BS: How close to a scam is this? UK company

Subject: RE: BS: How close to a scam is this? UK company
From: Mr Red
Date: 19 Jan 23 - 04:56 AM

On an investigative programme on the Radio 4 recently they told of an Amazon scam.

Basically some miscreants managed to substitute dog food for a high end phone of the same weight. It is not an isolated incident.

The worst is that Amazon claim their checks and balances (pun intended) show it was verified at dispatch and refuse to discuss it without a police incident number.
The evidence had already been returned to Amazon, what have the police to go on?

Amazon will be subject to other miscreants claiming error to get refunds, but it is all in their security procedures. They are still culpable. They reacted once the BBC got involved!

Another case involved a laptop, but the courier didn't like the sound/look of the package and suggested filming the opening on the doorstep. Cornflakes!

The warning is: beware buying expensive small items through such organisations.

Subject: RE: BS: How close to a scam is this? UK company
From: Mr Red
Date: 17 Jan 23 - 11:47 AM

people can be made to like ads

A truly incredible conceit.

Unless it is political subterfuge, then we are talking echo chambers, then we are talking echo chambers, we are talking echo chambers, are talking echo chambers, talking echo chambers

Subject: RE: BS: How close to a scam is this? UK company
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 16 Jan 23 - 10:30 AM

There are a few ads that I do quite enjoy.. I've generally no idea what they are advertising, and have no interest in knowing.

Any unsolicited communication I treat as a scam, and most of the time I'm sure I'm right to do so.

Subject: RE: BS: How close to a scam is this? UK company
From: DaveRo
Date: 16 Jan 23 - 03:21 AM

Mr Red wrote: Why would Argos want to put advertising on their website?

From last week's Netwars column:

The fundamental lie underlying the advertising industry is that people can be made to like ads. People inside the industry sometimes believe this to a delusional degree - at an event some years ago, for example, I remember a Facebook representative suggesting that correctly targeted ads could be even more compelling to the site's users than *pictures of their grandchildren*. As if.

The ad delusion - Netwars

Subject: RE: BS: How close to a scam is this? UK company
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 15 Jan 23 - 08:13 PM

I shop with Argos all the time and I've seen none of this bollocks. They routinely ask if you want their extended warranty for everything you buy (they don't call it that, of course), but that's routinely easy to sidestep.

Subject: RE: BS: How close to a scam is this? UK company
From: Rapparee
Date: 15 Jan 23 - 06:37 PM

If you suspect a scam, don’t do it.

Subject: RE: BS: How close to a scam is this? UK company
From: Mr Red
Date: 15 Jan 23 - 06:25 PM

Why would Argos want to put advertising on their website? At completion of a sale?
The revenue is marginal, unless they are in on any clicks-through. Yes it's one more form of loyalty scheme in theory. Or the opposite for the thinking classes.

These are not tinpot companies, it's Sainsbury's.

And the poor lad at the counter has heard it from many customers.

Argos asked for feedback, did they actually read mine?

I know from others that they bothered to put the statement in an e-mail that they "don't publish negative reviews". You would expect that to be the case, but to admit it is something else.

Subject: RE: BS: How close to a scam is this? UK company
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 15 Jan 23 - 05:58 PM

Is this their 'Complete Savings Programme' ?

The Argos page I looked at said

Often shop online? Excellent! The Complete Savings Programme is for people like your good self. It’s a completely brilliant membership scheme that gives you benefits at over 650 major companies, including Argos, Trainline and National Express:

Get a monthly bonus, a welcome reward and up to 20% off gift cards
Get up to 10% cashback every time you make a purchase
When you’re next shopping on argos.co.uk, keep your eyes peeled for a prompt about the Complete Savings scheme. Joining costs just £15 a month. Bargain!
https://www.argos.co.uk/help/faq/72466

It doesn't explain the 'welcome reward' - maybe that's how you got 19% ?

Whenever I read 'up to' in an offer, I move on.
I'm only interested in 'at least'.

Subject: RE: BS: How close to a scam is this? UK company
From: Charmion
Date: 14 Jan 23 - 12:35 PM

Hey, McG, that Post Office scam has come to Ontario, dressed up as Canada Post!

My phone pinged all day yesterday with texts urging me to click a link to claim a parcel that CP were unable to deliver. Canada Post never does that! Their drill is to leave a card telling you to pick up your parcel at X depot, and then either leave it on the truck for a week or take it to Z depot on the other side of town.

Subject: RE: BS: How close to a scam is this? UK company
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 12 Jan 23 - 02:11 PM

My assumption is that anything unsolicited or that sounds like a bargain is a scam.

One recent one was an email saying the post office had tried unsuccessfully to make a delivery I needed to contact their "Ggnoffice to arrange to get a fresh delivery or collect the parcel.   Smelt funny, because the Post Office don't make deliveries any more since they split it from Royal Mail, and sold them both off to private companies, so I checked, and yes it’s a scam to collect information which could maybe give access to my bank account.

Subject: RE: BS: How close to a scam is this? UK company
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 12 Jan 23 - 07:20 AM

I've completed many an online purchase from Argos in recent months (a la click-and-collect from the Bude branch of Sainsbury's) and I haven't come across any such machinations. Are you doing something a bit odd?

Subject: BS: How close to a scam is this? UK company
From: Mr Red
Date: 12 Jan 23 - 06:13 AM

I am sure there are many schemes in other countries.

In this case UK company Argos (aka Sainsbury's) after completion of on-line purchase they include a line offering cashback amounting to 16+ GBP = 19% cashback. Unless you read the URL it is not the same company. This one in "Walloon part of Belgium" or Luxembourg - I would guess from various "Sarl" & verbal clues.
So much for Brexshit cutting us off from the mother ship!!!!

Only when you have completed registration AND read the small print does it reveal they are happy to skim 15 GBP per month.

What they offer in exchange is a nebulous coterie of partners who will give access to more cashback of unspecified brilliance.

The Argos price beats E-Bay, for a branded item, funnily enough. Which is an infinitely better way to get my attention.