Fake Websites and Social Media Offers

 

How do I know if a website or social media platform advertising The Vermont Country Store products is offering genuine Vermont Country Store products? 

The only places you can purchase authentic merchandise from The Vermont Country Store are on our website at www.vermontcountrystore.com, from our catalog, or in our stores in Weston and Rockingham, VT. Our products are not available through any other retailers.

 

What types of fraudulent ads are circulating online?

We are aware of fraudulent ads and websites that are impersonating The Vermont Country Store and/or promoting fake Vermont Country Store products. While we are constantly working with social media platforms to take down fraudulent ads, new ones pop up frequently.

 

How can I tell the difference between a fake ad I see on social media or a genuine ad from The Vermont Country Store?

It can be very difficult to spot a fake ad or website. They often feature our logo and images that are copied illegally from our legitimate website. However, there are key ways to spot fakes.

• Don’t be fooled by offers on social media promoting deep discounts. If they seem too good to be true, they are.
• The Vermont Country Store advertises on Facebook and Instagram as well Google and Bing Shopping.
• Be sure the link from an online ad takes you directly to The Vermont Country Store’s website at www.vermontcountrystore.com. Website addresses that end in anything other than .com are not The Vermont Country Store, and email contact addresses that point to generic email services like yahoo.com, hotmail.com, or gmail.com are not ours.
• Watch out for ads, website addresses, page content or messages that are poorly worded, have misspellings or grammatical errors. These are telltale signs that you are interacting with another company or individual that is not The Vermont Country Store.
• Be wary of phone calls with spoofed caller-IDs that appear as though they are coming from The Vermont Country Store and offer bogus products or services, or pretend to reference an order you did not submit.
• Don’t fall for fraudulent offers of The Vermont Country Store gift cards in return for responding to surveys or requests for personal information.

 

What do I do if I spot a fake ad or a website that I think is fraudulently selling The Vermont Country Store’s products?

If you see a fake ad or website fraudulently selling our products, please report it to the social media platform, like Facebook or Instagram, and call our Customer Service at 800-211-4741 or send us an email message at fraud@vermontcountrystore.com to let us know as well.

 

How do I know if an email or phone call I receive from The Vermont Country Store is real?

The Vermont Country Store communicates with customers through email to promote products and to share order related information, but we do not ask for payment information via email.

The names of some of our vendors/partners which may be referenced in certain email communications include:

• Bazaarvoice [Product Reviews]

We sometimes call customers or leave phone messages about a recent order or to share product status updates. We may also call for information to process orders for things like authorizing payment for new orders, backorders or to release orders that have been on hold.

We will also return phone calls when customers leave us voicemail messages.

 

How can I protect myself against a fraudulent websites, email, or callers?

Ensure the website address is The Vermont Country Store’s official website at www.vermontcountrystore.com.

• Watch out for ads, website addresses, page content or messages that are poorly worded or have misspellings or grammatical errors. These are telltale signs that you are interacting with another company or individual that is not The Vermont Country Store.
• Only respond to phone calls and messages from The Vermont Country Store when you are expecting a return call or are waiting to complete an order by phone.

You can also contact your phone service provider about call blocking tools and reputable apps you can download to your mobile device to prevent call spoofing. The FCC can provide you with additional information about robocall blocking at the following link: fcc.gov/robocalls.

 

What should I do if I purchased something from a fraudulent website and did not receive anything?

Please contact your bank or credit card company to dispute the charges. You can also report the site to your state’s Attorney General’s office or the Federal Trade Commission. In addition, please report the site to us through fraud@vermontcountrystore.com, so that we can take steps to try to have the site taken down.