Validate Instagram Commerce: Identify Top 7 Warning Signs Before You Shop

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Despite what you may have heard, Instagram Shopping is a legitimate place to find excellent deals. However, like any platform, it has its share of scammy shops looking to deceive unsuspecting buyers. If you plan to shop on Instagram, you should always watch for some red flags.

How Does Instagram Protect Shoppers?

Instagram has robust Purchase Protection Policies to protect shoppers, but not every purchase is eligible for this protection. To qualify for a refund, you must complete your payment using on-site checkout on Facebook or Instagram. Purchases made through other payment methods aren’t covered.

You can request a refund if you don’t receive the item, if it’s damaged or different from what was advertised, if parts are missing, or in other similar situations. However, the item’s price must not exceed $2000, and the purchase must not fall under specific items and situations that Instagram excludes from purchase protection. For more details, visit Instagram’s Help Centre page .

Before submitting a claim, Instagram recommends contacting the merchant and waiting two days to resolve the matter. If the merchant doesn’t respond or provide a refund within those two days, you can submit a claim on the third day. Also, you must provide complete evidence to get a refund for your purchase.

While Instagram provides purchase protection, the refund process takes time and effort. To avoid this, look out for these red flags to steer clear of scammy sellers .

Third-Party Payment Options

In its Purchase Protection policies, Instagram clearly states that only purchases made through on-site checkout on Instagram or Facebook are eligible for refunds. If a seller requests payment off-site, primarily via cryptocurrency , wire transfer, or gift cards, be cautious, as they might be trying to scam you.

Also, if the seller doesn’t mention the product’s price and asks you to contact them via direct message, it’s a red flag. They may demand a higher price or offer a discount through third-party payment methods, which you should avoid to ensure your purchase remains eligible for a refund if needed.

Ambiguous or Non-Existent Refund Policy

Instagram can only refund you if the seller doesn’t comply with its stated Refund Policy. If you buy from a seller who doesn’t accept returns, you won’t qualify for purchase protection. Some fraudulent sellers intentionally make their return policies challenging to understand, making most purchases ineligible for refunds.

If a seller can prove that your purchase is ineligible for a refund, you won’t be able to get one. Therefore, carefully check the refund policy. If the seller hasn’t clearly defined it, or it’s so restrictive that it feels non-existent, avoid purchasing from them. Otherwise, Instagram won’t help you.

Stolen or AI-Generated Product Photos

Genuine sellers use professionally captured images for their product listings. In contrast, scammy sellers often steal images from other websites or sources. You can verify this by running the images through reverse image search tools . Stolen images are usually pixelated or low-resolution, so if something seems off, a reverse image search is worthwhile.

If an image is stolen, you should avoid that seller. Inconsistency in branding, such as mismatched logos across multiple products sold by the same seller, is also a red flag. With the rise of artificial intelligence, scammy sellers use AI-generated photos to make products look more appealing. If a product photo looks unreal, you should be cautious.

Newly Created Shops With No Ratings

If a shop or its associated Instagram account is newly created and hasn’t posted any content, you should avoid shopping from them. To check when an account joined Instagram, go to the account’s homepage, tap the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner, and select “About This Account.”

You can also see if the seller has been tagged in other posts by typing their name and selecting the “Tags” filter. Check what others are saying about the brand.

If a seller has been active on Instagram for years but has no ratings or reviews, be cautious, as the account could have been acquired from another user. I prefer to buy from verified stores, although that shouldn’t be a must-have criterion for shopping on Instagram, as many trusted shops are sometimes not verified.

Too Good Rating But Bad Reputation

Every business has some unsatisfied customers. If a seller has only 5-star ratings and all the reviews are overwhelmingly positive, they could be entirely fake . Instead of relying solely on these reviews, you should check the comments on their recent posts. You might find complaints from affected victims in the comments.

If the seller has disabled comments, that’s another warning sign. If you’re suspicious of a seller, run a simple search using the brand’s name. You might find threads on public forums where previous customers have shared feedback. If you see negative reviews, you should avoid shopping from that seller.

Be Aware of Dropshippers

While they aren’t outright scammers, you should avoid dropshipping stores . These stores often buy low-quality products from overseas and sell them at a higher price.

Most dropshippers use the same images as the original manufacturers on marketplaces like AliExpress. To identify such sellers, you can reverse-search product images on their listings. If you find the same product with identical images listed on such marketplaces at a much lower price, you should avoid buying from that seller.

If a seller lists an extended shipping time, it could indicate they don’t own the inventory and are likely dropshipping. If an Instagram account used to post different types of content a few months ago and has suddenly switched to promoting random products, they could be dropshipping.

Since they haven’t even bothered to create a new account for their business, they’re likely not serious.

Too Good to Be True Prices and Flash Sales

Finally, if a seller offers products at extremely low prices that seem too good to be true, avoid them. The products may be of poor quality, or the seller might not intend to ship the items at all. Also, carefully read the product descriptions, as some sellers might be selling attachments or accessories using images of the main product.

While some shops might offer genuine limited-time discounts, another red flag is if a seller frequently advertises flash sales. This creates a sense of urgency to pressure you into making a quick purchase. If a seller is overly pushy and uses aggressive marketing tactics, you should steer clear, as they might be trying to lure you into a scam.

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Validate Instagram Commerce: Identify Top 7 Warning Signs Before You Shop