Unanswered complaints trigger warning about Bikinishe swimwear company

A screenshot of the Bikinshe website as it appeared on March 25, 2019.

As beach season approaches, the Better Business Bureau is warning consumers about an online swimsuit retailer that's received an F-rating for unanswered complaints.

The BBB said it began investigating Bikinishe in February after receiving complaints from 27 U.S. states, which included claims of undelivered merchandise, substandard quality and lack of communication.

One customer said she paid for express shipping in the hopes of getting her new bathing suit in time for vacation, but one week after the purchase there was no evidence her package was even in transit.

"I've emailed three times to their so called customer service and no response. Nor has my package been shipped – no tracking or anything," the customer, identified as Shanelle C., told the BBB.

The Better Business Bureau hasn’t received any complaints from Canada yet, but said it expects that to change in the coming weeks as the weather gets warmer.

The Bikinishe website also lists an address in downtown Vancouver, but the BBB's investigation couldn't find any evidence the location actually exists.

The company has a return policy that gives customers 15 days to return their purchase, but shoppers are first required to get a return/exchange form through customer service.

That sometimes proves impossible, according to the BBB. Emails to the company can go unanswered, and there is no telephone number or live chat available.

The number of complaints against the online retailer appear to be ramping up as well. The Better Business Bureau said it received 24 complaints about Bikinishe in the first two months of 2019, and another 62 so far in March alone.

Another complainant, identified as Laura D., said she was told her purchase would ship in two to five days. Three weeks later, she allegedly hadn't heard anything about a shipment.

"I bought from them for a trip I'm taking and I ordered bathing suits from somewhere else now because I know I will not get my package in time," she told the BBB.

The Better Business Bureau said it notified Bikinishe about all of the complaints it has received, and that the company has so far only responded to two of them.

Bikinishe did not respond to a request for comment from CTV News.