Chinese scam E-commerce websites

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pishta

I know I'm right....
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Was trolling some E-commerce sites and came across a strange pattern. Seems many E-commerce sites nowadays have the SAME customer service contact number and/or email address, I mean there are pages of hits when you put there number in a search engine, all belonging to different foreign name websites. I believe I tangled with one last year trying to buy a tabletop smelter (in another Paypal post). So, the scam seems to be this: They advertise a product with a legitimate picture (cant seem to locate that picture gleened from anywhere else online with a basic search) and a pretty darn good price and then you checkout with a credit card or some sort of transfer (UPDATE, they will overcharge that transaction!) , but strangely enough, now there is NO PAYPAL...Hmmm? I saw a $450 PCP air rifle for $98.00, too good to be true? I think so. My story in a nutshell: They sent me the wrong item first, received 3 50 cent covid masks....they admitted the 'mistake' and they resent the item and it was 'lost' by the shipper. Then they offered a 100% refund in the form of a credit to their shady counterfeit shoe website or some other BS, or a 60% refund as they were "out the money too" due to lost shipment. They offer tracking (that even updates) but even the shippers site is bogus with no working hotlinks (yet the working email address in my case could tell me it was stuck in customs or they they indeed shipped the wrong part number) and the website email address they offer for customer service now is not a link but a picture of an email address! I emailed one of the other addresses at that domain from another e-commerce website and the box I was looking for came back as not registered. The sites are usually called some random foreign name ie. About Us : and they all have the same "$40 free shipping" (that gets you to actually buy something for over $40 to make the scam worth their time, as 3 paper targets for $1.50 had a $25 shipping charge.) and even the same 'about us' form letter page with just a different web name. Heck even the support "email address" (just a picture of an email address) is the same!

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scam site alert here
https://www.signal-arnaques.com/en/scam/view/314020

Buyer beware. Im actually wary of any website that wont take paypal anymore as they actually stepped in and bailed me out on this one last year. I'm sure a credit card company would do the same but paypal is pretty easy nowadays. If you want to roll the dice and report back, buy a prepaid debit card for $30.00 and buy something cheap off the website and if you get it great, then you may have a chance on your bigger ticket item. Ill put money on you getting scammed.
 
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Yep, if it's too good to be true, it probably is. Lots of this going on lately. I stick to well known sites like summit racing etc.
 
I have a PAYPAL dispute going on right now with some Chicom scammer. The wife bought 3 bird feeders (squirrel proof) for $58.00 and got three $2.00 feeders instead. The seller has offered my a $26.00 discount...FU. I want my money back.
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You didn't notice bad links and pictures of links before you sent money?
 
You didn't notice bad links and pictures of links before you sent money?
No, not all are as internet savvy as you perhaps. The bad links are on the tracking website (accessible after you make your purchase) and the email picture is not on web site unless you hit the contact us tab on the far bottom. Everything else on the site looks polished. Even my paypal link provided was registered to an Arizona address so I naturally thought the items were coming from AZ! Bastards.....
 
There is no doubt scammers are getting smarter. I have wondered about "Etsy" and some of these sites
 
Okay thanks for the warning. Now who do you report this crap to?
A lot of times they close up shop pretty quickly, and reopen with a different name, and different scam. Rule of thumb if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Stick to sites you know are legit, dont bother with the rest.
 
There are a lot of ads on FB and other sites where they offer tools at ridiculously cheap prices. These are often quasi reputable websites that host anyone who wants to sell anything. So you are really buying from a third party that may look legitimate because of a bigger name website.
 
Okay thanks for the warning. Now who do you report this crap to?
No one cares...I looked up the owner of the domain, some lady in Utah, and sent her a threatening litigation letter telling her Me and '24' people got defrauded from her website and demand restitution (as fake as her website) or we'll pursue legal action. See if that rattles any cages. I'm sure it will just bounce back as unregistered e-mail address.
 
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