More and more students have decided to start their own business today and for a good reason! This way, they can realize their wildest ideas and devote time to what they adore the most. But nothing is perfect, and every business faces challenges. It is not only misunderstandings within the team, unreliable suppliers, or deviations from the business plan. It’s also… scam customers!
Unfortunately, online stores get deceived by buyers quite often. And these tricks are getting more and more sophisticated. So, read on to protect yourself and avoid losses! Of course, you can study the topic further, and surely, you should free up your schedule to do it. To do that, outsource your papers to the essay writer on EssayPro, get yourself some tea, and stay focused. The schemes mentioned below are quite popular, so forewarned is forearmed, right?
They Send You Fake Links
Are you chatting with a client that doesn’t want to pay for a product or service in the online shop system or on your website? Well, they will probably ask you to open the link they’ve sent you on messenger, saying that you will receive money through this website. But once you open it, you will lose your funds. How? If you enter the card details, the money will simply be debited from your card.
Therefore, communicate only in the chat of the service where the ad was placed. The security system knows the scammers’ tricks, and it will protect you. This will help you complete all orders in peace and move on to other tasks.
Plus, you can always trust your college assignments to top paper writing services and concentrate on what matters most at this very moment. No doubt, it’s hard to manage it all at these stressful times, but with a talented writer on your side, your homework will be in safe hands.
They Call You To Get Card Details
The phone number that you provide in the ad may get into the databases of scammers. Surely, they will suggest sending the money to your bank account, and thus, they need to know payment details. Of course, this looks very suspicious, so say that the only available form of payment is through the system.
They Call You Right After The News Is Published
Many scammers use a program that shows that someone has just posted an ad. Therefore, if they don’t ask you for additional photos of the product or any details but require payment details, this may be a scammer. How do you protect yourself? Be wary of weird calls right after posting.
They Send You Spam
There are many ways to send spam. For example, in a system chat or messenger, if scammers know your phone number. The message will contain a link to the malware. And when you click on it, the scammers will get access to your mobile banking app. Therefore, the solution is obvious – don’t follow links from buyers.
They Replace The Items
If you send the goods by mail, then a dishonest buyer can replace them with something identical but non-working or fake, in a word, of poor quality. Their goal is to show that it was you who sold the defective product.
The trick is that when checking the boxes, the postal workers or the courier may not see the difference. This scheme is used by experienced scammers who prepare for the crime really thoroughly. They need time to pick up things similar to those ordered, only several times cheaper.
How do you fight such scammers? Oblige the couriers to remember the assortment of the store in order to distinguish branded items from replicas. Plus, you can introduce your own system of markings: for example, put the brand name on a label. One glance will be enough to understand whether the original is being returned to you or if it’s a fake.
They Lie To The Courier
Most often, scammers use this scheme when buying clothes and accessories. This strategy has much in common with the previous one.
Imagine that the client ordered several dresses, trousers, and jumpers for home delivery. The courier brought the ordered goods to the scammer’s apartment, and they asked for a couple of minutes to try them on. The client returned to the courier truly disappointed: nothing fitted them, so they had to return the boxes. Later it turned out that the returned packages contained not brand-new dresses but other stuff.
So, there’s only one thing you can do – make sure the courier checks the content of the boxes carefully.
They Want A Discount
The customer chose the product, studied the characteristics in the description, agreed to the terms, and placed the order. They paid for the purchase, and the next day after receiving the order, they started a war against the store. Why? They claimed the quality was terrible and therefore, they required a 50 percent discount or a full refund.
At the same time, they weren’t satisfied with a simple replacement of the goods. The client was only interested in saving money. It was clear that, in reality, they wanted to get the goods for free.
Sadly, you will have to ask the client to return the product, then you will return the full amount to them. And blacklist them! Indeed, it’s hard to protect yourself from such people as they disguise themselves as ordinary buyers.
They Say They Didn’t Receive The Item
Every online store has probably encountered this type of fraud. A customer orders a product and after a while complains that the parcel wasn’t delivered. Of course, you contact the post office or a logistics company, but they swear that everything was delivered on time. Meanwhile, the buyer says that they received nothing.
It often happens that the goods were really late, but the buyer decided not to inform you about it. Why? They want you to pay for the cost of the goods. They claim that since they didn’t receive the item, it’s all your fault.
How do you deal with it? Track all the parcel locations on your own, stay in touch with logistics companies, and if a conflict arises, you can quickly resolve the issue.
They Claim That Things Didn’t Fit Them
Some buyers order things, put them on a couple of times, and return them back. As a rule, the reason for the return is the following: the size didn’t fit. Returning a used item is called wardrobing.
When placing an order, make it a rule to contact the buyer and clarify whether the size, color, or other characteristics are suitable for them. Also, consider the return policy in your online store. This can be filling out a return form, for example. Don’t be afraid that customers won’t accept such conditions: an honest person will only be pleased with them, and most importantly, they can scare the scammers away.
To Wrap It Up
The easiest way to recognize a scammer is to pay attention to the client’s behavior.
You may be cautious by such red flags as:
- The client specifies the characteristics of the goods long enough;
- Or, in contrast, doesn’t specify them at all, as if they don’t care;
- The client is interested in whether the courier will arrive alone;
- The customer’s credit card or bank account belongs to someone else.
Keeping all those measures in mind, you won’t fall for the scammer’s bait. Be careful!
