Have you ever noticed Instagram profiles offering discount codes for certain websites? Whilst there are many legitimate promotion codes being used that offer actual promotions and discounts on particular websites, there are also numerous pet product companies who use the promise of Instagram exposure (leading to more followers) to scam unsuspecting pet owners.
I am sure there are countless businesses out there using Instagram to prey on those of us who have accounts solely for our pets. However, this article focuses mainly on one company who recently contacted me, through an account I run for my four bulldogs, asking if I would like my dogs to become ‘brand ambassadors’ for their products. Sounds amazing – or so I thought…
Beware Aki Oka Pet Boutique: @TheGladysGang are on to you!
Upon receiving the details of this ‘brand ambassador’ job that my dogs were being asked to do, I immediately noticed that I would be forking out for the products that my canine companions would be photographed wearing, playing with and using. Nevertheless, with my lifetime 50% discount, I would surely be getting a bargain for some boutique pet products – not so!
Even taking my 50% discount into consideration, I could still buy the same products elsewhere at a much lower price.
Maybe my 15% commission for each product that was purchased via my link would benefit me? It probably would, if I were happy for my followers (with 25% discount) and anyone visiting Aki Oka Pet Boutique via my link (receiving 15% discount) to be directed to an overpriced non-boutique website. I am not happy to rip off my followers, so I obviously did not take the job on behalf of my dogs. Even with my discount codes, my followers would be paying much more than the RRP for EVERY item! Even with my 50% discount, I was paying above the odds for each item I researched. I am not that desperate for new followers that I would see my existing followers and other pet owners be fleeced for goods they can buy MUCH cheaper elsewhere.
OVERpriced is an UNDERstatement
The only winners in this promotion seem to be Aki Oka Pet Boutique. The items on their website are available from other retailers at far lower prices; the first item I looked up had a price difference of £15.55. A Oui Oui Frenchie bandana costs £4.99 from www.ouiouifrenchie.com but for the exact same bandana, Aki Oka Pet Boutique are charging a whopping £20.54. I will admit that Oui Oui Frenchie have this bandana on sale, however, at the usual price of £8.20, it would still be a massive saving compared to paying more than twenty pounds for this item.
You love taking photos of your pet. Maybe your pet thinks it’s time to take some of their own… If you wanted to buy them The Ultimate Pet Selfie Tool through Aki Oka Pet Boutique, it would cost you £24.65. Heck, it would cost me £12.33 with my 50% discount. Now let us both just nip over to Amazon and pay £7.99 for the exact same item – I am sure there are other retailers selling this item for a reasonable price and I did not look through Amazon for the best deal, I just picked the first product match in the results. You have just saved yourself £16.66 (£12.96 if you used my non-discount code).
Please see the table below containing more examples of massive savings you can make by NOT shopping at Aki Oka Pet Boutique.
My last mentionable price comparison is a Wifi Interactive Pet Feeder: £328.78 from Aki Oka Pet Boutique, £87.55 from aliexpress.com. Neither myself (with 50% discount) nor my viewers or followers (with 15% and 25% discount respectively) would save money on purchasing this item through my link to Aki Oka Pet Boutique. The fact is: we could save £241.23 just by shopping elsewhere.
Using Instagram to scam pet owners
Aki Oka Pet Boutique (who have a staggering 179k followers on Instagram) are not stupid; they know that pet owners are proud of their animals and they will be instantly drawn to any opportunity to show them off. Imagine someone messaging you saying ‘We just think your pet is too cute! We’d love for them to become one of our brand ambassadors.’ Companies like this prey on your emotions; everyone is vulnerable when it comes to their pet. It is obvious when checking out Aki Oka Pet Boutiques’ Instagram profile, that hundreds of people have fallen for this sales scam – so many pictures of dogs and cats wearing their overpriced accessories and playing with their overpriced toys.
You do receive your merchandise
Aki Oka Pet Boutique do deliver goods ordered and they appear to arrive in good condition so I am not saying this company takes your details and you never hear from them again. They are not scamming people in that sense. However, this ‘brand ambassador’ sales pitch IS a con.
There are many companies doing this – beware!
Aki Oka Pet Boutique is not the only company using the emotions and vulnerability of people to sell their products, because that is all this is: selling you a product, and as a bonus you might get a couple of new followers on Instagram. Influencers need to make sure that they are promoting discount codes that actually give their followers discounts; buyers/Instagram users need to make sure they check the pricing of these ‘discount’ products against the same or similar products on other sites to be sure that they are getting the deal they have been promised.
If you are using Aki Oka Pets to buy merchandise, don’t bother; you can most certainly get it cheaper elsewhere. If you are using Aki Oka Pets Boutique to share your photographs, thus getting you more exposure on social media, don’t bother; you are better off just promoting one of your posts. Do not fall for a Pet Instagram Scam.
*Disclaimer: Prices correct as of 24.05.2020. At the time of publishing, I am not affiliated to any company selling pet products.