BBB tips: A guide to buying from direct-to-consumer brands
Many direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands saw their business boom during the pandemic. Direct-to-consumer companies don’t sell their products to traditional and online stores. Instead, these businesses build, market, sell, and ship their goods directly to buyers, hence the name. They sell a multitude of products nowadays, including home goods, furniture, mattresses, clothing, personal care products, etc.
Many D2C companies advertise better pricing and quality over traditional retailers; however, always take time to evaluate these claims.
The Better Business Bureau of Greater Houston and South Texas offers these tips for buying from direct-toconsumer companies:
Get to know the brand before you buy. Many D2C companies are relatively new, which means you will need to do some research to find out if they have a good business reputation. When you visit their website, make sure the company has contact information, including a working customer service email or telephone number. Read reviews and look up any customer complaints on websites, such as BBBHouston.org. Check if the company has a real social media presence. You can even search the company’s name along with the word “scam” to see if anyone has reported shady business dealings.
Read the fine print carefully. Before you order anything, look for the company’s return policy, including how they handle refunds. If important information about orders, shipping, etc. is missing and no one can answer your questions, you’re probably not dealing with a reputable business.
Be careful with social media ads. Legitimate businesses aren’t the only ones advertising on social platforms. Scammers also advertise on social media apps. Never buy a product through a social media ad on a whim. Always make sure the company is legitimate before you buy, even if the ad is forwarded to you by a friend.
Protect your personal information. Always read a company’s privacy policy to know how they will use any personal information they request. If a site does not have a privacy policy, it could be a scam. In addition, never enter your credit card number, name and address, or other personal information to a website unless you’ve confirmed it belongs to a legitimate business first.
Only shop on secure websites.
Check the site’s security settings before you interact with a company. Make sure the web address starts with https:// and has a lock symbol on the shopping cart or purchase page.
Make purchases with your credit card. Credit cards offer certain protections your debit card does not. If you make a purchase from a company that does not deliver, you can report the fraudulent transaction, dispute the charges, and probably get your money back.
Save your order confirmation and receipts. Always save your order confirmation information and keep it handy until the item you purchased has been delivered, just in case any problems arise.
For information, visit www.bbbhouston.org or call 713-868-9500. Leah Napoliello is BBB VP of operations. Send questions to Leah Napoliello, Better Business Bureau, 1333 West Loop South, Suite 1200, Houston, TX 77027, or e-mail lnapoliello@bbbhou.org with address and phone number.