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Better Business Bureau® (BBB®) St. Louis advises consumers to use caution if doing business with Mythic Lotus Gaming, a Belleville, Illinois, game store. Consumers reported to BBB that the company failed to deliver ordered products, failed to provide refunds, failed to contact customers, and provided poor customer service.
Mythic Lotus Gaming has an “F” rating, the lowest on BBB’s scale, due to recent unanswered complaints. The business has also received negative customer reviews.
A man from Lombard, Illinois, told BBB that he never received two items he ordered from Mythic Lotus Gaming in the fall of 2024. The man previously had purchased a Mythic Tier Membership from the business. He stated that the membership cost $850, which included access to special sales and cards and store credit.
The man said he attempted to purchase some Pokémon cards earlier in 2024, but the order was cancelled, and he received store credit. He attempted to use $332 of store credit in the fall for another order of Pokémon cards. He said he never received the items and was unable to contact the company.
A man from Watonga, Oklahoma, said he also had a Mythic Tier Membership with Mythic Lotus Gaming. He said he tried to use $184 of his store credit he received as part of the membership to purchase a box of Magic: The Gathering cards in September 2024. He said he waited two months but never received his order. He tried to call the business but was unsuccessful.
Mythic Lotus Gaming is located in the Arcades Business Center at 6500 West Main Street in Belleville. The business previously was known as The Lotus Lookout. Neither business is registered with the Illinois secretary of state’s office.
All of the complaints and negative reviews received by BBB for Mythic Lotus Gaming were placed by consumers who attempted to purchase items online. According to the business Facebook page, it is open limited hours from Wednesday through Sunday.
The business did not respond to a BBB letter emailed to it regarding how it plans to address its pattern of customer complaints. It also did not respond to an email sent to it by a BBB investigator. Recent attempts to reach the company by phone failed due to the line being disconnected.
“BBB continues to receive more complaints and Scam Tracker reports about online retailers than any other industry,” said Michelle L. Corey, BBB St. Louis president and CEO. “If you are going to purchase something online, you need to investigate the seller to make sure you don’t lose any of your hard-earned money.”
BBB offers these tips on how to avoid online shopping problems:
- Research any business and its owners before paying any money. Check the company’s BBB Business Profile at BBB.org or by calling 888-996-3887.
- Make sure to compare prices of various games and know the values for the various cards included in them. Read reviews for the seller. Don’t be afraid to ask for references from other customers who have purchased from that seller.
- Be wary of sales or prices that seem too good to be true. In many of these cases, the items do not exist or are of poor quality.
- Read all terms and conditions before completing a purchase. Make sure to understand expected delivery dates and refund policies. Know your options in case you receive an item that was not as advertised.
- Pay by credit card whenever possible in case you need to challenge the payment.
- Check a site’s security settings. If the site is secure, its URL (web address) should start with “https://.” You also may see a picture of a small, closed lock in the lower right-hand corner of the screen.
- For more information about online shopping fraud, refer to this BBB study.
