Delivery times are not met, the quality of the products leaves something to be desired, or there are high customs or return costs - all of this can happen if you order from a problematic online shop. Our cooperation partners from Watchlist Internet show the dangers of buying online from dropshipping shops.
Many people shop online not just because it's convenient, but because it's relatively easy to find bargains there. This applies especially to shops that are based outside the EU or to so-called “drop shippers”. But you have to take a closer look at these shops in particular to avoid problems. We can help you with a list of problematic online shops
Dropshipping, what is it?
With dropshipping, the ordered goods are delivered directly to the customer by the manufacturer or wholesaler. This means that the operators of the online shop never see the goods on offer.
An example: You order a fitness bracelet on meindropshipper.at. The online retailer that operates meindropshipper.at takes your order. However, the online retailer itself does not ship. Instead, your order is forwarded to the company that produces the fitness bracelets. The fitness bracelet will be delivered directly from there to your specified address.

This process has been practiced in many areas for years and is not problematic . On the contrary: retailers can save on logistics costs and the goods are cheaper for you as a consumer. As long as the suppliers are in Europe, there are usually no problems.
Why can there be problems with shops based outside the EU?
However, if the suppliers are located outside the EU, dropshipping can lead to unpleasant surprises: These include additional taxes and customs fees, which turn the supposed bargain into an overpriced product. In addition, dropshippers (and shops based outside the EU in general) who have deliveries outside the EU repeatedly report long delivery times of two to six months to us.
The Corona crisis has made the situation even worse: the majority of goods, especially from Asia, are transported by ship. However, due to the economic standstill at the beginning of the Corona crisis, the shipping companies' transport capacities were reduced and have not been increased since then - although demand is back. This means that the prices for shipping containers have risen significantly. This can affect delivery costs as well as delivery times. Because dropshippers often wait until a cheap opportunity to ship the goods arises.
Be careful with British online shops! On January 1, 2021, Great Britain officially left the EU. Since then, deliveries from Great Britain may also incur additional taxes and customs fees. Our colleagues at the Internet Ombudsman have taken a closer look at the changed situation Brexit: Changes for your online purchase
Our checklist: First check, then (maybe) order!
To avoid such problems, you should go through the following checklist before ordering:
- Is the online shop based in the EU? If the online shop is based outside the EU, it is hardly possible to enforce your own rights. Defective or damaged products will only be replaced or refunded in exceptional cases - this also applies to inferior or incorrectly delivered products.
- Is it stated where the goods are being shipped from? For example, if delivery is delivered directly from Asia, you should expect significantly longer delivery times (up to six months) than stated in the shop.
- Are customs costs mentioned? If goods are delivered from outside the European Economic Area, customs duties and taxes must be paid for the import of these goods. If these are not paid, the goods will not be delivered. The online shop must point out such additional costs when ordering!
- Is a European return address provided? Before you order, it must be clear to you on the online shop page where you should send the goods in the event of a return. If goods have to be sent back to Asia at your own expense, these costs may significantly exceed the value of the goods.
- What do online reviews say? To make sure you don't get a nasty surprise after placing an order, search for the store name and the keyword "experience" or "reviews" online. If you find a lot of negative reviews, it's often not worth the bargain.
- Check our lists! list of fraudulent online shops for several years to warn against fake shops. Now there is also a list of problematic online shops . Here you will find dropshippers and shops based outside the EU that are experiencing problems.
Source:
Watchlist Internet
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