The following commentary was posted on the Gift Givers HQ LinkedIn page yesterday so we thought we’d share here too.
It wasn’t until I got to college and I was showing a freshman friend some family photos.
“Wait,” she said, barely containing her laughter, “why is there a ginormous fire extinguisher in all of your pictures in front of the Christmas tree?”
Until then I never thought anything about it.
“Go get the fire extinguisher, we’re putting the Christmas tree up!”
The two thoughts were coupled—bringing a live tree into the house heightened the risk of fire. We could do it—and certainly nothing prevented us from choosing the largest tree we could find—but my dad wanted the extinguisher at the ready. He sized up the risk and believed he could be prepared to meet it.
Examples of what to watch out for
Having spent the last few months reviewing some of the most viral gift ideas for Gift Givers HQ, I worry about the risks being taken by what holiday revelers are bringing into their homes this season.
Now is a time for wonder and awe and the suspension of belief. But, hoping to give something different and new, gift givers (or recipients) may be unwittingly exposing themselves to risk. Carrying a live tree through the front door puts everyone on high alert. Activating a new gadget is less conspicuous but has the same potential to do untold, rolling damage.
The products that alarm my team and me include:
The Memory Orb that displays videos or photos into a “luminous, floating display within an elegant crystal ball.”
The promotional videos show an unwrapping of the orb as an ornament, only to reveal a family photo or Golden retriever in motion.
Enchanting! We could hardly wait to get our hands on it. And, after spending just a few minutes with it, we were in an even bigger rush to pack it up and send it back.
Red flag #1: The requirement to download the app via a QR code outside Google Play or Apple app store. This is a circumvention of processes put in place to vet the safety of apps. It is exactly how malware is distributed. Reputable manufacturers are willing to go through the app stores’ review process.
Red flag #2: The device establishes its own wifi network. If the software is malicious, your connecting to the network enables the device to intercept traffic or provide a pivot point for cybercriminals to access your home network and other devices.
Also a concern: a nonspecific “risk of fire” warning (“The crystal ball may emit heat during use. Operate only in a ventilated place.”) What? The promotions show a family opening the gift in front of a roaring fire.
The product was shipped in a box promoting a different item, also an eyebrow-raiser.
The smart planter that relies on sensors to monitor its moisture, exposure, temperature and humidity—what seemed like a perfect gift for someone who enjoys plants but can’t seem to take care of them.
The planter requires an internet connection to send data to the owner’s mobile app and to control and customize, including setting up an integration with Google Home and Amazon’s Alexa. Also, it needs to install regular software updates.
A direct to consumer product, this planter can’t be found in stores so it’s not possible to check out prior to ordering. Its ridiculously small size (2.2 inches) came as a surprise and necessarily tamps down expectations.
Our spidey senses were activated by the wifi connecting process, at which point we concluded there was no way we’d be recommending this as a gift idea. It was only when we decided to abort that we learned that the planter is built on the Tuya platform—which has gained notoriety for a few reasons.
While the importance of securing household Internet of things devices like thermostats and security systems has been well reported, a two-inch planter reliant on an untrusted platform can wreak just as much havoc. Possibilities include aggressive data collection, including reading clipboard contents (e.g., sensitive data like passwords or account information) on a phone. Or, unbeknownst to you. using your device in attacks against others’.
Products that seem too good to be true because they aren’t. Have you seen the mineral crystal coffee mugs whose landing page shows how the material is cut right out of the stone to shape gorgeous amethyst, emeralds, volcanic red, etc. cups?
Or the lifelike walking, barking, tail tagging robot puppy?
With these, the play is as old as time—fake marketing claims meant to separate buyers from their money. The product may never show up or if it does, it will fall far short of what was advertised.
A Snopes for retail products?
What seems different now and in more pronounced ways this season is that bogus or unsafe product claims are often supported by social media enthusiasm, fake reviewer comments and ratings, and AI results that perpetuate the phony or placed reviews.
Consumer product awareness and safety is far afield from our core competency. My Christmas wish is that someone somewhere is building a product claim debunking capability similar to the fact-checking site Snopes.
We also think the pendulum will swing back to human commentary that offers balance in its assessment of a product’s appeal.
Ultimately, here’s what fascinates me: The marketing minds behind these products created something that many (including our team!) have found irresistible. They’ve shown an impressive aptitude for understanding what would captivate consumers.
Doesn’t it make you wonder what they could achieve if their talents were used for good?
Still need a gift or two? See our holiday gift guides: