Like cheap sunglasses? Beware the Ray-Ban scam

[freemexy]

Like cheap sunglasses? Beware the Ray-Ban scam
Elizabeth Wetherell is an apartment complex manager who needs new sunglasses for her daily check of the pool.

So an ad on Instagram caught her attention, for a retailer called "Buba's Glasses,"Fake Ray Bans selling discount Ray-Bans and Oakleys.

"Buba's" sounded vaguely beach-like, conjuring images of Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. (note, however, that there is no connection with the restaurant chain or movie).

So she gave the site a look. It was very slick, with deep discounts on designer glasses. Best of all, her first pair would be free, for just $4.95 shipping and handling.

"Their aviators looked legit, they were polarized and then they had other types of Ray-Bans that looked like wood, at a great price," she said.

She ordered two pairs for $4.95 shipping each. But a couple months later, she had not heard a thing.

"I emailed four times, two for each order, and never got a response," she says.

Worse, her credit card was charged more than three times per pair for a total of $30.The Better Business Bureau calls this the Ray-Ban scam. Dozens of websites offer slick images of Ray-Bans, Oakleys and other brands for 75 percent or more off retail price.

It sounds like a deal, as a pair of designer sunglasses will run you $100 to $200 at the mall. That's why it's so tempting to click on those Facebook or Instagram ads promising you designer sunglasses for a fraction of the price.

But the BBB says if you are lucky, you'll get Chinese knockoffs (that you could probably buy at a local supermarket or dollar store for $5). Other times, you get nothing at all.