A lot of us go online to find sweetheart deals. That includes finding gifts for a loved one for Valentine's Day. But how do you know you're getting what you paid for? Contact 13 takes you to a local shop, helping you save your money.
"I've bought purses and you know, clothing," says shopper Shirl Davis.
She shops online like most of us. But not every purchase, has been a good one.
"I was just disappointed," says Shirl.
One disappointing experience involved a handbag.
"When I received it, it was smaller. So the price doesn't really reflect the actual image of the purse," says Shirl.
So how do you protect yourself, from feeling ripped off? It turns out, Max Pawn on Sahara and Jones is a Craigslist safety zone.
"They can trade in here. That's totally fine," says Max Pawn manager, James McCracken.
He says you're not required to do any business with their pawn shop. But you can meet a private seller here. And if you're not sure if an item is the real deal, Max Pawn will inspect it for you.
"Our entire staff is trained to know how to authenticate not just jewelry, but handbags as well," says James.
It turns out, they actually specialize in designer handbags. They have a 10-step authentication process.
"We look for material, we examine stitching, interior, different codes that are inside the bag," says James.
They even scan some purses through a database, to verify if they're authentic. And that's importanat, since it's getting harder to tell the real from the fake: like this counterfeit, that's an exact replica of a real Louis Vuitton. James says no matter what you're buying, just use common sense.
"Look out for deals that seem like, they're too good to be true," says James.
