Found a Great Deal in a Facebook Ad? Check the Store Before You Buy

Short answer: Before you buy from a store you've never heard of, especially one you found through an ad on Facebook, Instagram or another site, take five minutes to look it up. Search the store's name and web address along with words like "scam" or "complaint," pay with a credit card rather than a gift card, payment app, wire transfer or cryptocurrency, and save your receipt and order confirmation. If something already went wrong, contact your card company right away.

The Federal Trade Commission warns that scammers are everywhere online during the holidays, especially on social media. They sometimes pretend to be real companies and run ads for brand-name products at unusually low prices. Click through, and you may land on a site built to take your money in exchange for a counterfeit, something that looks nothing like the picture, or nothing at all.

Out here in the Columbia River Gorge, a lot of holiday shopping happens online because the nearest store that carries what you want can be an hour or more away. That makes these ads worth a second look before you click Buy.

Signs a store deserves a closer look

None of these proves a store is fake on its own, but each one is a reason to slow down and check before you pay:

• The price is far below what the same brand-name item costs at stores you already know.
• You found it through an ad or a shared post, not by going to a store you already use.
• The web address doesn't match the brand, or it's a well-known name with extra words or odd spelling added.
• The site only takes gift cards, a payment app, a wire transfer or cryptocurrency. The FTC says a seller that insists on those is probably a scam.
• There's no clear return or refund policy, no shipping date, or no way to contact the company other than a web form.
• A countdown timer or "only 2 left" banner is pushing you to decide right now.

How to check a store in about five minutes

• Don't buy from the ad itself. Close it, then search for the store's name and the exact web address the ad took you to, plus words like "review," "complaint" or "scam." The FTC recommends this step first.
• If the ad claims to be from a brand you know, type that brand's web address yourself or use its official app, and see whether the same deal is really there.
• Read the return and refund policy, the shipping date and the total cost, including shipping and tax, before you order.
• Look for a real way to reach the seller. A company that only answers through a chat box or a form will be hard to reach if your order never comes.
• If you're still unsure, skip it. A real deal on a common item will usually show up at a store you already trust.

Pay the safer way

The FTC suggests paying by credit card when you can. If you're charged twice, billed for something you never got, or get a wrong or damaged item, you can dispute the charge with your card company. Under the federal Fair Credit Billing Act, a charge for something that wasn't delivered as agreed counts as a billing error, but you have to dispute it within 60 days of the first statement that shows it. Debit cards have different protections, so check with your bank.

Money sent by gift card, wire transfer, payment app or cryptocurrency is much harder to get back, which is exactly why scammers ask for it.

Keep a simple record of every online order

Take a screenshot of the ad or listing, and save the order confirmation email and receipt. Write down the store's name and web address, the date you ordered and the shipping date they promised. The FTC says sellers have to ship by the time they or their ads say, or within 30 days if they don't say. If there's a delay, they have to let you agree to it or cancel for a full refund, not just store credit. Your records make all of that much easier to prove.

If you already ordered and something's wrong

• Contact the seller first if it seems to be a real business. Many problems get fixed that way.
• If the seller doesn't answer, or the store turns out to be fake, call the number on the back of your card or use your card company's app or website to dispute the charge. The FTC also suggests following up with a letter to the billing-disputes address on your statement, not the payment address, to protect your rights.
• If you paid with a gift card, contact the gift card company right away. If you used a wire transfer or your bank account, contact that company or your bank immediately.
• If you typed a password into the site, change that password, and change it anywhere else you used it.
• Keep every email, receipt and note about the order.

Where to report it in Oregon and Washington

• Anyone in the U.S. can report a fake store to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Reports help track down scams even when you can't get your money back.
• Oregon: the Oregon Department of Justice consumer hotline is 1-877-877-9392, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, or you can file a complaint online. Its form asks for the website address and lets you attach receipts.
• Washington: the Washington Attorney General's Office takes complaints through its online complaint form, and its consumer line is 1-800-551-4636 (in Washington only), 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays.

Both state offices say they can't act as your lawyer, but your complaint helps them spot patterns, and Oregon's form also reminds you to contact your credit card company for help.

Sources and Further Reading

• How to avoid an online shopping scam this holiday season, Federal Trade Commission
• What to do if you're billed for things you never got, Federal Trade Commission
• What to do if you were scammed, Federal Trade Commission
• ReportFraud.ftc.gov FAQ, Federal Trade Commission
• Consumer Protection contact page, Oregon Department of Justice
• File a Complaint, Washington State Office of the Attorney General