A professionally designed online shop with a German-language name, the domain ending in .de and an imprint that suggests a company headquarters in Germany. An increasing number of consumers are currently complaining to the Hamburg Consumer Center who have ordered clothing and other everyday items from foreign online shops without being aware of it. Those affected feel deceived because it was not obvious to most of them that the shops were operated by providers outside of Europe. The Hamburg consumer advice center advises to look very carefully when shopping online.
Frustration due to long delivery times
“With shop names like Wolf Fashion, Susannes Beauty or Hallo BH, who would expect a Chinese online retailer,” reports Julia Rehberg from the Hamburg Consumer Center. Most customers only become suspicious if the goods they ordered take a long time to arrive. Although the clothing and items in the shops are usually declared as “available for immediate delivery” and are usually shipped quickly with a tracking number, it often takes several weeks for the goods to arrive in Germany. “It’s a big disappointment when the outfit you want doesn’t arrive in time for the summer party,” says Rehberg.
Frustration because of poor quality
Customers are also often disappointed with the quality of the goods. “The product photos and item descriptions on the shop pages usually have little in common with reality,” says Rehberg. The wrong materials are often shown or the processing of the products generally leaves something to be desired.
Frustration because of problems with returns
If consumers want to cancel their purchases because the delivery arrived late or didn't meet expectations, the trouble continues. Some only then notice that the shop has no imprint and can only be reached via a contact form. There is no telephone number. It is completely unclear with whom the purchase contract was concluded and a reversal is not possible.
In some cases, a Chinese address suddenly appears as the contact for revocation and return of goods instead of the incomplete German address in the imprint. However, returns there usually have to be made at your own expense. “This can often be as expensive as the actual order,” reports Rehberg.
Pay close attention when shopping online
The Hamburg consumer advice center advises to look very carefully when shopping online. “A German name and .de as a country-specific top-level domain for Germany do not mean that you are automatically dealing with a German contractual partner,” says Rehberg.
If you want to order something, you should always take a look at the imprint and refrain from making a purchase if important information about the shop operator is missing. In the second step, we recommend checking the return conditions beforehand. Is it even possible to return products? What deadlines apply? Where do the goods have to be sent? What costs are associated with the return?
To avoid trouble, Rehberg says consumers should avoid paying in advance for online orders, i.e. by bank transfer or credit card. The payment methods invoice or direct debit are better. When using a payment service provider such as Paypal or Klarna, it is important to find out in advance whether and under what conditions buyer protection is provided. “Then you don’t end up having to pay for the unwanted things.”
Note: The Hamburg Consumer Center maintains a list of online shops on its website that buyers have recently complained about. Those affected can also describe their own experiences there. The URL is: www.vzhh.de/china-shops .
Also read: Completely spun trees (fact check)
If you enjoyed this post and value the importance of well-founded information, become part of the exclusive Mimikama Club! Support our work and help us promote awareness and combat misinformation. As a club member you receive:
📬 Special Weekly Newsletter: Get exclusive content straight to your inbox.
🎥 Exclusive video* “Fact Checker Basic Course”: Learn from Andre Wolf how to recognize and combat misinformation.
📅 Early access to in-depth articles and fact checks: always be one step ahead.
📄 Bonus articles, just for you: Discover content you won't find anywhere else.
📝 Participation in webinars and workshops : Join us live or watch the recordings.
✔️ Quality exchange: Discuss safely in our comment function without trolls and bots.
Join us and become part of a community that stands for truth and clarity. Together we can make the world a little better!
* In this special course, Andre Wolf will teach you how to recognize and effectively combat misinformation. After completing the video, you have the opportunity to join our research team and actively participate in the education - an opportunity that is exclusively reserved for our club members!
Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )

