Shopper Alert: Check your Electronics
Leading up to this holiday season, there have been several reported incidents of people purchasing electronics and getting them home, only to find out that there is nothing electronic inside. This is not to say that the boxes are empty. Ceiling tiles, bricks, and similar materials have been put inside the boxes to make the boxes feel like the proper weight. When the shoppers return to the store with the box in hand, the stores are refusing returns based on a lack of evidence. Basically, they are accusing the shopper of removing the electronic, putting in some bricks or ceiling tiles, and trying to get their money back. The two stores where this is happening most frequently is Target and Best Buy. There are several steps you can take to prevent this from happening to you.
1. The most important thing you can do is open the box right there in the store. If this item is something that has to be brought out from the back of the store, make sure to open it in front of an employee. Leave no room for them to accuse you of tampering with it. This way you make sure you walk out with a real product.
2. Be cautious with online orders. As convenient as the shopping experience is, if this is happening at a warehouse level, if its warehouse employees who are switching out the electronics for bricks, you could end up receiving one of these fake items instead of the real deal. The last thing you want is to go to set up that Wii for the kids on Christmas Eve only to find out that there isn’t one in the box.
3. If it’s an option for you, buy with a credit card that protects you (like American Express). Some of the people who have been refused when trying to return the fake product to the store have been able to recoup their money from the credit card companies. Avoid paying with your check card. Banks are notorious for not refunding money to account holders for fraudulent purchases.
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