Customers, many of them teenagers, lashed out at Karmaloop for ripping them off. Threads on Reddit and other sites feature bitter tales of lost money and missing merchandise. Tyler Blake, a former Karmaloop rep and current New England-based brand consultant, documented his own Karmaloop customer service struggles and that of his 32,000-plus Twitter followers in a YouTube video titled “Is Karmaloop Legit? Why I Will Never Shop Again.”

Karmaloop stiffed Blake, like many of his followers, just before it filed for bankruptcy. In the video, Blake explained that customers who wanted a refund were directed to a bankruptcy site, where they could register as a creditor. Those not willing to go to court to recoup their $100 soon learned their cash was as good as gone. Consumers who went through the Better Business Bureau and PayPal to get their money back were usually successful.

But the money owed to Karmaloop’s customers paled in comparison to the money owed to brands and vendors. One of Selkoe's most vocal detractors said he “has failed to pay small business owners and affiliates on time despite countless promises to do so,” and claims over 5,000 brands are owed money.​

“I wanted to make sure these guys didn’t get hurt,” said Selkoe. “Unfortunately they did, far more than I would have liked. I tried to get as many people paid up until the end.”

Premium Co., a Washington D.C.-based men’s wear brand started in 2011 and known for its cozy basics, is one of the lucky ones. After Karmaloop placed its first order with the brand in 2013, it didn’t take long before Karmaloop stopped paying for purchase orders. According to Premium Co. co-founder Davin Gentry, eight months later they reached an agreement with Karmaloop, for significantly less than they were owed, just to put an end to the situation.

In a statement provided to Complex, Gentry said: “Karmaloop wanted to continue buying from us but we just didn't trust them or believe we would be paid on time. So after our settlement we washed our hands of them. Mind you, all of these orders were for jewelry. This was before we started primarily producing clothing. They've reached out numerous times wanting to carry our apparel collections, but it just didn't make sense for us.”

In all, Karmaloop was on the hook for over $19 million to various brands and vendors, according to its bankruptcy filing. Most prominent among the brands owed thousands of dollars were 10.Deep ($313,695), Mitchell & Ness ($191,672.40), and Vans ($126,253).

“Most of the big brands were OK,” said Selkoe. “We were trying to get most of the little brands paid as much as possible.”

As Karmaloop’s financial struggles worsened, so did the tension around the office. What used to be one of the coolest and most laid back places for young people to work in Boston wasn’t the same. Morale plummeted as layoffs started and those who remained were asked to do more with no additional pay. If employees didn’t quit in frustration, or jump at a better opportunity, they went to work wondering if today was the day the ax would fall.

It didn’t help matters that there were issues with paychecks. Karmaloop always made payroll—Selkoe didn’t mess around with that. But according to multiple former employees, on several occasions payroll was dropped from direct deposit. They were told it was a “glitch in the system.” And while the days of blowout parties were over, some felt the money going toward pizza parties and happy hours should have been reallocated. Several said bonuses were promised but never delivered.

“Believe me, I wasn’t out having any fun” said Selkoe. “I was watching 15 years of my life that I put blood, sweat, and tears [into] unravel. I was putting all my cash that I earned from selling portions of the business right back into the business knowing there was a good chance I was going to lose it.”