With the development of modern technologies and internet resources, as well as the constantly growing number of social media users and online resources, most modern stores are transitioning to online commerce. Foreign internet resources also allow purchases from anywhere in the world, just place an order and the package will arrive at the nearest post office.
Online stores of well-known brands always strive to fulfill their obligations and send the purchased goods, but there are also fake stores run by scammers eager to get others' money through deceit. It's worth understanding online commerce a bit to avoid becoming a victim of fraudsters.
International Purchases
The main feature of online stores is that it's unknown what you bought until the product is delivered. The result of such a purchase is the risk that:
- the quality of the product will not satisfy you;
- the size will not fit, if it's clothing;
- the product does not match the stated properties;
- if the seller prevents replacement, it complicates the return.
International purchases can be returned to the seller within a week after delivery, which is incomparable to the return periods in a regular store, which is twice as long. International purchases are made online. In any case, you can return everything except exclusive items made to order.
Remember that foreign online stores operate according to the laws of their countries where they have a legally registered address, so the conditions for returning money or goods and the timeframes that allow you to return these goods need to be checked on the websites of these online stores separately. In most cases, international companies that sell goods remotely almost never refuse customers a return because they comply with the legislation of the countries where they are located.
Online Scams
The most common scam on e-commerce platforms is offering huge discounts on goods during days like Black Friday or seasonal sales, with discounts reaching up to 70%.
Scammers take advantage of this period to execute their schemes, deceiving as many buyers as possible and collecting money from them. To verify if a promotion is real, you need to check several resources and ensure that the discount advertisement actually came from the official website and similar promotions are happening there.
The time limitation of the promotion allows scammers to psychologically pressure buyers, arguing that the promotion is limited and you need to hurry to purchase the goods. Very often, scammers disguise sites as originals but offer payment methods:
- either to a virtual wallet;
- or to a bank card;
- or to a mobile phone account.
Whereas real online stores operate on a post-payment plan, meaning you order the product and pay for it after you receive it.
Fraudsters on Platforms
Fraudsters are very active on internet platforms offering the sale of goods, disguising themselves as online stores. The peak of fraudulent schemes often coincides with various sales, seasonal or holiday ones. Fraudsters lure with low prices.
Scammers create fake online store websites that are very similar to the real ones. In most cases, such sites do not require much time and resources. Scammers can simply clone an already known site and provide the buyer with the required information.
As a result of such a scheme's existence, the buyer may be left without the goods and without money, and getting the money back turns out to be very difficult. Banking structures are unlikely to help in this matter, as scammers presented their site as located on a foreign platform. This allows them to hide their tracks on the internet, and it is not possible to determine the exact location of the scammers.
Purchase Protection
In addition to making an online purchase, the buyer has the right to return it:
- if it doesn't fit or is damaged;
- the buyer has the right to protect their purchase, for example, by recording the unpacking process on video, if it turns out that the product doesn't match the ordered one, there will be evidence;
- it is necessary to clarify with the seller the delivery times of the goods in advance, if they are violated, you can safely make claims;
- if the seller stops responding to calls or messages, it's most likely a fraudulent scheme.
To protect yourself when purchasing goods in an online store, you need to choose a payment method, either cash on delivery or after receiving the goods at the post office. This will allow the buyer to protect their funds from scammers who may send something completely different after receiving the payment in advance.
When choosing goods on international online store platforms, be attentive, communicate with the seller, and keep correspondence in case of additional questions or claims to have evidence of fraud.