Shopping online is a great development for the world of consumerism, and of course, the stay at home mom! It’s convenient, stress-free, and best of all, you can do it in your pajamas while the kids run around the house and not the store. Predictably, a number of online shopping scams have invaded the Internet with increasingly cunning marketing ploys. This holiday season, protect yourself against fraud by learning to recognize and avoid a direct buy scam.

What Is Buying Direct?

When you buy directly from a company, you are supposedly paying the wholesale price, free from retail markups. Companies offering a direct buy price claim they have access to all the top brands at the prices a retailer would pay to resell the items. The consumer essentially cuts out the middle man by buying direct. Naturally you think it sounds too good to be true, and you could be right.

How Can You Avoid a Direct Buy Scam?

Do your research. Some companies that offer wholesale prices have a catch. You want to be sure exactly how the purchasing process at a particular company works. Find out if anyone you know has done business with a particular company and ask about his experience. Look around on the Internet to uncover any negative press, some customers may have posted direct buy complaints.

Shop around. Once you know how much you’ll really be paying by buying direct, make sure it really is the best deal. Direct buy companies can often be more expensive than your average retailer.

Be wary of “no refund” contracts. One way that direct buy scam companies make money is by shipping you defective or low quality products for which you paid top dollar. Be sure you have the option of returning a less-than-perfect item for a full refund.

Keep an eye on your accounts. Just because you did not give a particular company your bank information doesn’t mean they won’t charge you. Sometimes, these companies have gathered your information from another company. Always challenge any unauthorized charges immediately.

What If You’ve Been Scammed?

If you think you are a victim of a scam, report the fraud to the National Fraud Information Center immediately. You can also file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.

*this is a sponsored post written exclusively for Holly’s House by Atrinsic