Misleading Social Media Ads Fool Shoppers
Milwaukee, Wis. – Social media has become a great place to find new products and services to purchase. Approximately a third of online shoppers (31%) say they are using social networks to peruse new items to buy.
In many cases shopping through social media is a positive experience, but BBB has seen an increase in complaints from consumers who have had an unfavorable experience after making a purchase through an advertisement found on a social network. In fact, the 2018 BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report found that online purchase scams were the most common cons reported to BBB.org/ScamTracker and the category with the most victims.
The most common complaints and BBB Scam Tracker reports that BBB receives are on the following:
Free Trial Offers: Many of these misleading advertisements tout celebrity endorsements and promise a trial of the hottest new skincare or nutritional supplement for the minimal investment of shipping fees. What consumers report is that once they agree to the terms and conditions of these offers, they realize they have agreed to multiple monthly shipments for products in excess of $70-$100 each.
Counterfeit Merchandise: Name brand goods are prime targets for unauthorized duplication, from sporting goods to designer apparel and handbags. If you purchase any of these products you may run the risk of not only receiving a poor quality product, but it may not meet environmental and safety regulations either.
Look out for red flags. This includes items that are priced significantly lower than what other retailers are charging, spelling and grammatical errors in the advertisements, and poor quality images. These are all signs that the advertisement may be for a counterfeit product.
Engaging Ads, Poor Customer Service: This category covers a broad spectrum of complaints that BBB receives, from ads for beauty products to trendy clothing to kids’ toys. The advertisements look great and the products are often inexpensive. This means that consumers purchase without doing any research on the website or the company behind it. However, weeks pass and the products never arrive. When the buyers reach out to customer service, they get a vague answer or they don’t hear back at all.
Before buying, do a quick online search. Google the website name with the words “complaints”, “reviews”, and “scam” to see what other customers are saying. Check the “About Us” or “Contact Us” information on the company’s website to see if they contain actual contact details for the business. If the only way to contact the company is through a form this is a red flag.
Apps of Unknown Origin: While scrolling through your feed you may feel compelled to download the latest “free” app. Beware! By downloading this app, not only are you opening up your device to this unknown entities, you could possibly be signing up for recurring subscription fees. Victims report being charged fees as high as $99 every seven days.
Before you enter your username and password, read the reviews. Also read the description of the app carefully and look for spelling and grammatical errors. Check that the developer’s website is a working website and read the terms and conditions carefully ($99 every 7 days adds up quickly).
Click here for more tips on safe online shopping.
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For more information or further inquiries, contact the Wisconsin BBB at www.bbb.org/wisconsin, 414-847-6000 or 1-800-273-1002. Consumers also can find more information about how to protect themselves from scams by following the Wisconsin BBB on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
ABOUT BBB: For more than 100 years, the Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses, brands and charities they can trust. In 2018, people turned to BBB more than 173 million times for BBB Business Profiles on more than 5.4 million businesses and Charity Reports on 11,000 charities, all available for free at bbb.org. There are local, independent BBBs across the United States, Canada and Mexico, including BBB Serving Wisconsin which was founded in 1939 and serves the state of Wisconsin.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.
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