Don’t fall for TikTok influencers peddling scams

Moving into a new home is supposed to be one of those life moments where everything feels exciting and fresh. New space, new beginnings, new plans for how you want your place to look.

That was me a few weeks ago. I had just moved in and was over the moon. I couldn’t wait to decorate my place and make it feel like home.

But my excitement quickly turned into frustration after I learned a costly lesson about trusting social media influencers.

The cold, hard floor

Like many people starting out, I had almost nothing.

There I was, sleeping on my mattress on the floor. Not the cute “minimalist aesthetic” type of floor sleeping. The proper cold-tile, wake-up-with-a-sore-back situation.

As the weather gets colder, the tiles start speaking directly to your bones.

Call me old, but my back and knees were like, “girl, we are not young anymore.” So I thought: let me at least get a base.

TikTok scam

I did what many of us do these days. I went to TikTok.

I started watching creators who had just moved into new homes, looking at their suggestions for affordable furniture and décor and came across a page called Haven Furniture Co.

The furniture looked good. The prices were even better. And the page had a big following.

There were comments from people who seemed happy with their purchases. One influencer had even apparently received furniture from the page, which made everything look even more legit.

So I thought it was a good deal.

I made an enquiry.

The deposit trap

The response came quickly. The price they gave me was good, and they told me I needed to pay a deposit to secure the order.

In today’s world, deposits are pretty normal. Businesses don’t want people placing orders and then switching up.

So without thinking too much, I paid the deposit.

Delivery would apparently happen during the week, and I would settle the rest once the furniture arrived.

Simple.

Or so I thought…

ALSO READ: Over 70% of South African teens experience online risk

The bed that never came

On the day of delivery, I called to ask what time they would arrive.

My calls were not going through, so I sent a WhatsApp message.

Next thing: I’m blocked.

At that moment, I sat there thinking: what the hell just happened?

That’s when it hit me. I had just been scammed.

I have tried to call them multiple times since, with their phone going straight to voicemail. Comments on their TikTok page also show complaints about conflicting promises and prices.

When I finally did get through, a gentleman answered but refused to give his name. He confirmed that he represented the company, but when asked for comment about the complaints, said he actually represented another company. When the contradiction was pointed out, he cut the call.

The company is also not registered by the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission.

Learn from my mistake

Look, social media is great for inspiration. TikTok especially has become the place to find décor ideas, home hacks and small businesses.

But it has also become a playground for scammers.

A big following doesn’t always mean a real business. Influencer posts don’t guarantee legitimacy either.

And sometimes those glowing comments under a post? They can be just as fake as the promises in the inbox.

So please, learn from my mistake.

If you see a TikTok deal that looks too good to be true, pause. Research properly. Check independent reviews first.

Because trust me, sleeping on a mattress on the floor is still better than sleeping on the floor and losing your deposit.

NOW READ: Teacher allegedly conned into quitting job, loses pension in R1.27m ‘ancestral investment’ scam