What started as a bid to make some extra cash ahead of the holiday season turned into a cautionary tale and a $300 loss.
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That’s right. I, an editor at a business publication that often warns our readers about the dangers of online scams, fell victim to an online scam.
The saga began at a sample sale, where New Yorkers like me go to purchase goods at a massive discount — if we’re willing to sort through the endless racks of designs that went unsold at luxury retailers.
And if you’ve ever experienced a sample sale, you know it’s pretty cutthroat. Not only are you fighting to find what you want in your size, but these sales also don’t typically have fitting rooms, leaving customers with no choice but to buy the product they want and hope it zips up once they get home.
Sadly, one pair of pink high-rise pants that cost me around $150 at one of my sample sale adventures did not rise to the occasion, literally. The pants sat in my closet for months mocking me, and with the holiday season approaching, I figured it was time to find them a new home and me some extra cash.
So I turned to Facebook Marketplace, something I’ve done numerous times before. The majority of my furniture was sourced from the platform, and I’ve even sold and traded a couple of pieces myself.
Image credit: Screenshot courtesy of Sam Silverman
I listed the pants on Facebook Marketplace for $150. Two days…
