BBB Tip: Looking for Inauguration Gear? Watch Out for Fakes, Scams

The 2021 Presidential Inauguration Day is something many people will want to remember; even though physical attendance at the ceremony is limited, many will be watching virtually through television broadcasts and online streaming.  If you are searching for inauguration gear or memorabilia, you want to be careful to avoid getting scammed.

Official Gear

If you want your inauguration gear or memorabilia to be official, there is only one place to go: the Presidential Inaugural Committee Store.  You will find coins, t-shirts, hats and other merchandise.

There will be plenty of look-alike, counterfeit merchandise that resembles the official gear. Look out for red flags, such as significantly lower pricing and poor-quality images. Check out our tips on avoiding counterfeit goods.

Buying Online

There are plenty of other vendors selling inauguration merchandise – you will see ads on social media from companies selling various items.  Be careful about which ads you click; you don’t want to pay for your gear and then never receive your items- or worse, have your personal or payment information stolen. BBB has received thousands of complaints regarding misleading social media ads. Read BBB’s Scam Alert Think twice before buying from these social media ads for help identifying scams, and do your research on BBB.org to check out a company before buying from them.

You will also want to be sure you’re on a secure site (If the site is secure, its URL (web address) should start with “https://” and include a lock icon on the purchase or shopping cart page). Read the site’s privacy policy to be sure your personal information isn’t being shared (don’t see a privacy policy? That’s a red flag). For more tips, check out BBB’s tips for smart shopping online.

 

Information courtesy of the Better Business Bureau