Emilia vexler
09/24/2020 - 12:40
Clarín.com
Society
Buy a computer.
Open the box.
Find a bottle.
In three acts, this is how
the nightmare of all online purchases would
be consummated
.
Moreover, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, when never before has so much been bought from home.
This Monday, the scene was real in Cipoletti.
A design student from that Rio Negro city reported on Twitter that she had been scammed in exactly that way.
20-year-old Juana Floriano Carrasco's savings from a whole year went into the shopping cart when she approved the payment for a 2017 MacBook Pro 13 laptop. She paid the
$ 140,000
, waited, received the package and, upon opening it, two days later, he saw that there was only a bottle of liquor wrapped in a towel.
The seller told him that he delivered everything in condition.
He even sent her pictures of the packaging.
Why could this happen?
How to protect yourself from these online scams?
What to do if we also receive the "bottle"?
The first thing to know is that the failed purchase of this computer had been made through Mercado Libre, which after receiving the complaints from the buyer - she had previously made a complaint at the police station - and verifying that all the steps of the transaction had been carried out correctly and legally,
the student was reimbursed the amount that had been paid
for the computer.
This happy ending occurred because the purchase of this user was covered by the program offered by the company called
"protected purchase"
.
It covers both parties, buyers and sellers.
Mercado Libre decided to compensate Florencia and the seller despite the fact that, they say, they are investigating what happened.
They also added that this type of scam is not normal: it
occurs in 0.02% of cases
.
For this reason, the company explains to
Clarín
that "it is not advisable to make the purchase informally with the seller, outside of Mercado Libre. And it is important that the conversations between the seller and the buyer
are carried out through the chat offered by the platform
".
Something that does not always happen.
If the problem is in shipping?
Mercado Libre suggests using the Mercado Envíos option.
In the event that delivery is scheduled directly with the seller, the buyer must sign the delivery receipt.
Without exception.
The protected purchase program does not cover payments with QR, Payment Link or outside Mercado Libre.
Nor, money transfers
Another nightmare: receiving the purchase, not opening the package at the time, giving it as received correctly and then finding that it came wrong, broken or empty. Is there "salvation"?
"In that case, the purchase is not canceled but
the return applies
. That is, the buyer can indicate that he wants to get the money back or exchange it. And among the reasons for return it may be because there is a fault or error in the product or simply because You did not like it. When that happens, the return begins and once the seller has the product again, the buyer recovers the money, "they explain from the company.
To avoid all this, of course, the best exercise is to receive the package, release the courier and, immediately after, control the content.
If it is not possible at the moment,
do not qualify the delivery until it is received
.
Sergio Mohadeb, a lawyer specializing in these issues and head of Shoe Law - who has more than 289 thousand followers on Twitter - is the first one that scammed users throw when they receive bottles instead of computers or when those who sell it are deceived.
Therefore, it clarifies a maxim to know before buying or selling online:
the parties are bound by a contract when using the platforms
.
"Mercado Libre's protected purchase program is a contractual guarantee, that is, governed by its terms and conditions. The silver remains in
escrow (
deposit) and is released when the transaction is confirmed. Thus, the platform acts as an intermediary so that the operation is carried out safely. This means that Mercado Libre must also be diligent and see what happens in each case, apply its own regulations, let's say, "he explains.
There is the point, he says: you
have to see the terms and conditions
, to be aware of the steps to follow and the scope of that protection.
"Things can always go wrong, unfortunately there are mistakes or illegal acts that should be reported to the authorities. Beyond that, the company must have customer service channels that first communicate, listen and can see to find solutions, first in a friendly way. If not, it will be necessary to go to the legal channels to enforce the rights arising from the sale contract, in that case, "he closes.
3 tips for a safe online purchase
Analyze the seller's reputation:
all sellers have a rating, which determines the quality of their service.
On a scale from red to green, it is positioned according to its correct attention and the time it takes to dispatch its products.
But, the best thing is the comments.
It is the reviews that may or may not define a safe purchase.
Taking into account is the number of transactions:
if there are many in the year, it means that you are working seriously.
The identification name of the user:
clear, unambiguous and with details of the service offered.
Googling or searching on Instagram for that place or service is not bad at all.
At this point, Gabriel Zurdo, CEO of BTR Consulting, a cybersecurity specialist, says that
"precautions before entering the data of your means of payment are critical
.
"
It recommends "check that there is a small closed padlock in the browser window and never select the option 'remember password'".
In addition, although it may generate anxiety, if the page is slow or slow, it is preferable not to update it, to avoid placing the data again.
How to identify suspicious ads?
Mercado Libre recommends "suspecting the user if he is below the market value."
So if the price is very low compared to the market, it is not out there.
Another point to doubt is if the sellers do not answer the public questions within the platform, but instead direct them to a direct mail.
The same suspicion should appear if they ask to talk everything over the phone and not through the chat that is offered.
Something less common, but what you also have to pay attention to, is if they ask for personal information through a false email that is signed as if it were from Mercado Libre or Mercado Pago.
"The company
never makes this type of consultation by mail,
" they detail to this newspaper.
Another scam occurs when people interested in the product are sent a link that redirects them to a false Mercado Libre page.
The only correct URL is
http://www.mercadolibre.com.ar
.
All of the above serves to understand that if you buy outside the official website, both Mercado Libre and Mercado Pago
do not participate as guarantors of the transaction, even if the sellers say so
.AS
ACE
