Some well-known retail chains are closing hundreds of locations, including craft supply store JOANN, where generations of crafters have shopped for fabric.
"I'm just going to have to find something else,” said shopper Della Jones. “I don't know where.”
Liquidation sales at stores like JOANN or Party City can mean significant savings for shoppers. But the Better Business Bureau has a warning for those attempting to shop sales online.
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As JOANN winds down its operations, stores are offering 20-50% off merchandise. But shoppers, like quilt maker Pat Brennan, tell us they’ve come across online advertisements offering much steeper markdowns.
"I belong to a couple of quilters groups,” Brennan said, “and so they have warned people don't use this website."
See what is fooling shoppers looking for JOANN clearance sales:
Better Business Bureau warns of fake websites
According to a BBB alert, consumers are warned about fake closeout sale websites that look “quite identical to the real JOANN website with the company’s real logo and images. "
If you come across a JOANN sale offering 70-90% off online prices, here's all the proof you need that the deal isn’t real. According to JOANN’s legitimate website, the store “can no longer fulfill online orders” due to high demand.
That doesn’t mean shoppers won’t find fake liquidation websites that mimic the real thing.
“These fake websites can pop up in a search engine. Sometimes they see them on social media, people will share them,” said national BBB spokesperson Melanie McGovern.
With any going-out-of-business sale, McGovern said to watch for ultra-low online prices that don’t match what’s being offered in-store.
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“A lot of retailers don't start out of the gate at 80% off or 90% off,” she said.
To avoid fake sales claims, the BBB recommends:
- Confirming the company’s URL or web address.
- Going directly to that website.
- Never click ads that are sent in an email or on social media.
McGovern warns that these sites are so convincing that it's easy for shoppers to fall for low prices.
"And then it turns out that they're not going to get anything, and then their credit card information is compromised,” she said.
When shopping closeout sales, remember that stores may no longer accept returns or gift cards, even as sales continue.
Shopper Dana Stevenson said she would steer clear of ads offering 90% off.
“Because now you have warned me,” she said.
That way, you don’t waste your money.
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