Safe Buying Tips

Here Are Some General Tips On How To Avoid Being Scammed

Products You Should Not Buy

  • Promises that a product will treat or prevent diseases, especially if the claim is that it can cure a whole range of ailments at once.
  • Companies that urge you to hurry up and order a product because supplies may not last.

Here Are Some Simple Tips For Buying

  • Ebay and Facebook can be pretty reliable for reviewing customer feedback on a specific propduct. Type the product name in and see what you find.
  • Do be skeptical about promotional materials filled with scientific-sounding terms such as “glucose metabolism” . The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns that scammers use jargon like that to mislead consumers.
  • Do research a supplement company online. Look for complaints about it from other consumers. Google the company name and see how long they’ve been in business.
  • Do look for signs of fake news. Deceptive marketers appropriate the logos and names of familiar publications and news outlets to give their product claims an air of legitimacy.
  • Do keep an eye on your credit card statements so you can spot right away if you’re being billed for something you didn’t order. If that happens, report it to your credit card company and see if you can get your money back.
  • Do contact your doctor immediately if you have an adverse reaction or become ill after taking a dietary supplement.

Always Avoid These Tactics.

  • Don’t give too much credence to extreme claims about a product — for example, that it can reduce blood pressure by 60 points or burn 4,000 calories a day of excess fat to promote rapid weight loss.
  • Don’t try a product unless you’ve talked to your doctor about potential side effects and interactions with any legitimate medications you’re taking.
  • Don’t enter into any subscription deal unless you understand what you’re getting into. Carefully read the full terms, including the fine print, and make sure there are clearly stated steps for canceling shipments and subscriptions.
  • Don’t pay by debit card. Credit cards offer

Don’t Join Muliti Level Marketing Programs or Pyramid Schemes

Pyramid schemes are scams that need a constant flow of new participants to keep them going. They are marketed as multi-level marketing programs or other types of legitimate businesses. They use new recruits’ “investments” to pay “profits” to those participating longer.

Pyramid schemes collapse when they can’t recruit enough new participants to pay earlier investors. These scams always fail—it’s mathematically guaranteed.

Report Pyramid Schemes

Report pyramid schemes to:

How to Protect Yourself

Keep these tips in mind to avoid falling for a pyramid scheme:

Do

  • Be wary if you have to recruit more participants to increase your profit, or get your investment back.
  • Ask if the company sells non-tangible products and services rather than physical products.
  • Check out the business with the Better Business Bureau, your state attorney general, or state licensing agencies.
  • Ask to see financial statements audited by a certified public accountant (CPA). Find out if the company earns income from selling its products or services to customers, not to its sales team.
  • Be skeptical of success stories and testimonials of fantastic earnings.

Don’t

  • Don’t invest until you’ve verified that the business is legitimate.
  • Don’t get involved in businesses that make you recruit new participants.
  • Don’t buy into franchises that promise big or quick profits.
  • Don’t invest in any “opportunity” bearing warning signs of a pyramid scheme.