The latest item in short supply this pandemic year is laptop computers.
If your child needs one for school, or you just need one for work and home, we have an important warning so you don't waste your money.
Millions of American children need laptops for online learning this fall and that's leaving store shelves thin.
So you may have to shop online, but buyer beware.
With parents snapping up every laptop in sight, this is what you may find in electronic stores right now.
But Jorge Rosado says ordering from a website left him just as empty handed.
“I sent them a couple of emails already, and nobody got back to me,” Rosado said. “Nothing? Nothing."
Rosado said he only had a few hundred dollars to spend, and with affordable laptops in short supply in major stores his only real option was searching online.
He found a site called "The Laptop Store," out of San Francisco.
Rosado says the laptop store took his credit card, and gave him a tracking number, but nothing ever showed up.
"They signed my name, to leave the package, but there was no package over there,” he said.
So he googled the seller, and found their address was a Staples store that was not connected in any way.
“They said the address was Staples, the store,” Rosado said.”That's wrong, you know?"
The Better Business Bureau gives "The Laptop Store" an “F” rating after similar complaints.
Closer inspection of their website reveals a different address.
At this marketplace in Kollam, India.
We emailed the store, but have yet to receive any response.
If you need a laptop, here are some tips before you buy:
- Stick with known retailers.
- Check reviews of any web seller.
- And beware cheap used laptops on Craigslist or Facebook.
So we asked Rosado what does he think of them doing this to people like him?
“I work for my money, and it’s not right,” he said.
Luckily, Rosado paid by credit card, and has filed a dispute, which means he should be able to get a refund this time.
As always don’t waste your money.
