ornelas spent $159.99 plus shipping to purchase the replica rings commemorating each of Denver’s Super Bowl victories, but the rings never arrived.
Ornelas believes she may have been ripped off.
“We waited 45 days and nothing happened,” she said. “I sent them an email.”
Ornelas says she actually sent five emails to BRONCOFOOTBALLGEAR.COM but never heard back from them.
“It’s kind of irritating,” she said. “It’s my money. Give me my money back or give me the rings.”
“It looks like they burned us,” said Julia’s dad, Johnny Ornelas. “I’m going to file a complaint with the District Attorney or the Attorney General.”
Other Broncos fans find themselves in the same boat.
One posted on Facebook, “Has anybody that ordered a ring from this place actually received it?”
Another replied, “I think we got burnt on this…”
Mr. Ornelas says he was looking forward to the rings.
“Super Bowl 50 is a big deal to me, to all Bronco fans,” he said. “My daughter ordered them so we could cruise with them.”
Denver7 traced the domain name BRONCOFOOTBALLGEAR.COM to a company in Florida – Apparel Designs LLC.
The domain name is registered to a “John Smith,” but the phone number listed on the registration is associated with a Hall Faulkner in Gordo, Alabama.
We dialed the number and it was not in service. Denver7 also tried to contact Apparel Designs LLC via email. There was no reply.
The Better Business Bureau of Central Florida gave Apparel Designs LLC a grade of “F.”
Several customers elsewhere across the country had lodged complaints against the firm via the BBB.
In one of the complaints -- a customer stated that he had ordered a Chicago Blackhawks 3-piece ring set on February 11, 2016. When the rings failed to arrive, he emailed the firm and was told it would be shipped out soon.
That customer is still waiting.
Two other customers who complained to the BBB eventually got their rings, which is raising hope for the Ornelas'.
“I’d like to get my rings and let it be,” he told Denver7. “If they get my rings, then cool. But if not, put their butt in jail.”
Neither the Denver DA nor the state Attorney General have received any complaints about this company. We’re still waiting to hear back from the Polk County DA in Florida.
Colorado Attorney General spokeswoman Annie Skinner said anyone wanting to file a complaint can go to www.stopfraudcolorado.gov
She also gave these tips for shopping online:
- Research the seller/company before purchasing
- Use a secure connection to purchase online. Make sure your internet browser has an ‘S’ after HTTP (reading HTTPS) as this indicates a safe and secure protocol for secure purchase over a computer network.
- Always use a credit card so you have some recourse; never wire money to someone you haven’t met, and do not use checks or prepaid cards.
Julie Ornelas says she contacted her bank to see if she could get the credit card charges reversed.
She said the bank declined to do so, but said they would try to get the seller to refund her money.
