CLEVELAND — Shoppers across the country are expected to spend around $240 billion this holiday season. Sophisticated scammers know that, and they want to try to get their hands on some of that money.
A Reddit user recently posted about a trick they experienced on Amazon, where they thought they had made a purchase but then the seller's account was disabled and all of their listings were removed. The user described this as a scam.
THE QUESTION
So let's VERIFY: Is there a risk of sending money to a fake seller on Amazon?
SOURCES
Our sources are:
- Amazon.com
- The Better Business Bureau's Cleveland office
EXPLANATION
When you visit Amazon.com and search for something you’d like to buy, lots of options pop up. This is because Amazon allows individuals to create seller accounts, so you might be looking at a listing from a third-party seller, not the actual maker of the product.
A lot of times, this is perfectly fine, but sometimes it's not. The Better Business Bureau's Cleveland office President and CEO Sue McConnell said in an emailed statement:
"Scammers often mimic legitimate websites or impersonate retailers, offering too-good-to-be-true deals.
"These fake sites usually feature unprofessional layouts, unresponsive customer service, and long shipping delays.
"Consumers often report paying for items that never arrive, such as discounted name-brand shoes, viral drink tumblers, or trending clothes."
ANSWER
So we can VERIFY that yes, there is a risk of sending money to a fake seller on Amazon.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
McConnell recommends verifying a retailer before sending payment to anyone.
On Amazon, you can do this by looking for "ships from" and "sold by" on the product listing. That’s where you can check the storefront and reviews for the seller, whomever it may be.
The good news is that Amazon has something called the "A-to-Z Guarantee." Under this protection program, if you try to buy something through their site from a third-party seller that turns out to be a scammer, you can get your money back from Amazon. It just might take a little while, so it's best to be as careful as possible when you place those online orders in the first place.
Remember, if you see something you want us to fact check, you can send it our way at VERIFY@wkyc.com.