CNW - Yes! You鈥檝e been shopping online for weeks for dumbbells and you鈥檝e finally found the perfect ones. They鈥檙e the right style, the right size,听and听a great price! You click on the big red 鈥淏uy now!鈥� button, and the site processes your payment and promises that you will be enjoying your new dumbbells in two weeks鈥� time.
Two weeks come and go, and still, no dumbbells. Your attempts to contact the seller prove fruitless, and after a few more weeks, you realize you鈥檝e been had, and the dumbbells are never coming.
Canadians shop online a lot, and many of us have been victims of a 鈥渘on-delivery鈥� scam in the past. Home delivery is a lifeline for so many. Canadians are even more at risk when shopping for high-demand items like personal protective equipment.
And virtually ALL Canadians are vulnerable. If you shop online, you鈥檙e a potential victim. In 2020, merchandise scams including non-delivery scams accounted for an estimated $8.7 million in Canadian losses, and an immeasurable erosion of confidence in the online marketplace.
Retailers failing to honour the claims they made about the delivery of a product could be considered false or misleading advertising and a violation of the听Competition Act. So, how can you avoid this scam, and what should you do if you get the bill, but you don鈥檛 get the goods?
Before you buy
- Take 5:听Wait, even just five minutes, to stop and think before entering your credit card information.
- Do your research:听Check the company鈥檚 refund and return policies and try searching the company name along with the words 鈥渃omplaint鈥� or 鈥渟cam.鈥�
- Read reviews:听Search online reviews about the seller, especially those related to non-delivery of products or long delivery delays. Don鈥檛 trust overly positive reviews and star ratings on a seller鈥檚 website. They could be fake.
- Look for credentials:听Check with the Better Business Bureau to see the online seller鈥檚 rating, complaints and customer reviews.
- Be cautious:听Check the contact details such as address, email, and phone number, on the seller鈥檚 website. A reputable seller is more likely to provide their contact information.
- Pay by credit card: A credit card provides additional protections and allows you to dispute charges. Debit cards and prepaid cards don鈥檛 offer the same protections.
- Shop around:听Purchase products from a reputable seller.
The tips above can help identify and avoid non-delivery scams. But these scams can be tough to detect. Here鈥檚 what you can do if you think you鈥檝e been had.
After you鈥檝e bought
Try contacting the seller. Most businesses are legitimate and want you to receive the item you鈥檝e paid for.
Keep good records, including the name of the website you ordered from, claims about shipping times, the date you placed the order, copies or screenshots of correspondence, and receipts.
If you paid by credit card, you can try disputing the charge with your credit card company.
The Competition Bureau looks into false and misleading claims in the marketplace. If you believe you have been misled, report it to the听.
You can also file a complaint with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC); the Better Business Bureau or your provincial / territorial consumer protection agency.
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