Feb 10, 2009 12:15 pm US/Eastern
Experts Warn Of Valentine's Day Internet Scams
Flowers, Chocolate & Gold Subject To Scrutiny On 'Net
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
From cards and candy to flowers and jewelry consumers spend nearly $15 billion on Valentine's Day each year.
But before shelling out your hard-earned money on tokens of affection this week, CBS station WCBS-TV reports.
Got your heart set on sending flowers to your valentine? Some online florists are promising deep discounts. And it looks as if all you have to do is fork over your email and zip code. But check out the fine print and you realize that $15 off is going to cost you $15 a month.
By accepting the offer you're actually signing up for a membership in a rewards program and unknowingly agreeing to an automatic charge on your credit card each month.
"It's important to check your credit card statements every month because you don't want this thing to linger and all of a sudden six months down the line you're saying what is this," said Claire Rosenzweig of the Better Business Bureau.
In a comparison of online florists Shop Smart Magazine found some charge as much as $30 for delivery and not everything was coming up roses with their orders.
"One of the sites that bills themselves as having the biggest blooms -- jungleroses.com -- we ordered pink, we got red. When we order red we got yellow," Shop Smart's Sue Perry said.
Experts suggest calling your local florist and getting something a little more custom.
Don't forget to check out any chocolate -- since some stores recycle last year's unsold sweets as we exposed in a WCBS-TV exclusive.
And when we took a gold jewelry to Mike Wilson of Wilson and Sons jewelers in Scarsdale we found all that glitters may not be gold.
"If you feel kind of unsure either don't buy it or have someone reputable take a look at it," Wilson said.
The bottom line is when buying for your valentine ask questions and do your research.
Consumer advocates are also warning about an increase in online dating scams this time of year and phony Valentine's Day e-cards.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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