Each year, BBB Scam Tracker receives complaints during the holiday season about false advertisements and phony promises for holiday décor.
How the scam works: You are searching online for holiday decorations for your home or lawn. You find the perfect item through a social media ad or a search result. The photos on the website look great. The decorations are larger-than-life with incredible lights and features and, best of all, low prices.
You make your payment and wait for the decorations to arrive. However, when your package is delivered, the product is nothing like what you saw online. Instead, it’s a poorly manufactured miniature version of what you thought you bought. In many cases, you may not receive the items at all.
Often you now don’t have a way to return the items or receive a refund. In fact, you probably won’t even be able to contact the company.
The Better Business Bureau offers these tips for avoiding holiday décor scams:
• Do your research before you buy. Before you purchase on an unfamiliar website, check out the company. Make sure they have working contact information. This should include a telephone number, email address and, preferably, a physical address. Look on other websites for reviews of the company and reports of scams. You always can look for business ratings and customer reviews on BBB.org.
• Be wary of deals that seem too good to be true. Keep in mind that large decorations that involve special lights and technology are expensive and may be costly to ship, too. If you find something amazing for cheap, it could be a scam.
• Don’t make quick purchases on social media. Scam advertisers can track your buying habits from social media ads and target you with specific products they think you’ll fall for. Don’t buy anything on impulse while scrolling through your feed. Do research first to avoid getting scammed.
• Always use your credit card for online purchases. Credit card companies allow you to dispute fraudulent charges, a resource you may not have if you purchase an item with a debit or gift card. If you’re being asked to pay via wire transfer, a prepaid gift card or a digital wallet app, it could be a scam.
For more tips, go to bbb.org. If you spot a scam, report it at BBB.org/ScamTracker.
Reanna Smith-Hamblin is president and CEO of the Better Business chapter serving this region. She can be reached at 502-588-0043 or rsmith-hamblin@bbb.louisville.org.