When brightly colored signs with prominent letters shout “Going Out of Business Sale,” “Total Liquidation,” or “Everything Must Go!” you might think you are about to get the deal of a lifetime. But you should shop cautiously for several reasons – even when merchandise is deeply discounted. The following tips will help you avoid common pitfalls and get the best deals.
Make sure the deals are real
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, and The Great Resignation drove many retailers out of business. What’s bad for businesses often means sales for shoppers, but before you jump on deals, make sure you aren’t falling for a con. BBB Scam Tracker has gotten many reports about online “going-out-of-business” sales that either don’t exist or don’t live up to the hype.
Frustrated shoppers report to BBB Scam Tracker that the products they receive are much worse quality than what was shown online. For example, one victim ordered $250 worth of “designer” clothes from a New York-based store. Instead, they received low quality items shipped from overseas. “What was supposed to be cotton and/or linen was the worst quality polyester,” they told BBB. “The clothes, in general, were nowhere close to the advertised quality on the website images. Definitely NOT the quality I paid for.”
Other times, scammers never intend to send you anything at all. They steal your credit card information when you are prompted to pay. These phony sites can also download malware onto your computer and give scammers access to your personal information, passwords, and more.
Avoid fake sale scams with these tips:
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Always check a company’s reputation on BBB.org before doing business with them. Look beyond the letter grade rating to read the customer reviews and details of complaints to get an idea of what past customers have experienced. You may decide the great prices they advertise may not be worth the potential problems that could…
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