x
Breaking News
More () »

Have you gotten burned? Online shopping complaints rise amid COVID-19 pandemic

Because of the rise in complaints, the state Department of Consumer Protection has sent out an alert to consumers, informing them of the issue.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Despite so many people being affected by the coronavirus, there has been a dramatic rise in online shopping complaints in New York State and across the country.

Consumers not getting what they ordered and at times losing out on big bucks.

And, because of the rise in complaints, the state Department of Consumer Protection has sent out an alert to consumers, informing them of the problem and what to do and not to do when shopping online.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, in April and May, more than 34,000 people reported having problems with online shopping – more than any months on record.

Online shopping nationally, during the first three months of the pandemic was the leading fraud category resulting in a loss of $45 million.

Jody Kotowski of Depew says several months ago she went on eBay using her PayPal account, to buy a clock, that still hasn’t arrived.

"I kept saying over and over that we got hacked there was no way for me to prove it and essentially I was out $133.95," she said.

In New York state, during the height of the pandemic, according to the FTC, there were more than 4,400 online shopping complaints filed with the agency, which is more than double the number of complaints filed in the spring of 2019.

The state Department of Consumer Protection says consumers should shop on trusted sites and that you should always question third-party vendors and don’t keep your credit card on file on any website and don’t do shopping over a public Wi-Fi network.

There is no doubt there are a lot of people out there who have lost cash and never got what they ordered online.

2 On Your Side went to Facebook, asking people if they've gotten burned? There were more than 800 comments to that post. 

Heather Craig of the City of Tonawanda says she went online a couple months ago to buy some sneakers for her daughter using her PayPal account. It was not a pleasant experience. 

"I filed a case with PayPal so now it's in PayPal's hands to investigate and get a resolution within the next week I believe because there's been no communication back from the seller," she said.

A lot of people on social media have told us, they have gotten refunds through PayPal, but others have not.

Some say they ordered personal protection equipment like masks that never got to them.

“As New York State continues it data-driven, phased in approach to reopening, many of us continue to stay at home as much as possible. Finding the items we need such as masks, gloves, or hand sanitizers may be difficult at our local stores, making online shopping more appealing,” said Secretary of State Rossana Rosado in a statement, “Online shopping offers convenience and keeps us safe at home during these trying times, but we must be careful to whom we give our hard-earned money, especially online.”

Before You Leave, Check This Out