your moment of trust

This Podcast is by BBB of the Tri-Counties

A BIG thank you to Ayers Automotive Repairs in Santa Barbara for supporting this podcast!

Welcome to this week’s edition of Your Moment of Trust! Bed Bath & Beyond declared
bankruptcy and closed its physical stores in recent months. It was then acquired by
furniture and home furnishings e-retailer Overstock.com, a BBB Accredited Business,
which rebranded its website and mobile app to Bed Bath & Beyond in the U.S. in early
August. Scammers are taking advantage of the big changes by targeting unsuspecting
consumers with fake "going out of business" sales. Here's what you need to know to
spot the scam.

How the scam works

You see an online ad on social media for massively marked-down Bed Bath & Beyond
products. It's a going-out-of-business sale, and the prices are too good. The website
you are directed to looks legitimate, with the Bed Bath & Beyond logo and product
information. However, a closer look at the domain name or email address reveals you
aren't on the official website.

One consumer shared the following experience: "I saw an ad for Bed Bath & Beyond on
Facebook. The sale seemed safe, and I knew that the company was closing some of
their stores. I ordered a couple items and paid with my debit card. I did not notice
anything fishy with the website. Months later, I had not received any products or
messages from them. I tried to look up my order and found it was not the right website,
so now I have no order number or information about the company."

Shoppers report making purchases and never receiving the products they ordered.
Emails to the impostor company typically go unanswered. However, in some cases, the
scammers reply, only to state the product was accidentally delivered to another state –
an issue they should take up with the United States Postal Service. In reality, the
website was fake, and the discounted products never existed.

Bed Bath & Beyond is working to uncover and remove all impostor websites. "With the
increased attention we've seen surrounding the launch of the new Bed Bath & Beyond
website, scammer sites are more prevalent. To protect consumers, we are diligently
working with federal authorities to help shut down these fraudulent sites," said Jonathan
Johnson, Chief Executive Officer of Bed Bath & Beyond.

How to avoid impostor website scams

● Always double-check the URL. Scammers love to build fake websites that look
like the real thing. Often, the URL is only off by a letter or two. Take a moment to
ensure you are on the official website by looking closely at the URL. Bed Bath &
Beyond's official websites are www.bedbathandbeyond.com in the U.S. andwww.bedbathandbeyond.ca in Canada.
● Go directly to the official website instead of clicking on ad links. Con artists can
make ads claiming to be legitimate businesses, but the link takes you to a
completely different website. Look up deals featured in ads by typing the
business's URL directly in the browser bar instead of clicking through an ad. If
you can't find the special deal anywhere, the ad may have been a fake.
● Be wary of deals that sound too good to be true. This beloved scam tactic plays
on people's desire to get a great deal on something. If a price sounds too good to
be true, stay skeptical. Verify the source and the deal before you make a
purchase.
● Use your credit card for online purchases. Credit cards offer certain protections
your debit card doesn't. For example, credit cards will allow you to contest
charges if you accidentally purchase from a fraudulent website.

Until next time!

A Podcast by BBB of the Tri-Coumties

A BIG thank you to Ayers Automotive Repairs in Santa Barbara, CA

Welcome to this week’s edition of Your Moment of Trust! How can you choose the best moving option – one that fits both your needs and your budget? Knowing your options (and the perks and downfalls of each one) can help you save money and safely transport your belongings.

Option 1: Full-service moving companies

Hiring a full-service moving company is a lower-stress way of getting all your belongings from Point A to Point B, advises Nerd Wallet, a BBB Accredited Business. Professional movers manage the logistics of loading, driving, and unloading your things for you. Some full-service movers even offer extra services like packing.

Trained movers can safely pack and transport large and/or delicate items (think pianos and antique furniture). They can also move items into hard-to-access areas, such as upstairs or down long, narrow driveways. Best of all, all the heavy lifting will be done for you.

The downsides of hiring a full-service moving company are the cost and the time it takes to complete a move. This is usually the most expensive way to move your belongings. If you are making a long-distance move, it may also take movers several days to deliver your items.

Option 2: Shipping your belongings

If you’ve managed to whittle your belongings down to a few boxes or suitcases, shipping them is a cheap and easy way to move—especially if you are moving across the country, points out Consumer Affairs.

Big-name package shippers often charge a premium to ship large or heavy boxes. But other companies, like long-distance bus lines, may offer cheaper services. Some shippers will pick up boxes from your home and drop them off at your new address for an extra fee.

While cost and ease are two big pros of this method, there are a few cons too. Boxes shipped by ground may take several days or even a few weeks to arrive at their destination. In addition, this isn’t a good option if your boxes contain fragile items.

If you are flying to your new home city, check with several airlines before you buy your ticket. Some airlines offer reasonable prices on additional checked bags, but you’ll probably need to do some searching to find the best deal.

Option 3: DIY truck rentals

If you have larger items but still want to move DIY, a truck rental company could be a good choice. Truck rental companies will provide you with a truck or trailer of an appropriate size, but you’ll be responsible for the packing, loading, driving, and unloading.

This option is less expensive than hiring professional movers. Depending on how far you are going, it may be cheaper than hiring a moving container service. Move.org has calculated average prices for DIY moves.

That said, loading and unloading a truck is physically demanding. If you have any large or unwieldy items, they could be damaged if they aren’t packed, loaded, and unloaded correctly. To address this, you can always hire movers to help you load and unload the truck.

You’ll also need to feel comfortable driving a moving truck, which is probably much larger and heavier than your regular vehicle. This can be stressful even for very capable drivers, and you might need to purchase extra insurance in case of accidents or damage. If you choose this route, add gas, insurance, and lodging to the truck rental company's quote for an accurate view of the total cost.

Option 4: Moving container services

Moving container services could be an ideal option if you don’t feel comfortable driving a rental truck to your new home. Moving container services bring a portable storage container to your home. You fill it up. Then, the company transports it to your new location, where you unload your belongings.

These companies usually give you a few days to load and unload. They can also store your container for a fee if you need time to find a new house in your new city. They are less costly than a full-service moving company, and you don’t have to worry about driving a big truck to your new home.

To take advantage of moving container services, you’ll need space. If your current or new home has no parking or a driveway on a steep incline, this option might not be feasible. Some moving container services offer movers to load and unload your items if you pay an extra fee. However, in many cases, paying the fee will make the moving container service more expensive or even more expensive than a full-service moving company. To get an idea of pricing for this option, see this article on Move.org.

For more information

Learn more by reviewing the BBB Moving Resources page.

Until next time!