Packages that never arrive, impossible refunds, non-existent customer service, and useless purchases. As Black Friday approaches, unmissable deals are increasing online and, with them, fake sites and the risk of fraud are increasing. But be careful not to believe that this problem only concerns ‘bricks’, as Neapolitan digital entrepreneur Fabio De Rienzo, e-commerce expert and founder of the online platform Materassimemory.eu reminds us: “The problem is not only fraud, one might say obvious fraud, but also all the techniques that serve to increase pressure and encourage users to buy, even when it is not necessary”.
10 golden rules
De Rienzo put together a decalogue, ten little rules to ensure that Black Friday is experienced as a real event and is not deceived or cheated. “First, choose a reliable site or seller it’s the first step to avoiding a serious fall. It’s easier than ever to create an e-commerce site, even a fake one, but it’s also true that it’s easier to access verified review platforms that can in some way guarantee the purchasing experience; so, that’s good check ‘what they say online’ about the shop before completing the purchase.”
The second piece of advice follows: “Use a secure payment method. Especially in the case of little-known sites and portals. Almost all sites can manage digital payments with very popular apps and services: not finding them is one of the clearest red flags.” More alarm bells are too profitable an offerwhich is considered too good to be true. “Behind truly unmissable offers – says De Rienzo – that come from unreliable companies with registered offices in foreign places, fraudulent sites are often hidden. The goal of these platforms is often to steal user data, not just financial data.”
The fourth suggestion then concerns purchasing methods, specifically rethinking. “The Italian Consumer Code, which changes the community’s direction regarding consumer rights, is clear: in most cases Within 14 days of delivery, buyers can return the product and get a full refund. Sites that do not clearly lay out these methods and/or that hide behind convoluted return procedures are the ones to be wary of.” This advice is equivalent to the fifth: “Always check for hidden fees. Anyone who displays extremely low prices but then adds inflated shipping costs, mandatory insurance, payment method surcharges, or general management fees is simply constructing a commercial gimmick. The actual price is the final price, not the banner price, and consumers should always be able to know in advance all the items included in the amount to be paid.”
At this point De Rienzo also draws attention to another mechanism that is often underestimated: The price shown is not necessarily the best price. “Something has been done in Italy too, on the occasion of recent sales, with the obligation to show the average price of the product before bidding. But it’s worth reiterating: even online it’s a good idea to check the price history. However, don’t just trust what shops say about themselves. For many platforms, especially the bigger ones, there are third-party tools that allow you to see the progress of the product over time. If an item is upgraded ten days in advance and then ‘discounted’, the deal is better obvious than real.” And that wasn’t enough: “It’s comfortable Also monitor the item in the days before the official start of the promotionto understand whether the discount is truly a reduction or whether the price has been adjusted several times.”
If the sixth and seventh tips relate to the price of goods, then the eighth tip concerns availability. “An element – underlines De Rienzo – that we often take for granted: we are so used to ‘everything immediately’ that we forget to check if we are actually buying something that the store currently has in stock. During Black Friday, demand spikes and not all stores update their online warehouses properly. Therefore, it happens that you buy an item that is only available on paper, only to later find out that delivery is expected after weeks, or even months. Considering many people wait for Black Friday in the hope of being able to put gifts under the Christmas tree for their loved ones, that means ending up in a circle of hell consisting of requests for updates and attempts to refund money.”
A topic, namely the attempt to connect with sellers, that leads directly to the penultimate point of the decalogue created by De Rienzo. “Always check the availability of site contacts, such as real phone numbersand/or inquire about customer support. Chatbots can be useful for basic information, but they never replace humans: when there’s a real problem, you need a person responding, not an automated response that sends you from one screen to another. Real help avoids the occurrence of an endless cycle of stress and allows, if necessary, to open an official complaint, send a PEC, talk to someone who will take responsibility for the situation. Sites that do not offer this possibility are sites to be wary of a priori, just as you would be wary of someone who, once they have taken your money, no longer responds to you, even if they happen to pass you on the street”.
Must Avoid buying anxiety as much as possible. There are a series of e-commerce strategies, some of which walk the fine line between legal and illegal, that are well known to professionals and are designed precisely to encourage compulsive and mindless purchases that are based entirely on urgency and supersede reason. De Rienzo explains: “Often fake offer timers (green timers) that appear as pop-ups on the page with the aim of getting you to buy quickly, before the user can think about whether he really needs what he has in his basket or not, but also words like ‘last item available’ or typical words for booking a hotel room online that say that ‘other users are now looking at this product’, as if they will take it from you while you are still thinking about it, are all strategies to create pressure and encourage buying.”
“There are regulations, including the Italian one, that set limits on whether these practices are legal or not, but it is also true that, for those asked to monitor, it is difficult, even impossible, to prove illegal behavior. Just as it is difficult, even impossible, to have control over the entire digital landscape, including foreign sites. Awareness is therefore the only true way for users to protect themselves”, concludes De Rienzo.
