BBB warns against website allegedly based in Idaho

A website claims to be a discount or clearance site, but the Better Business Bureau said it is a scam.

The website, http://overstockclearancemart.com, claims to be based out of Nampa, but the BBB said it is unable to confirm that this company has a physical location in Nampa. The company does not have a business license with the city, and is not registered with the Idaho Secretary of State.

Robb Hicken with the BBB said the overly discounted prices are the first red flag. The next red flag is the payment method, as the site only lets you pay with Green Dot prepaid cards. Once you give out the information for a Green Dot card, there are no protections to getting your money back if something goes wrong, Hicken said.
He also said part of the website’s lure is in its name.

“They are using the name ‘Overstock,’ which is a well-known online retailer (overstock.com) to capture peoples attention,” he said. “So they’ve taken a well-known retailer, added a few words to it – “Clearance Mart” – and entrapping people through the process of it.”

The domain was registered on Nov. 13, 2013, with a secured host, and none of its information on ownership is public. There are no phone numbers, physical or mailing addresses listed.

Hickens said the website might also look real because of the unauthorized BBB accreditation graphic.

He said it’s important to do your research on any site you’re not familiar with.

For more information on how to avoid online scams for the holidays, see the BBB’s tips at bit.ly/Ie1UYZ.