It’s about that time again to show some love to all the dads around the world. Father’s Day tends to be the tougher parent-holiday for me tackle, simply because men don’t like flowers; they dig electronics. The catch with this holiday is that gadgets are quite pricey, and most of us aren’t looking to break the bank this Father’s Day. Finding unbeatable bargains has been made easier with the boom of online shopping and companies like Groupon and Living Social that offer daily deals. So which ones are the best to pour your hard-earned money toward?
Stan gave us the scoop on online shoe shopping the other week, highlighting Scambook’s trending online shoe stores and supplying helpful tips to use before giving your credit card the virtual swipe. Here is some additional ammo for your Father’s Day shopping.
If you’re planning on scoring some electronics bargains, we strongly recommend you don’t fall into the same situation one of our users did last Father’s Day. Electronics are easy to replicate, and Chandra Nagireddy who reported spending over $1,700 on what she thought was a Nikon D7000 USA model kit and accessories was quickly stripped of some cold hard cash.
She made the purchase on DigitalHunter.com, which is an online electronics store with over $1 million in total reported damages from Scambook users. The site specializes in selling digital SLR cameras, camcorders, lenses and accessories from notable brands such as Canon, Nikon and Sony. DigitalHunter.com advertised that customers can save up to 30% off the retail price of items and have 30 days to return any purchased items.
Here’s what you can take away from this consumer’s experience
– Regardless of whether or not the site you find is connected with companies like eBay and Amazon, it’s best to triple check and dig deeper to find any flaws. It’s so simple for fake businesses to tack on a logo from a reputable retailer.
– Being directed to speak with a sales representative over the phone regarding your online order can be a bit sketchy. If you do find yourself in this situation, be attentive to the questions he/she asks. The website you’re shopping at could point you to a fake sales person to assist you during the checkout process, and he/she could easily obtain your credit card and billing information.
– Make sure to check if the website is real by doing a quick Google search to see if it appears on any consumer complaint sites like Scambook.com or on any blogs. Also check for any contact information such as customer service phone numbers and email addresses and reach out to see if there is any sign of human activity on the other side.
– Study any electronic product before you buy it online. As opposed to buying from a brick and mortar like Best Buy and Walmart, you can’t touch and test the product when making an online purchase.
– Don’t get wrapped up in the advertisements of special offers and warranties. Do your part as a wise consumer and see if you can get a better deal anywhere else.
So this Father’s Day, we urge you to shop safely and pay attention to the details. Internet criminals are getting savvier by the second and can create a decent looking website with minimal effort and catchy sales words.
See Also
It’s Mother’s Day, Here’s Some Tips on What to Look For
71% OFF? Daily Deal Scams
4 Reasons Why It’s Better to Use Your Credit Card for Holiday Shopping
Your right about advertisements. They get their hook in deep. Every one wants to save money. So if it looks to good – run!
I was scammed TWICE by Digital Hunter…first was the order that they totally overcharged and changed for lesser quality equipment. Upon returning the equipment I waited months for a refund and was threatened by a customer rep that they could say that they never received the equipment. Luckily, I photographed the package, the equipment, and had tracking. If this wasn’t bad enough, about four months after this mess, these unscrupulous people put a nearly $1000 charge on my credit card and I had purchased (and never will) anything. I had to cancel my credit card to keep these people from doing it again. Bad company, bad products, bad business…bad! Avoid at all costs….this deal…ha…it cost me over $200 in bogus restocking fees, interest, and return costs. What a mess…to save a few dollars. Well, that didn’t work out too good, now did it? =(