Shopping Scams

Online Shopping Scams

ShoppingEssentialsisaSCAM!

Are you a victim?

We classify this as VERY SHADY.

The Shopping Essentials scam targets online consumers buying products from legit providers.

For example, you buy a gift certificate at Restaurant.com, which is a 100% legit site I have personally used, and then upon checkout, the offer to “Take a survey” or get % off this purchase” or “Cash back” is offered through this 3rd party company, this time being; Shopping Essentials, through a popup or a clickable link on this site. Many people will see the offer and think “What a great deal!”, until they get the next credit card statement showing the $14-29 charges.

What happened?

Well, simply put, the company uses the “Cash back” or other incentive ploy to get you to click, upon clicking you are actually signing up and submitting that same credit card information you just gave to make the legit purchase, to this Shopping Essentials service. As with all good scams, there is nothing that clearly states anywhere you are doing so. You find out when you are charged the fees on your next billing statement.

To me, if the link says “Get 10% off NOW” and it’s going to cost you, it should really read “Get 10% off NOW, when you sign up to our service for $14.95/mth!”…

As obvious as this is to some people, Shopping Essentials has hundreds and hundreds of complaints. Don’t take my word for it? Let me Google it for you ;)

Best Advice? Stick with the “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is” advice and also, read all TERMS AND CONDITIONS for anything that seems that way.

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