As of: March 19, 2024, 5:33 a.m
By: Ulrike Hagen
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Cheap can be really expensive.
Customers are being ripped off in fake shops and pay-later options, warns the consumer advice center.
Berlin – sneakers and e-bikes for half the price, smartphones at a dumping rate.
Online shopping offers seemingly unbeatable bargains, but it also involves high risks.
Between 2020 and 2023, the number of complaints about fake shops on the Internet increased almost sixfold, consumer advice centers report.
In addition, there are expensive pitfalls due to questionable contract structures with “buy now, pay later”.
The consumer advice centers warn against cheap purchases in online shops, which cost customers dearly.
When cheap becomes really expensive: everything is much cheaper in fake shops.
Consumer advice centers warn of scams.
(Symbolic photo) © Imago/Ruslan Rizvanov
Protect yourself online: Fake shops and the pitfalls of “buy now, pay later”
Online shopping is booming - and not just since the beginning of the corona pandemic.
In Germany in 2023, four out of five 16 to 74 year olds, namely 82 percent, will have already shopped online, according to figures from the Federal Statistical Office.
The huge market also attracts criminals who also sense big business.
In fake shops they lure people with low prices for high-quality products.
“The providers keep up with the times.
Often these are sought-after goods that are otherwise out of stock everywhere, such as limited edition sneakers,” explains consumer protection expert Simon Götze from the Berlin Consumer Center to
IPPEN.MEDIA
.
The catch: After the money has been transferred, there is often radio silence or customers are constantly put off.
Later, the shop operators no longer respond to emails and contact by telephone is also not possible.
Affected consumers usually do not see their money again, and certainly not the goods.
“Another variant is sending cheap counterfeit goods, especially in the clothing sector,” says Götze.
In 2023 alone, the consumer advice center received over 6,900 complaints about fake shops; the numbers have increased almost sixfold since 2020.
How to protect yourself from rip-offs on the Internet: 7 safety tips for online orders
Be skeptical if you are offered products at an extremely low price that you cannot find from other sellers.
Ask yourself why a store offers the products at a much cheaper price than the competition.
Check the website's legal notice.
If important information about the seller is missing or the imprint is not available at all, you should refrain from placing an order.
Use the register portal to check whether the company is actually registered under the specified commercial register number.
Enter only the number without the addition “HRB”.
If the registration number is incorrect, you should not purchase.
Trust in recognized seals of quality such as “Safer Shopping” and “Trusted Shops”.
On their websites you can enter the seller's Internet address and check whether the seal has actually been awarded.
For example, if a shop uses the Trusted Shops seal, you should click on it.
Only if it is linked and you are redirected to the certification page can you order with confidence.
If you have already ordered from a fake shop and have not received the goods even though you have already paid, you should contact your financial institution and try to get the money back.
Also, file a criminal complaint with the police immediately.
Source: Hamburg Consumer Center
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Fake shop finder: Consumer advice center warns of offers that are too cheap
“The constantly updated fake shop finder from consumer advice centers helps to make online shopping safer,” advises consumer advocate Götze.
Consumers enter the shop address there and immediately receive a rating based on a traffic light system, which indicates whether the provider is a reputable provider.
A total of 1.48 million websites have already been checked in this way and 56,500 fake shops have been identified.
Fake shops on Amazon: Be careful with marketplace shops and email solicitations
Even the online giant Amazon, which many buyers trust as a reputable platform, cannot guarantee safe purchases, reports the Lower Saxony State Criminal Police Office.
In addition to direct purchases, the marketplace offers sellers the opportunity to offer their products.
But this is exactly where reports of fake or manipulated shops are piling up:
The perpetrators open their own marketplace shops or take over reputable shops through phishing.
These shops offer a variety of items at extremely affordable prices.
“In order to complete the sale, customers are now asked to contact the seller in advance via email outside of the Amazon contact option if they are interested in purchasing.
Instead of a seller name you can find e.g.
For example, here 'for purchases, contact me via ...@mailadresse.com',” says the LKA Lower Saxony.
Bank details abroad are often mentioned.
“The alarm signal is always an advance payment being requested,” adds Simon Götze.
“Buy now, pay later” – convenient shopping via Paypal, Klarna and Co. with risks
However, consumer advocates also warn against the seemingly convenient payment option “Buy now, pay later” from Paypal, Klarna and Co. Because behind the tempting payment later often hides an ordinary bank loan from a third party “and the purchase becomes a love triangle makes everything more complicated: complaints, returns, refunds,” Götze points out.
In addition, the risk of getting into debt increases, as it is easy to lose track of various loans and payment deadlines.
The consumer advice center expert therefore recommends giving preference to other payment methods.