The Better Business Bureau is warning of scams this holiday season.
With more people shopping online this holiday season, the Better Business Bureau is warning against recent scams to sell hot ticket items such as the Nintendo Switch, the Playstation4 PRO, and the Playstation 5.
Jessica Tharp, the President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau says these scams are happening due to people wanting better deals on these products: “The reason that’s happening is their high demand products, and they’re finding these products listed on websites, with maybe even a couple of reviews that they can find somehow substantiating in the consumers mind that this company might be legitimate, so people try to buy these products at great prices or value or just even availability.”
Tharp also warns that these purchases often cannot be contested due to current shipping requirements: “They wind up providing some payment information or personally identifiable information and not receiving the product, instead receiving something else. The reason their getting that is that it prevents them from contesting that they received the product, because there is nothing that substantiates what’s inside the box, just that the seller shipped a product to the consumer. It’s very difficult for people to get any money back.”
Tharp says the best way to avoid these scams is by doing your research on the company: “It’s really important for people to truly research the seller. You can look up any company in North America at BBB.org for free, and just get yourself some basic information on who are these people, where are they located, how long have they been in business, what is it that they’re offering. Be weary of limited time offers or great values on products. If you can’t find it from a store that you know and trust and this other website has it for a price that’s probably too good to be true, then it’s likely a defective or counterfeit product.”
The BBB also has received reports that once the order is received the companies are unable to be contacted. They have also found that the websites that offer these deals will often disappear overnight.
For more information on holiday tips, go to the Better Business Bureau’s official website.