FREDERICK, Md. — A Maryland dad spent nearly $2,600 to surprise his five kids with a swing set. But when Daniel McAfee opened the delivery, he says he found a small moisture-absorbing bag inside an envelope.
“They got me. That was the first thought that came to mind,” McAfee said.
McAfee started shopping after a storm damaged his children’s old playset. He found the model he wanted on SelectSheds.com for hundreds less than other retailers.
“It was about $800 to $1,000 cheaper,” McAfee said. “I thought I was just getting a good deal.”
His order confirmation shows he paid $2,598.99 for a Gorilla Playsets Treasure Trove I Swing Set.
When he didn’t receive tracking information, he contacted customer service. The company assured him by email that his order would ship within two working days.
"It was a very weird response. They said, hello dear, and I was like, we don't have that kind of relationship," said McAfee.
He eventually received a tracking number and followed the shipment until it showed delivered. After the envelope arrived, he emailed the company a photo and asked where his playset was.
SelectSheds responded that its records showed his order had been delivered. But the same email acknowledged the pictured parcel might not match the playset he ordered.
McAfee later requested a refund.
WMAR-2 News emailed SelectSheds and called numbers listed on its website. At two numbers, recordings identified a different business.
SelectSheds describes itself as a family-owned business in Henderson, Nevada. We searched Nevada’s business registry under “Select Shed,” “Select Sheds” and “SelectSheds” and found no match.
We asked the company for its legal business name and physical address, an explanation of the recordings, and a response to McAfee’s complaint. We did not hear back.
The Better Business Bureau investigated SelectSheds in April. At the time, BBB reported one formal complaint and more than 65 Scam Tracker reports involving products customers said never arrived.
BBB said SelectSheds had not responded to its questions as of May 11. Scam Tracker reports reflect consumers’ accounts.
McAfee wishes he’d researched the business before buying and recommends holiday shoppers take that extra step.
“I could have avoided all of this if I would have just researched it a little bit more,” he said.
He disputed the charge with his credit card company, but says the delivery record complicated his effort to recover the money.
“They said, well, you did receive something,” McAfee recalled.
He sent photos showing the envelope’s label matched the tracking number he had received.
“It took about a month, month and a half with my credit card company, but I was able to get everything back,” he said.
SelectSheds also advertises discounts for ACH payments, or direct bank transfers. McAfee is glad he used a credit card.
But his kids were still waiting for their playset.
"There was definitely some disappointment, especially with my 5-year-old son. When the package did arrive, he said, 'so where's my playset at?' And I was like, I don't know, but I'm going to make sure you get one," said McAfee.
He kept his promise and bought the same model through Home Depot for about $1,000 more.
“It was me, my son, and my dad. So the three generations, we put it together,” McAfee said.
Before buying from an unfamiliar website:
- Search its name along with “complaints” or “scam.”
- Compare prices with other retailers.
- Pay with a credit card and save the listing, order confirmation and correspondence.
- Keep shipping labels and photograph what arrives if it doesn’t match your order.
- Contact your credit card company promptly if the seller doesn’t resolve the problem.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.