Sioux Falls, S.D. (KELO AM) - After a Sioux Falls resident was taken for thousands of dollars in a phony online sale this week, Jessie Schmidt of the Better Business Bureau gave her familiar warning of "if it's to good to be true, it probably is."
She also used her time on KELO Radio's Its Your Business program to give advice on what to look for in a legitimate online transaction or sale, using some of her own personal experience from buying a new jet ski. After finding the watercraft on a retail site and inquiring, Schmidt says the seller encouraged her to call him on the phone. "The guy said don't text me, I don't text but I'll take a phone call," a sign that he was serious about the transaction. Her next piece of advice was to be patient in the deal. "He wanted time to get the Jet Ski and trailer in the shape that he thought it should be in for us to get it. It was just ideally how it should work."
Schmidt credits the Sioux Falls Police Department for providing space at the police station for online transactions to take place. "[If they're going to rip you off] they won't want to meet you at the police department." Additionally, someone going into a transaction with good intentions will usually understand and appreciate the security the location provides. If that proves to be a problem for either party, Schmidt says don't be afraid to pull the plug on the deal. "If anything seems a little off base or sketchy, don't do it."
Schmidt and Jodi Schwan of SiouxFalls.Business served as guest hosts for Friday's edition of KELO Radio's It’s Your Business.
