CROMWELL, CT — According to one study, nearly half (49%) of TikTokers are buying from brands they see on the social media platform, a stat that's expected to rise as the holidays approach.
TikTok began offering in-app shopping last year and is now expanding to “Live Shopping,” allowing creators and brands to sell goods directly through videos.
While TikTok may be a good way to snag a deal, phony products, less-than-scrupulous sellers, and outright scams are also common.
Tips for shopping on TikTok
Avoid impulse buys. With TikTok and many other social media platforms, making a purchase can be as simple as clicking on the product and clicking “buy.” Before you buy something based on a 30-second video, think it through, research the product and seller. Make sure they have plenty of account engagement, which means they have followers who comment on their posts and review their products.
Watch out for scams. You may find high-dollar items for sale on TikTok for highly reduced prices, but these offers could indicate an outright scam. Some TikTok users have reported purchasing a product only to receive a fake product in the mail. Remember that too-good-to-be-true deals usually are. Besides unusually low prices, grammatical errors and missing contact information could also indicate you’re looking at a scammer’s social media shop.
Unhappy with a purchase? Act quickly. According to TikTok terms of service, buyers have six days from when a product is marked as “delivered” to make a return or refund request.
Pay by credit card. Using your credit card for online purchases is always a good idea. It’s much easier to contest a fraudulent charge and get your money back on a credit card than with a debit card.
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Submitted by Fairfield, CT
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