In recent months, social media has been praising the benefits of EcoWatt, a $70 gadget that could cut electricity bills in half. A boon? We checked it. This is a scam across the board.
A text from Jean-Luc Bouchardof the show The bill
Edyth Morissette is not a regular on social networks. She’s not the impulsive type either. However, last spring, she surprised herself by making a decision that she would immediately regret.
While browsing her inbox, she is attracted by an eye-catching post. EcoWatt, an incredible device, cuts the electricity bill in half. Intrigued, she clicks on the link to be directed to a tech blog, Super Gadgets.
At the top of the page, a photo of a small box that plugs into an electrical outlet and these words: “The big electric companies want to hide this consumption reduction device from you.”
The blogger who discovered this revolutionary European product introduces himself as Philippe Bonnet, father and electrician. Edyth, herself a mother of two children, is seduced by the blogger’s values. Except that Philippe Bonnet’s story is false, just like his claims.
Edyth Morissette
Photo: Radio-Canada / The bill
“It caught my attention. We reproduced beautiful curves (…), which show that there is an energy saving,” says Edyth Morissette.
Very quickly, I clicked on the page, where I could buy the product. From reading the ad to sending my credit card number, it took maybe fifteen minutes. It happened quickly.
A dishonest sales model
Why did Edyth Morissette fall into the trap? All elements of the site are built to convince consumers. Shocking arguments, amazing comments at the end of the article, an eloquent video that even includes bills from Hydro-Québec. Nothing is left to chance. Not even the deadline to get EcoWatt at a reduced price, which is updated daily.
But this work of persuasion is not without flaws. In just a few clicks, web columnist Jeff Yates raised several red flags about the site’s legitimacy.
First, the story of electrician Philippe Bonnet, father of three children, is repeated on other fake blogs in different languages. For example, Philippe Bonnet becomes James Davis in the United States. Same scenario, different names.
Another red flag is that users cannot write comments, even if there are around twenty on the page, all positive. It is also impossible to click on other tabs on the blog. The Internet user is limited to the EcoWatt page and the one that leads to the purchase of the device.
According to Jeff Yates, web columnist at Radio-Canada, this is a good example of a proven marketing technique, but sometimes used for dishonest purposes: affiliate marketing.
“There are two actors in this. First, we find a site disguised as a tech blog, which is in fact an advertisement. No matter where we click, it takes us to the site to purchase the item. It’s a marketing agreement,” explains the web columnist.
The people behind the fake blog make money every time they send a customer to buy the EcoWatt product.
Against all expectations, a few weeks after making the transaction, Edyth Morissette received her EcoWatt gadget. Fake blog, bogus product? This is your chance to test it with an expert.
The report by François Sanche, Jean-Luc Bouchard and Martin Jolicoeur is broadcast on September 11 on the show The invoiceur HERE TV.
Show off in a box
Enter Frédéric Sirois. The engineer and full professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Polytechnique Montréal took part in the analysis of the product. Already, when he received the EcoWatt, he questioned the technical data written on the box label. Not to mention that the weight of the device is suspiciously light.
The host of “La invoice”, François Sanche, and the engineer Frédéric Sirois notice that the box is empty.
Photo: Radio-Canada / The bill
There’s not much in there! We have some basic electronics to power the LEDs. Here, there is an element called a capacitor, but it is so small that it has no impact on the scale of domestic consumption.
In the laboratory, our expert carries out a simple experiment, but which leaves little room for doubt. A 50 watt bulb is connected to a device that simulates the electric meter.
Frédéric Sirois tests the EcoWatt in the laboratory, with François Sanche.
Photo: Radio-Canada / The bill
As soon as you turn on the bulb, the consumption is around 50 watts. According to the statements of the fictitious electrician Philippe Bonnet, EcoWatt should significantly reduce the figure on the meter. Frédéric Sirois plugs in the box. Nothing moves.
The device is supposed to reduce power consumption, and what we see is that there is no difference (…). It’s a completely useless device. It’s wasted money. A scam.
However, the promotional video presented on the Super Gadgets blog shows that as soon as you plug in the device, a needle goes from 0.6 to less than 0.4, without further precision on the unit of measurement.
Frédéric Sirois, full professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Polytechnique Montréal
Photo: Radio-Canada / The bill
“The measurement that is presented is not one of electrical power. So, this is not the measurement that is used to bill you by the meter. We can actually induce false expectations by presenting data that is not the right one,” explains Professor Sirois.
For Frédéric Sirois, there is no room for doubt. EcoWatt is useless. But as soon as the purchase is confirmed, consumers who want to be reimbursed have their work cut out for them.
A difficult repayment
Credit companies are reluctant to reimburse their customers when it comes to a case of misleading representations. Visa Desjardins, for example, explains that the customer must first try to reach an agreement with the merchant.
In the case of EcoWatt, the company is based in Estonia. If the consumer does not receive a successful response, they can request a chargeback of their purchase to their credit account, but not without difficulty. In particular, he must provide expertise to demonstrate that the product does not work. A heavy burden for a $70 device.
As the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center and the Competition Bureau point out, the best way to protect yourself against this type of scam is to detect them before purchasing.
Simple checks on the integrity of the website and the merchant can prevent consumers from falling prey to online scams and false advertising.
The EcoWatt website
Photo: Radio-Canada / The bill
The Competition Bureau encourages people who believe they have been misled during a purchase to contact it and file a complaint, providing as much information as possible.
After EcoWatt, the portable air conditioner
In the age of online transactions, Edyth Morissette hopes at least that her experience will help educate consumers to make the right decisions when faced with this type of scheme. His determination was also put to the test when the company behind EcoWatt offered him a new product: a portable air conditioner. This time, the offer found no takers.
Neither the company officials behind EcoWatt nor the administrators of the Super Gadgets blog responded to our questions.
Author Bio
A connoisseur of the digital marketplace and a master of the written word, this 30-year-old English expert brings to the table a wealth of knowledge rooted in the sale of digital products and a passion for blogging that resonates with an audience seeking expertise and insight in the online realm.
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