Avoid Hoverboard Ripoffs and Scams

Examples of Hoverboard Online Scams and Fraudulent Sites Selling Hoverboards

Questionable sellers are not only based out of foreign countries. They are right here at home in Canada as well. In fact, it's easier to get away with ripping somebody off if you're selling hoverboards in Canada.

Here is how the hoverboard scam works.

#1 - The "Yes, we shipped it" scam

They advertise their hoverboards at a lower price than the competition and tell you that the product is in stock in Canada and will ship right away. Some will even send you a fake tracking number to try and convince you that your hoverboard was shipped. After many delays and much hassle you will finally realize that they never shipped your hoverboard and will give up on them and buy a hoverboard from a legitimate hoverboard site that has been in business for many years.

#2 - The "Disappearing Trick"

The other common hoverboard scam is when they sell you a product, usually at a cheap price. This scam is best done in the fall, during Christmas shopping season. Because the hoverboard you are buying is a gift you won't be able to try it out before you give it away. You may have bought it during a Black Friday sale or other per-Christmas sale. When you do give it as a gift it's the life of the party. Until something goes wrong with it, maybe right out of the box or maybe it will actually work for a week or two. When you try to contact the company that you bought it from you either can't get a hold of them, the phone is disconnected or rings with nobody answering it, or maybe you get the dreaded "Voice Mail Is Full" message. If you do happen to find a problem before busy season is over you will likely get instructed to send it back at your own cost and then you will never hear from them again.

How to make sure you don't get ripped off?

Buy from a company that has been in business for several years. They will likely be selling other products as hoverboards have only been around for a few years. Canada's Largest Hoverboard warehouse is actually a company that sells Truck Accessories. They started selling hoverboards when the oil industry slowed down and their years of warehousing and shipping experience along with the ability to do electronics repairs selling and made repairing hoverboards a natural extension of their business.

Scam sites are not just about taking your money and not delivering. Scams can also include online sellers that sell defective products which are not UL certified or carry fake UL labeling. These defective hoverboards will cause injuries. And based on the seller, you cannot repair your hoverboard when something goes wrong within weeks of your purchase. These are also sellers who do not provide warranties or support after you have bought your hoverboard.

How to Buy Safe Hoverboards Online

Here are some of the signs to look for when buying a hoverboard online.

• Accessibility: The company selling the hoverboard should be easily accessible. When you call, someone should answer or they should call you back the next business day.
• Customer Reviews: If a business or company has mostly negative reviews online, then you should avoid buying a hoverboard from them.
• The Website Details: One of the factors that Google uses to rank websites is how long it has been published and the length of time bought for hosting. Granted, new businesses may not have the resources to purchase hosting for more than a year, but if the site is young, has multiple negative reviews, and does not look like it will be around for a while, then you need to reconsider your purchase.
• Age and Reputation of the Company: If a company has been in business for a while, even if they are newer in the hoverboard market, they would have built up a reputation over time. For example, we have been in business since 1993. And though we do not pay to have a full profile on BBB, our primary company holds an A+ rating on BBB.
• The Type of Hoverboard: You should not consider businesses selling hoverboards that do not come with UL certifications for the battery pack and charger. And if the price seems too low for a quality hoverboard, it probably is.

Where Can I Buy a Safe Hoverboard in Canada?

There are hundreds of places to buy a self-balancing scooter online, and many of them are scams or unsafe places to make purchases. But, you can buy safe hoverboards online if you know where to look and what are the warning signs.

If you would like more information about purchasing a hoverboard from us, you can always call at 1-800-661-8789.