At this time of year, many consumers are looking for products to make their lives better and to help them achieve their new year’s resolutions. Exercise equipment, health supplements, and beauty products, as well as health foods and other products sell very well. Many of these purchases happen online, but if you are not careful you could find yourself buying dangerous products in Hollywood or your community.
Online sales today often rely on clickbait advertising to get purchasers to buy. Clickbait articles may use a number of underhanded marketing tactics, such as fake celebrity endorsements or dishonest promises, to get you to make a purchase. Here is how to stay safe:
- Read the fine print. If you’re buying a supplement or anything you will be ingesting, read all the information which comes with the product or supplement. Be sure to read the fine print and carefully consider it. If it contains statements such as “results may not be typical” or other language which suggests your results may differ from what is being promised, proceed with caution. If you are purchasing a supplement or something you will be ingesting, carefully read and research each of the ingredients to ensure it is a safe product.
- Apply the “is it too good to be true” test. If a product claims to make you lose weight effortlessly or to reverse back the signs of ageing, consider how unlikely these claims are. Would such a product with such incredible results really be as affordable as it appears online? Wouldn’t everyone know about the product and be using it? Would it really be being sold online through a small website if it produced such extreme results?
- Double-check celebrity endorsements on official websites. Many suspect products use celebrity endorsements, and these endorsements are fake. That is, the company uses a celebrity’s name and image without permission. The celebrity does not use or endorse the product—often, they do not know about it. This makes the supplements or products even more suspicious. If you see celebrity endorsement, visit the official celebrity website to find out whether they do in fact endorse the product.
- Take online reviews with a grain of salt. Some products will purchase online reviews or testimonials. If you read nothing but glowing reviews, be wary. Be especially suspicious of a brand-new product that has nothing but stellar reviews. These are likely to be fake.
If you have been injured by a dangerous product or supplement, and there may be legal remedies available. Contact a personal injury attorney in Hollywood or your community to find out what options you have for pursuing justice and compensation which can help you pay for lost income, medical care and other costs. You can always contact Flaxman Law Group if you have been injured and would like to arrange a free accident consultation to discuss your options.