A Black Friday de 2024 will be this Friday (29). The promotional date is a lure for a series of scams, which reinforces the need for consumers to be careful when making a purchase. Procon-SP (State Department of Consumer Protection and Defense), for example, maintains a list of websites that should be avoided. Look here.
Check out, below, the main scams recorded on “Black Friday”, according to retailers, Serasa, Procon and other institutions that follow the promotions.
- Price increase or false discount
The most common scam, fake discounting, occurs when retailers increase the prices of items before Black Friday and then reduce them, making it appear that they are offering a discount, when in fact they are selling them at the product’s original price or even more. expensive. - Bait and switch
In bait and switch, the retailer advertises a product at a low price, but then tells the buyer that it is out of stock, trying to sell him another similar, more expensive product. - Shipping more expensive than the product
To “surf the wave” of the date, some merchants may offer large discounts on their products, but try to compensate with an exorbitant price for shipping, generating a shipping fee even higher than the value of the item to be purchased. - Price change during purchase
It is common for companies to work with discounts due to “shortage of time”, with a limited period of use, with the famous “countdown” clocks. During Black Friday, it’s no different.
The rush to get the product can end up distracting the buyer, causing them to forget to apply the discount coupon or fail to see important information and requirements about the purchase.
Furthermore, in some cases, the promotion may end before purchase, and the price will return to its original value.
READ MORE: 5 ways to fall for a cloned card scam
Other dangers
Sites fakes
Regarding scams carried out by criminals and not by the stores themselves, criminals can create fake websites that appear to be legitimate online retailers, offering products at incredibly low prices to attract consumers. Once the buyer enters their credit card information, criminals use it to make fraudulent purchases.
Identity theft
Scammers often steal personal information, such as credit card and social security numbers, and use it to open new accounts in the victim’s name to make fraudulent purchases. Once this data is obtained, the consumer can be harmed in several ways.
Fake Coupons
Scammers may use fake discount coupon emails, links or messages, which can be used as a scam strategy. phishing (cyber attack that uses fraudulent emails, text messages, phone calls or websites) to deceive and gain access to consumer information.
READ MORE: Can Brazilians buy on Black Friday in the USA?
How not to fall for scams?
Consumers need to be careful before, during and after making a purchase on Black Friday, highlights a newsletter from Procon in Rio Grande do Sul. See what to do below:
Before purchase
- Check the origin of the store before filling out any registration, as many scammers advertise products at unmissable prices to collect consumer data;
- Check if there is a padlock icon to the left of the “www” in the browser’s address bar – this indicates that the site is more secure;
- Consult the store’s data on the Federal Revenue website, checking whether the CNPJ and address really belong to the company (the data is generally positioned at the footer of the page);
- Check who the supplier is before finalizing the order on websites that sell products from partner companies, in order to ensure the origin of the order. If applicable, contact the supplier within the purchasing platform itself (do not contact them outside of it). Be wary of cases where you are directed to a new website or application;
- Research the origin of the supplier and the average price of the product you want to buy. Be wary of stores with prices well below average.
- Always demand the invoice;
- Be careful with Whatsapp. If you have not registered or provided your number to receive messages from the store, it is not recommended to make purchases through the platform. Links sent with unmissable promotions may be an attempt to phishing. Search for the supposed promotion on the company’s official networks and websites and check whether it actually applies.
READ MORE: New SUVs and pickup trucks have discounts in Brazil; see list
At the time of payment
- Check the merchant’s details and whether the value of the merchandise is correct when using Pix;
- Check the name of the beneficiary and the value of the document before paying bills.
After purchase
- Tire print from purchase confirmation pages, save receipts and notes and take photos if you receive a product with a problem;
- Be aware of your rights. The consumer may regret it within seven days from the date of receipt of the product. In physical purchases, there is no such right – only if it is the store’s policy –, except in situations where the product is defective or defective. In this case, there is a legal deadline for exchange – 30 days for perishable products and 90 days for non-perishable products.
