BBB Tip of the Week: Use caution when buying from social media sites
Each day we are bombarded by ads on social media that tempt us by promising savings of large sums of money. Better Business Bureau wants to ensure that you have tools and information to protect your hard-earned dollars and personal information. In most cases, information is available for those who want to dig deeper on the sites ad review policy.
The ad review policy on Facebook states the company checks an ad’s images, text and targeting as well as content on the ad’s landing page. An ad may not be approved if the landing page is not fully functional, doesn’t match the product or service in the ad, or doesn’t comply with Facebooks advertising policies.
BBB Scam Tracker has received numerous complaints from shoppers fooled by too-good-to-be-true social media ads. Be sure to do your research before making a purchase.
This is how many scams work. You are scrolling through social media and see an ad in your feed. Advertisements for clothes, makeup, beauty products, toys and even puppies are all very common. The ads hook you by offering a great deal, or, in the case of a beauty or health product, by claiming to produce amazing results. They may also promote a popular toy or product that’s difficult to find in stores.
BBB Scam Tracker has received reports from customers who were overcharged, never received their orders or ended up with faulty (or entirely different!) products.
Facebook, which owns Instagram, reviews its ads for content. But it does not evaluate the businesses behind those ads.
Take these steps to protect yourself:
efore buying online, confirm the site has real contact information. Make sure the seller has a working phone number and address on the website, so you can contact them in case of problems.
If the price seems too good to be true, there’s probably something wrong. Be wary if the item is selling for significantly lower than what you’ve seen elsewhere.
Do your research. Before making a purchase, be sure to look for a secure site (look for HTTPS in the domain) and check their BBB Business Review (bbb.org/search).