Snow Vanish Kinetic Heater Reviews: Scam or Legit?
Do you want to buy Snow Vanish Kinetic Heater? DON’T! It’s not a legit product. The Snow Vanish Portable Kinetic Molecular is advertised as a latest invention and solution for melting snow and ice from vehicles. However, a thorough investigation revealed that it does not actually perform the functions advertised. Over the past few weeks, this same product has been called different names; Miqiko Portable Kinetic Heater‘ ‘TIMNAMY Kinetic Heater‘ Bikenda Miniature Solar Heater, etc All in a bid to deceive and defraud unsuspecting buyers.
Is Snow Vanish Kinetic Heater a Scam?
Yes, the Snow Vanish Kinetic Heater is a scam. One of the biggest red flag is that it is actually a car diffuser and not a heater. The Snow Vanish Kinetic Heater is just a mere rotating car perfume. This exact product is available for sale on different websites as a Solar Car Rotating Perfume Diffuser. The scammers had simply given it another name in order to fool buyers. (see image below)
Secondly, the claimed science behind this product is false. Heat cannot be generated through kinetic energy. This background story about Molecular Kinetic Technology is mere marketing strategy to attract buyers. There’s no article or publication online about this so called ‘ground-breaking’ invention.
Meanwhile, if indeed the technology is true, why is the device sold for a very low price? It ought to cost more than that as it would take lots of money to produce it. So it’s all deceptive marketing to attract buyers.
How Does The Snow Vanish Kinetic Heater Scam Work?
This product works as air freshener or diffuser to be placed in the cup holder of your car. The Snow Vanish does not and cannot melt ice or snow. When placed in a car, it only makes the inside of a car smell nice.
The scammers use social media Ads to promote the product, using false claims of ‘groundbreaking invention’. Social media users are made to believe that this invention solves the problem of vehicle freezing. Moreso, the Ads offer tempting discounts that look like one in a life time offer.
Attracted by the massive discount and pressured with the false urgency countdown timer, customers hurriedly place an order without crosschecking the claims advertised. This is where the scam comes in. Immediately an order is placed, the website claims the product has been shipped, in order not to grant refunds if the customer discover the scam.
Days or weeks later, customers receive cheap worthless air fresheners and are unable to get a refund from the websites. In some cases, some customers don’t receive anything at all.
Why Is This Scam Possible?
The major reason why this product misrepresentation is possible is that most Ad platforms find it difficult to police every Ads due to the huge volume of ads daily. As a result of this, scammers take advantage of the gap, and use the means to make quick buck. The scammers don’t care about long-term consequences because they usually disappear before anyone catches on.
Secondly, there’s a kind of lack of legal consequences because the scammers operate across international borders. This reduces the risk, coupled with the fact that one can easily one’s identity on the internet. A fake name, a throwaway email address, an anonymously registered website, and they’re in business. This makes it hard to trace and take down these fraudulent schemes.
What To Do If You’re a Victim of The Snow Vanish Kinetic Heater Scam
Contact The Store and Ask for a Refund
If you’ve paid for this item you should contact the store and promptly ask for a refund, citing deceptive marketing. However, if the store refuses to grant your refund request, the next step to take is to call your bank.
Call Your Bank and Request for a Chargeback
Contact your bank to inform them about the fraudulent purchase. Through the chargeback system, you can get your money back from the transaction if you file a dispute claim. You could also request for a credit card freeze. That way, your bank would block any future transactions on your credit card, ensuring that scammers are unable to exploit it.
Update Your Passwords and Enable Two Factor Authentication
The second step you should take is updating your passwords. This should be done if you’ve used the same password you used on the store on other websites or applications. You should also go an extra step of enabling two-factor authentication. This would keep you protected from data breech.
Report the Scam
Report the scam to relevant authorities and organizations for deceptive marketing. This includes:
- Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): If you are in the United States, you can file a complaint with the IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov/.
- Your Local Consumer Protection Agency: Contact your local consumer protection agency or the equivalent regulatory body in your country.
- Better Business Bureau (BBB): File a complaint with the BBB if the online store is based in the United States.
How To Shop Smartly Online & Protect Yourself From Online Store Scam
Aside from the obvious too good to be true discount sale, here are other ways to identify a scam website;
Search for Reviews Online
Are there customer reviews online? (It is advised that you sit it out if there are no customer reviews of the store. However if you’re not patient enough to wait you can send a mail to us to verify if the store is legit)
Find Out If The Website Has SSL Encryption
find out if the website is secured with SSL encryption. (https and padlock symbols). If the padlock symbol doesn’t appear near the website’s URL, then it means your personal and financial information is at risk at the store.
Verify The Physical Address
Does The website provide return address? If Yes (Copy the address and paste on your browser. Google map would show if it is a real warehouse address or a residential address) If the address has also been used by other websites you’d see reviews in search results.
Check The Website’s Age
How old is the website? The domain age of a website tells a lot about a store’s legitimacy or transparency. Websites below 6 months old are often considered unsafe. You can find out a website’s age by checking on Who.is ( a free domain checker tool)
Read The Store’s Returns and Refund policy
If the policy isn’t available or if it isn’t clear, you should quit shopping.
Use Secure methods of Payment
When an online store’s payment methods lack the necessary encryption and security measures to protect customers’ sensitive financial information, it puts you – the shopper at risk of unauthorized transactions.
Conclusion
The Snow Vanish Kinetic Heater is sold with the promise of keeping snow and ice away from vehicles, however it is a disguised scam. It is a car air freshener and not a kinetic heater. Don’t fall for the scam!