Beware of the “Mundt-Musik” web shop

No imprint, no transparent owner data, but low prices: The Mundt-Musik web shop has all the typical characteristics of a fake shop!

At first glance, this website looks serious; we are also dealing with a website that is completely in German and also has a .de domain. This may all seem convincing at first, but we have to warn clearly, because at second glance there are many inconsistencies.

If you pay attention to the typical characteristics of fake shops, you will find them confirmed. The supposed webshop offers branded goods at very reasonable prices. Technically, the orders are completely normal. However, when it comes to payment, the fake shop only accepts payment in advance via credit card.

If you put the supposedly cheap items in your shopping cart, at the end you will only be asked for an advance payment via credit card during the checkout process. There are no alternative payment options; payment by invoice or cash on delivery is not even possible.

Incorrect owner details!

In addition, the web shop does not offer any transparent owner data. There is no imprint, which is mandatory for web shops with a .de domain. A query to Denic ultimately brings certainty: the officially stored owner data for the registration for this domain is incorrect. The registered address does not exist.

It can therefore be assumed that once the advance payment has been made, it will no longer be possible to successfully contact the provider. The money is lost because the ordered goods are not available. In addition, criminals now have personal information about their victims. You can use this to commit crimes under someone else's name.

As always, our note at this point: The North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Center and the North Rhine-Westphalia State Criminal Police Office (LKA) have created an information list about fake shops, which we are happy to share here:

Unmistakable identifying signs: none

• Even experts can hardly tell at first glance whether the offers in online retail are always legitimate. Internet counterfeiters who only want customers to make money are becoming more and more perfect and perfidious when it comes to their fakes: By copying or forging product images and information from real websites, a fake shop on the Internet often appears deceptively real. In order to give the impression of seriousness, the imprint with the dealer address or the general terms and conditions (GTC) are also copied from other sites or are fictitious.

Check all information

• Buyers should check the following points carefully in an online shop before placing an order: Are there several payment methods - including customer-friendly ones - and a verifiable provider address in the imprint? Are the offer and price provided with all necessary details, such as the nature of the product? Are delivery conditions and costs adequately presented? Are there general terms and conditions (GTC) and instructions on revocation? Is it advertised with a trustworthy seal of quality such as “Trusted Shop Guarantee” (Trusted Shops), “s@fer-shopping” (TÜV Süd) and “Verified Online Shop EHI” (EHI Retail Institute GmbH)? However, such seals only offer reliable orientation by clicking on the logo and being redirected to the testing company's homepage.

Be careful when paying in advance

• Customers are offered several – including customer-friendly – ​​payment methods until they press the purchase button. Once they reach the checkout, customers suddenly have no choice: they only ask for an immediate transfer of the requested amount. Customers are on the safe side if they only order items from online retailers who offer several customer-friendly payment methods until they click on the purchase button. Payments are safe by invoice or direct debit. When paying by invoice, customers only have to pay when they have received the goods. If you pay by direct debit, the payment can be reversed for up to eight weeks.

Counterfeiters rip off things undetected

• If those who have been scammed contact the company using the contact details provided to get the correct goods or the money they paid back, they are repeatedly put off. Letters with repayment requests are returned as undeliverable or remain unanswered. In most cases, those affected have one bad experience, but are left behind.

Fake shop victims are not defenseless

• Anyone who has already transferred money should immediately ask their bank to reverse the payment. This is often still possible a few hours after an online order. With other payment methods, a payment can be reversed up to eight weeks after collection. The bank knows to what extent this applies. Basically, all receipts from online orders should be collected and saved. This includes the purchase contract, order confirmation, emails and a screenshot of the offer.

Those affected can have the printed documents checked at the NRW consumer advice center and file a criminal complaint with the police.

Tips from the NRW consumer advice center