Wow, a monitor for 50 instead of 150 euros? Or branded sports shoes at half the price? Anyone who thinks: “too good to be true” could unfortunately be right. There are always online shops that entice you with super cheap prices, but this later turns out to be a pure scam. When it comes to paying, payment in advance is only possible - so first the money, then the goods. And that's exactly what you don't get at this fake shop.

How do I recognize fake shops? The short version

  • You should look twice at shops with noticeably discounted offers.
  • Certain elements such as payment methods, legal notices or quality seals can provide clues to dubious shops.
  • Injured parties can reverse the payment and file a complaint.
  • At www.fakeshop-finder.nrw you can check whether an online shop website is reputable or not.

Have websites rated

If you want to quickly find out whether a website might be a fake shop, simply enter the shop's internet address www.fakeshop-finder.nrw This will give you an assessment of the seriousness of the page with the URL you typed.

Screenshot of the consumer advice center’s fake shop finder, www.fakeshop-finder.nrw.
Screenshot: Consumer advice center NRW

If you would like to explore a website yourself, here are a few ways you can recognize dubious websites:

The website check

In order to check a website for authenticity and seriousness, there are various questions that provide information:

Which payment methods are offered?

Only payment in advance (and possibly to an account abroad) is not possible! Other payment options such as direct debit or purchase on account should also be possible. No more costs may be charged for most payment methods. Payments by direct debit, bank transfer and most credit cards such as Visa or Mastercard must be possible free of charge.

What is in the imprint?

Anyone who offers goods or services must have an imprint. German website operators must, among other things, provide their name, a postal address and an email address. If something is missing or even the entire imprint is missing, it is not serious. It is just as questionable if a completely different page opens after clicking on “Imprint”. A check on a telephone directory page may reveal whether the information is correct or made up.

And if the shop operates as an OHG, UG, GmbH or AG, for example, there must be an entry in the commercial register that can also be queried there. And sometimes it helps to enter the address on Google Maps and take a close look at the result. This often shows that the address cannot be real. Ergo fake shop.

Can the provider be reached by telephone?

In some fake shops, the phone number provided turns out to be incorrect - if in doubt, you can test this (and suppress your own phone number!).

Does the shop advertise with quality seals?

Organizations such as Trusted Shops, TÜV Süd and EHI award trustworthy seals to online retailers. You can read which of them checks what in our label and seal overview . However, a fake shop can of course also place such a seal on its site without authorization. If the label is genuine, you should click on the seal to go directly to the certificate on the seal provider's website.

Are there general terms and conditions/terms of use?

In its general terms and conditions, a retailer sets out the rules for its contracts with customers. If a shop uses terms and conditions, they must be easy to access. For social networks or services (e.g. streaming), there are terms of use instead of general terms and conditions. The same applies to them.

Is there a data protection declaration?

What does the operator of the website actually do with the data you enter into a form there - does he sell it to strangers? What data does it store on your computer that you don't even type anywhere and what does it do with it? And in which country are the servers on which this is stored? Something like this should be just as easy to find as the terms and conditions/terms of use. If you don't find anything about it, it's better to forego the offer. That's why data protection is important

What do others say?

Simply enter the name of the website or (if mentioned) the operator into a search engine and see what entries come up. There are often already complaints about dubious things in forums or warnings on other websites.

And what about foreign sites?

Different rights apply in other countries. Which law is applied and when depends on the specific individual case and may have to be decided by a court. However, it may be that you have no right of cancellation when ordering online or that you have to pay high postage costs for returns.

What should I do if I fell in?

  • You should immediately ask your bank to reverse the payment. This is usually still possible a few hours after an online order. With other payment methods such as direct debit, the payment can be reversed up to eight weeks after collection.
  • You can also have any existing documents (purchase agreement, emails, etc.) checked consumer advice center If you have an online shop in another EU country, you can contact the European Consumer Center .
  • You should also report this to the police and you can also report the site to the Association of the Internet Industry .

Source: Checked4you

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