Better Business Bureau serving Canton Region and Greater West Virginia offers tips and advice for consumers to avoid fraudulent practices.
If you are planning a party and need to rent chairs, decorations, a bouncy house or any other supplies, scammers are looking to target you. BBB.org/ScamTracker is getting reports of party hosts tricked by rentals that do not materialize. Before planning your next party, get to know this scam to avoid being conned.
How the scam works
You are planning a party and need to rent supplies. You do a web or social media search and find a few options. For example, you may find a website that looks legitimate and has a convenient online booking system. Or you might message someone through a social media account that seems professional. Either way, the “vendor” promises to reserve your rental for the date you need it – if you pay a deposit first. They may also require you to fill out a contact form with your personal details.
The date of your party arrives, and your rental tent, furniture, or other supplies are not delivered. At this point, the “vendor” may tell you they have had an emergency and cannot deliver on their promise. However, when you ask for your money back, the scammers will disappear completely. Other times, you cannot contact the rental company at all.
One consumer reported this experience to BBB.org/ScamTracker: “The day of the event, the rental never came. I called the phone number, and it went straight to an answering…
