Holiday PSA: Watch Who You Buy From Online!!

[Model3 McQueen]

I just had the displeasure of going through a fraudulent e-commerce "transaction", so to help do my part this holiday season, I would like to remind you all to please be careful when shopping online.

Long story short, I purchased a product from a website I've never heard of, but it looked professional and very well-made. The game was 80 - 100 dollars at stores like Target, Walmart, Amazon, but I found it for $60 on this page. I went through with the purchase (via PayPal, since that was the only option they allowed..) but started thinking about it afterwards because something left a bad taste in my mouth.

After some research that I should've done in the first place but didn't for some stupid reason, I found that the social media links were dead, the contact us page was filled with incorrect information.. heck, even the "Terms and Policies" page had a provision saying you couldn't talk badly about the website or they'd sue you. LOL. I looked up the domain and found out it was registered in Panama about 5 months ago. Boy did I feel like a complete idiot after this ordeal.

Thank god, PayPal had my back and refunded my account after I brought up an immediate fraudulent claim. I can't thank them enough and feel a big relief after this situation. But please, do your research before you buy and if a website or a deal sounds fishy in any single way, DO NOT GO THROUGH WITH YOUR PURCHASE.

 

[Model3 McQueen]

As a quick follow up, I did report the site to Google as I had originally found it through Google Shopping. I like to pretend this is the reason why I let my guard down initially.

 

[MinnieM123]

I just had the displeasure of going through a fraudulent e-commerce "transaction", so to help do my part this holiday season, I would like to remind you all to please be careful when shopping online.

Long story short, I purchased a product from a website I've never heard of, but it looked professional and very well-made. The game was 80 - 100 dollars at stores like Target, Walmart, Amazon, but I found it for $60 on this page. I went through with the purchase (via PayPal, since that was the only option they allowed..) but started thinking about it afterwards because something left a bad taste in my mouth.

After some research that I should've done in the first place but didn't for some stupid reason, I found that the social media links were dead, the contact us page was filled with incorrect information.. heck, even the "Terms and Policies" page had a provision saying you couldn't talk badly about the website or they'd sue you. LOL. I looked up the domain and found out it was registered in Panama about 5 months ago. Boy did I feel like a complete idiot after this ordeal.

Thank god, PayPal had my back and refunded my account after I brought up an immediate fraudulent claim. I can't thank them enough and feel a big relief after this situation. But please, do your research before you buy and if a website or a deal sounds fishy in any single way, DO NOT GO THROUGH WITH YOUR PURCHASE.

Wow. Very good advice for people, and I'm glad to hear you got your money back.

Those types of fraud sites proliferate even more during the holiday shopping season. Most people have a budget, and are trying to stretch their dollars, and the thieves know that. They'll entice people with discounted prices, and they "look" legit.

 

[Model3 McQueen]

Wow. Very good advice for people, and I'm glad to hear you got your money back.

Those types of fraud sites proliferate even more during the holiday shopping season. Most people have a budget, and are trying to stretch their dollars, and the thieves know that. They'll entice people with discounted prices, and they "look" legit.

Thank you! It was a huge relief. First time I've ever encountered a scam like this. From my experience all I can say is I hope people do their research before making a purchase and if something sounds fishy, it probably is.