IDAHO — Did you go looking for your Christmas tree online this year only to find yourself with no tree at all AND, adding insult to injury, out a few hundred dollars?
We found out about a company claiming to be right here in Idaho that seems to be running away with your Christmas cash.
"It looks very legitimate," said Better Business Bureau Chief Innovation Officer Dale Dixon.
Adjustabletrees.com claims to be a website where you can buy artificial Christmas Trees.
"Lots of pictures, lots of pricing," said Dixon.
And the prices on their supposed trees certainly don't take inflation into account.
"$550 for a seven-to-nine foot adjustable grow," said Dixon.
But if the prices didn't scare you away, this will.
"People started reporting to Better Business Bureau that they had gone to a website, tried to purchase an artificial Christmas Tree, and were asked to pay for that tree using some kind of a payment method outside of the website like a Venmo or a Zelle. And then when they expected the tree to be delivered, it didn't show up. When they tried to contact the company, all the contact ended," said Dixon.
And after an investigation by the BBB, the red flags started piling up.
"This Christmas tree company wasn't registered by the state, and most likely was operating on a website hosted in China," said Dixon.
Adjustabletrees.com lists its home base as an address in Idaho.
"It didn't actually belong to the company, it was a different business that was completely unaware [its address was being used]," said Dixon.
And, a quick search on Google Maps will show that the Idaho Falls address listed on the site is actually an Albertsons in a small strip mall.
So I got investigative and went to the company's website. I noticed they had a customer service chat feature, so I jumped on to see what I could find out.
I was paired up with a supposed 'Aubrey', who told me their trees are made in Idaho, Kentucky, and North Carolina.
I then asked about their supposed Idaho headquarters, wondering why it shares a location as a supermarket. I'm told it's a mall. They're inside.
I keep digging, asking them to confirm that they are inside of a shopping mall, yet somehow right still next to a major grocery store?
Then, like magic, the chat disappears, with no way to get the chat window back up. Needless to say, the red flags were rampant from the beginning, starting with the inability to use a credit card.
"But instead you are directed off the website to a well-known platform for payment, like a Paypal, a Zelle, a Venmo," said Dixon.
If you don't already know how, learn to use Google's reverse image search. "It's a great way to check on the legitimacy of a website," said Dixon.
There are always plenty of signs that an online retailer could be a scam. Just try to show a little patience before buying so you don't become a victim.
"Those few minutes invested in researching will give you a tremendous return on investment to save your money later on," said Dixon.
