The celebration of sibling love, Raksha Bandhan is here. It is time to celebrate and pamper one’s sister and/or brother with gifts. One puts in a lot of thought and effort to find the perfect gift to mark the special occasion, hoping to put a big smile on their sibling’s face. Many of us resort to online shopping to buy gifts, as it opens up an array of possibilities from skincare to make-up and apparel. Online shopping provides a lot of great options at amazing prices. But there is a chance of ending up with fake products.
Imagine the scenario when the watch you ordered for your brother turns out to be a fake. Or the skincare product hampers you ordered turn out to be counterfeit. It would dampen and ruin the whole celebration. So what does one do in such a scenario?
“The sale of fake products on online platforms has become very common these days. While e-commerce companies are making a lot of effort to weed out such products and sellers from the system, fraudsters have found ways to sneak into the system to cheat consumers, said Chander Jeena, Secretary, Authentication Solution Providers’ Association (ASPA)
With simple tips, you can avoid this awful situation and make sure you buy a 100% original, good quality gift this Raksha Bandhan, he added.
Buy from trusted and verified e-commerce sellers – Spam emails often direct you to fake websites which would have very interesting-looking products and unbelievable prices. “But do not get attracted by unbelievable prices and crazy discounts. Do not get lured by these fly-by-night sellers, only purchase from legit e-commerce sites or the brand’s website,” Jeena told indianexpress.com.
Opt for verified products – When you search for a product there may be many options listed on the site. Try to choose a product that has been marked verified by the e-commerce site. “This would ensure that the product is original and is of good quality,” he explained.
Due diligence before placing the order – Check the photographs and read the description properly. Match the photographs with those available on the brand’s website to see if the packaging matches. “Always check the return policy of the product; a brand that is sure of its product quality will mostly have an easy return and replace policy along with a reasonable warranty,” he said.
Be attentive towards the packaging – When you receive the product make sure that you check the packaging. Responsible brands do not use flimsy packaging for their products. They have proper labels and seals in place. “The labels will be cleanly printed, no smudges or spelling mistakes will be present on a branded product packaging,” he pointed out.
“In case you receive a product that is fake, immediately take photographs and report the fake to the e-commerce platform. Put in a return request clearly stating that the product is fake/counterfeit so that the e-commerce company can take proper corrective action. A little attention and care at your end will make your gift shopping fraud-free and your celebrations fake-free,” he said.