BBB warns customers about online Atlanta food personality

ATLANTA – The Higher Enterprise Bureau of Metro Atlanta issued a warning about doing enterprise with a celeb on-line chef based mostly in Georgia.

Based on the BBB, greater than 70 clients of Darius Cooks complained they paid for cookbooks, cookware or tickets to his Eating with Darius cooking occasions however didn’t get the product.

And so they say he ignored their requests for refunds.

“BBB advises customers to make use of warning when doing enterprise with DariusCooks, LLC,” the nonprofit group warned. The assertion additionally identified that not one of the complaints had been ever answered.

“Respectfully, I don’t care,” Williams informed the FOX 5 I-Workforce when requested in regards to the BBB warning.

DariusCooks, LLC was administratively dissolved in 2019 for “failing to file annual registration and/or failure to take care of a registered agent or registered workplace on this state,” in keeping with the Georgia Secretary of State.

Darius Cooks is the skilled title utilized by Darius Williams, a self-taught cook dinner who constructed an internet presence for what he mentioned are hundreds of thousands of followers throughout the nation.

Some followers complain the superstar chef by no means despatched their product however stored their cash, his personal reverse model of dine and sprint.

“He informed me the put up workplace hadn’t despatched out the package deal but,” mentioned Sherrica Blackmon of Minot, North Dakota. The army mother ordered a cookbook after receiving an earlier one with none points.

“However after I referred to as the put up workplace they informed me they hadn’t obtained the package deal but,” she defined. “All he did was print out a transport label.”

She mentioned she found others on Williams’ social media pages with comparable complaints.

So she added her feedback.

“And after I did that he blocked me on social media,” she mentioned.

It took a name to her financial institution earlier than Sherrica Blackmon lastly bought the cookbook she ordered from Darius Williams. He ignored her BBB grievance together with greater than 70 others.

Blackmon mentioned it lastly took disputing the cost together with her financial institution to get Williams to ship that second cookbook, months after she complained to the BBB.

“Even with all of the proof surrounding him that quite a few persons are experiencing the identical factor, there are nonetheless individuals which might be defending him, upholding him and his trash habits,” she mentioned.

What sort of trash habits?

Williams posts a number of occasions a day on Instagram, Fb and Twitter, typically going stay.

When some critics wrote unfavourable feedback on these social media pages, Williams would reply by making public their private info and encourage his trustworthy followers to fireplace again.

It’s typically referred to as doxing or trolling.

Williams posted footage of 1 critic’s younger youngsters. One other — Melenese Ford of Atlanta — mentioned she was bombarded with hate-filled texts, calls and feedback from Darius Cooks fanatics.

“The one who referred to as me and threatened me and my mother and father, she didn’t know us,” Ford mentioned in an interview in March. “She did it solely based mostly on her… bizarre attachment to this man.”

Melenese Ford (R) didn’t get an opportunity to testify on this listening to. She needs Williams to pay her authorized charges. He needs a everlasting restraining order.

Ford and Williams confronted off in a Cobb County courtroom this week. She wished Williams to pay her authorized charges for a brief restraining order he filed. She had proven up at a Sandy Springs barber store after he live-streamed his go to there. When Williams got here outdoors, he discovered a T-shirt with the phrases “Without end Drawback” left on his automobile.

Williams claimed he was in worry for his life and referred to as police. Ford did, too.

“I needed to have my melancholy and nervousness remedy elevated after this incident occurred,” Williams testified.

“He’s now in cheap worry for his security that this girl is following him,” added his lawyer Robert Nothdurft.

However the listening to that was presupposed to resolve whether or not Williams ought to get a everlasting restraining order was a debate over whether or not he’s truly the one doing the harassing.

“The historical past, the path that follows Mr. Williams is rife with lies, with fraud, with harassment, with bullying,” Ford’s lawyer Will Davis informed the decide. “He needs to get clicks. He loves consideration. This group of ladies that comply with him love the drama. And so does he.”

He requested Williams if he knew the definition of trolling.

“Trolling is… making enjoyable of somebody or choosing on somebody,” Williams answered.

Ford didn’t get an opportunity to testify earlier than the listening to was prolonged to a different day. The decide mentioned he would rule after that.

Meantime, that chef’s particular — trolling — seems to nonetheless be on the menu.

“And so that you’re saying you don’t troll individuals on-line?” Davis requested Williams in courtroom.

“Not with out purpose,” he answered.