Bait and Switch or Good Deal?

When it comes to bait n switch advertisements, how do you know when to buy and when to run the other direction? First, the con artists who use these underhanded tactics are not real creative.

For that reason, you will be able to pick them out easily. For example, they will post the price for a popular copier at an outrageously low price, and after you have answered the ad, they will claim that they just sold it.

However, they will almost always claim that they have a much better deal. This is the first clue of a bait n switch tactic in copier sales.

If you find the dealer selling a used copier for more than $20,000 and you find the same one advertised for $6,200, you can rest assured you are dealing with a disreputable copier rep.  Why?  Most of the time margins on copier hardware is in the 10% range, not in the 70% range.

The second clue? These shady copier salesmen will avoid putting their phone numbers in the advertisement because it makes it easy for law enforcement to track them down by phone. A real dealer will always put their phone number down in the ad because they have nothing to hide, and they want you to call them.

Finally, if you have a con man who answers your email and then tells you to email your phone number so that they will be able to call you on a blocked phone number, this is a huge red flag.