BBB issues warning on Springfield 3D printing supply company Maker Geeks

The Better Business Bureau has issued a warning for consumers about Maker Geeks, an online retailer based in Springfield.

BBB has received complaints about Maker Geeks, which sells 3D printing supplies, from customers living in 15 states as well as Canada, according to a news release.

Months of waiting for products to ship, poor customer service, spotty communication and difficulty in obtaining refunds were some of the issues that consumers reported to BBB, the release said.

The founder and CEO of Maker Geeks, Joshua B. Smith, told the News-Leader in an email that his company is trying to keep up with rapid expansion and is making changes to improve their services.

"First we are deeply saddened that BBB felt the need to issue that release — we are a small company that in the last 4-6 months has just experienced explosive growth — and unfortunately some things have fallen through the cracks as we race to scale up both the manufacturing plant and our staff to help," Smith said.

One customer, a teacher from Evanston, Wyoming, reportedly told the BBB, "I would never do business with them again."

The teacher said she ordered six 3D printer pens from Maker Geeks in March 2015. She never received the product and could not secure a refund after multiple attempts to contact the business, the release said.

The federally funded, after-school program that the teacher worked for lost nearly $540 to Maker Geeks, according to the release.

Stephanie Garland is the regional director of the BBB's Springfield office.

"It's not good business to ignore your customers," Garland said. "If this business is having problems filling its orders, it needs to adjust operations."

Maker Geeks does not have a contact number listed on its website. The only way for consumers to interact with the business is through email, the release said.

Smith said he has recently upgraded the company's website platform and hired more employees to help with manufacturing and customer support.

"We are very confident that over the next 2-3 months we'll be able to prove our worth to our clients and hopefully mend any wounds we have caused to our clients and to the BBB," Smith said.

According to records with the Missouri Secretary of State, Maker Geeks is a subsidiary of Black Flag Investments Inc., located in Cape Girardeau. Maker Geeks has been registered with the state since 2014, the release said.

The business has an "F" rating, the lowest on BBB's scale, the release said. Maker Geeks has received 23 complaints, 18 of which did not receive a response.

Maker Geeks, Smith said, is "one of the only and the first companies to manufacture 3D printer filament/plastic on US soil."

Smith said his company produces, sells and ships more than 200,000 pounds of filament each year.