Consumers Warned About Advent Calendar Scam—Tips to Avoid Being Tricked by ‘Too-Good’ Deals

Modern-day advent calendars continue to be a popular way to count down the days until Christmas, with many being filled with treats and other surprises. Over recent years, luxury brands have jumped onto this trend with their own unique options. Not everyone is willing to pay these inflated prices though, no matter how appealing they find the advent—and scammers have caught onto that fact. Keep reading to find out more about a recent scam involving a luxury advent calendar and how to avoid falling for the financial trap.

More information about luxury advent calendars

Despite their hefty price tag, luxury advent calendars continue to be offered annually during the holiday season. Their contents can include anything from makeup and alcohol to jewelry and confectionary treats, and provide consumers with the chance to open a “surprise” gift daily throughout the month.

Since the high cost of these advent calendars makes them a luxury for many households, it’s easy to see why many would rather opt for less expensive alternatives. Sometimes, the cheaper option appears to be a discounted version of the luxury advent. But a recent issue showed that if the price is too good to be true, it likely is.

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What happened with the luxury advent scam 

A UK company, Space NK, was tipped off about a problem involving their own advent calendar. The cosmetics retailer has an advent that sells for £250 (around $324), but was being advertised for considerably less (£28.99 or $37) on Facebook and Instagram.

With the calendar featuring a beauty or body product behind every door, that discount seems to be a great deal for any beauty guru. Unfortunately, there’s a catch; those social media ads promoting the fantastic price are not from the company—they’re from a scammer.

“We are aware that fraudulent imitations of our website are circulating on social media platforms,” said Space NK’s Jini Sanassy, according to BBC News. “The issue has been immediately reported to Meta and our legal team are working to shut these websites down.”

Ironically, the actual calendar is out of stock from the company. This means that fraudsters were pretending to sell a product that wasn’t even available for purchase at this time.

How the advent calendar scam works

Just like the majority of scams, this particular type is done by bad actors with the intent to steal consumer’s money. On the surface, it seems legitimate. You’ll come across the advertisement on your social media feed, often filled with comments from people who claim to have purchased the advent and love it. The price is also appealing to the mass markets so more people will be interested in purchasing.

When you click on the link to buy the item, the website appears to be legitimate, so you input your financial information and place the order. Then the problems start.

As the Better Business Bureau (BBB) points out, you likely still haven’t received the calendar even weeks after purchasing it. But when you try to contact the merchant for either an update or refund, you can’t get in touch with anyone. Sometimes the website might be gone entirely.

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In some rare cases, you will actually receive a product. But even if it’s an advent calendar that shows up at your door, the contents will not be what was advertised—especially in the case of a luxury item.

While you may have believed you were saving money on a fun advent for the holidays, the amount you did spend on the fake item went straight into the pockets of the cyber thieves. Certainly not behavior one wants to encounter during the season of giving!   

Ways to protect your money from a luxury advent calendar scam

Though Space NK was warning customers in the UK about fraudsters, this issue can pop up anywhere. To avoid falling victim to an advent calendar scam, follow the below advice suggested by the BBB:

1.  Research both the product and the company. You’ll want to be sure that the company has a legitimate website and contact information should you need to reach customer service.
2.   Be skeptical of exceptional deals. Luxury advent calendars charge a high price for a reason. If the calendar is being advertised for half of what it normally costs before the holidays have even arrived, it’s likely a scam.
3.   Look at reviews when possible. This includes any for the product and the alleged company selling the advent. Try an online search for both using words like “scam” or “complaint.” If others have reported falling victim to the advent scam, you can know to stay clear.
4.   Buy from the company’s website, rather than clicking a link through a post. Fake websites are easier than ever to create, and scammers are often quite skilled at creating pages that perfectly mimic their authentic counterparts. This will also give you a chance to find out if the actual advent is out of stock, as was the case with the Space NK calendar.