Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona recognized ten local companies at the 2013 Torch Awards Luncheon Thursday at JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort in Tucson.

The event featured Master of Ceremonies Tom McNamara of KVOA Channel 4 and keynote speaker Michael Clayton, best-selling author and leadership guru.

Winners were honored in three categories: the Ethics Award, the Good Neighbor Award, and the Customer Excellence Award:

The Ethics Award: Honors a business for its trustworthy and honorable business practices in four primary categories.

• Winner: Empire Today 
• Finalist: Patio Pools & Spas
• Finalist: Green Valley Cooling & Heating

The Good Neighbor Award: Recognizes a company that has shown a commitment to making southern Arizona a better place through community service.

• Winner: Snell & Wilmer, LLP
• Finalist: Randall & Richards
• Finalist: Nextrio, LLC
• Finalist: EffortlessHR, Inc.

The Customer Excellence Award: Recognizes businesses that have an outstanding customer service program and a history of exceeding customers’ expectations.

• Winner: Golden Eagle Distributors         
• Finalist: Pima Dermatology
• Finalist: BRAKEmax Car Care Centers

More than 70 Southern Arizona businesses were nominated for the program, which was sponsored by Rich Dad, Desert Sports & Fitness, Snap Fitness, Philip P. Pappas II, Ph.d. of Ameriprise Financial, Inglis Florists, Allegra, Nova Home Loans, Inside Tucson Business, Alliance Bank of Arizona, Sundt Construction, The Law Offices of J. Marc Montijo, Jim Click Automotive Group, and NAWBO.

Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is alerting consumers to Blade Empire- an online knife and sword retailer with ties to Tucson- that has racked up 64 consumer complaints since 2010.

In the complaints- 51 of which the company has not answered- consumers allege they never received merchandise they ordered from Blade Empire, or they received incorrect or incomplete orders. In addition, consumers have reported that Blade Empire customer service became extremely hostile towards them when they inquired about their orders.

When contacted by BBB about their unanswered complaints a Blade Empire representative said that there was confusion as to how to properly answer the complaints, and blamed most of the complaints they had received on “impatient people.” The representative also claimed that the company is actually based in Ukraine.

Multiple consumers who contacted BBB said that Blade Empire began using profanities, and threatened them when they emailed the company to inquire about their orders. In email exchanges obtained by BBB, Blade Empire used numerous epithets to belittle and threaten the consumers, and refused to provide the consumers with the requested status update on their orders.

To date the company has not taken steps to rectify the pattern of complaints they have received, while racking up more complaints than any other Southern Arizona business so far in 2013.

The company has used several Tucson addresses to receive mail over the years- most recently 3849 E. Broadway Blvd, but is incorporated in Nevada, and employs customer service representatives in Ukraine. The owner of the company legally changed his name from Michael Lopez to Thayvian Zayon before incorporating Blade Empire in Nevada, but still appears to be using the Lopez alias in recent videos uploaded to Youtube.

BBB Tips for shopping online:

• Beware of too-good-to-be-true deals. Offers on websites and in unsolicited emails may offer free or very low prices on hard-to-find items. There may be hidden costs or your purchase may sign you up for a monthly charge. Look for and read the fine print.
• Verify the online retailer’s track record. Visit www.bbb.org to verify that the company you’re considering ordering with has a good track record when it comes to not only shipping their orders in a timely manner, but also in resolving any customer complaints.
• Pay with a credit card. Under federal law, you can dispute the charges if you don’t receive an item. Shoppers also have dispute rights if there are any unauthorized charges on the card, and many card issuers have zero-liability policies if someone steals and uses your card number. Check your credit card statement regularly for unauthorized charges. Never wire money.
• Keep documentation of your order. Save a copy of the confirmation page of an order or emails confirming the order until you receive the item and are satisfied.
• Obtain a tracking number for shipments. If you need the product before the holidays, find out when the seller intends to ship it and if possible, how it will be shipped. The tracking number can help you find a lost order.
• Know your rights. Federal law requires that orders made by phone, mail or online be shipped by the date promised or within 30 days if no delivery time was stated. If goods aren’t shipped on time, shoppers can cancel and demand a refund. Consumers also may reject merchandise if it is defective or was misrepresented.

For more information about Blade Empire or other online retailers, consumers can visit www.tucson.bbb.org or call (520)888-5353.

Better Business Bureau Serving Southern Arizona has announced 10 finalists for its annual Torch Awards, which are awarded to Southern Arizona businesses that excel at ethical business practices, giving back to the community, and customer service.

Judges representing both for-profit and non-profit organizations graded the entries of all the nominees, selecting the 10 finalists for all three awards- the Ethics Award, the Good Neighbor Award, and the Customer Excellence Award.

“Being a finalist really shows that our efforts are being recognized, and that what we do matters,” said Sarah Cadrobbi of Pima Dermatology, a Customer Excellence Award finalist. “It’s such an honor to be recognized in your community.”

BBB has awarded its Ethics Award to a Southern Arizona company each year since 2002, and began awarding the Good Neighbor Award and the Customer Excellence Award in 2011. Finalists and winners of all the awards share BBB’s vision of fostering an ethical marketplace where buyers and sellers can trust each other.

Torch Awards finalists:

Ethics Award: Honors a business for its trustworthy and honorable business practices in four primary categories. The nominated business maintains a solid commitment to ethical business practices in every aspect of its operation. This award is open to any for-profit company in southern Arizona that is in good standing with BBB. Finalists for the award are:

• Empire Today
• Patio Pools & Spas
• Green Valley Cooling & Heating

Good Neighbor Award: Recognizes a company that has shown a commitment to making southern Arizona a better place through community service. The nominated business and employees play a significant role in support of local charities or community service projects. This award is open to any for-profit business in Southern Arizona that is in good standing with BBB. Finalists for the award are:

• Randall & Richards
• Snell & Wilmer, LLP
• Nextrio, LLC
• EfforlessHR, Inc.

Customer Excellence Award: The nominated business has an outstanding customer service program and a history of exceeding customers’ expectations. This award is open only to BBB Accredited Businesses in southern Arizona. Finalists for the award are:

• BRAKEmax Car Care Centers
• Pima Dermatology, PC
• Golden Eagle Distributors, Inc.

In addition to the announcement of the Torch Awards winners, NAWBO Greater Tucson will present their Women Business of the Year award at the Torch Awards ceremony.

If you would like to reserve a seat or table for this event please call (520)888-6161, or visit www.tucson.bbb.org/torchawards for more information. Reservations must be received by May 3. Winners will be named at the awards luncheon on May 9, at Starr Pass Resort in Tucson.