Today, another article from the backend of our online shop! Thanks to a tip from a valued customer, we've discovered that we, too, have fallen victim to a fake shop!
This shop offers a diverse range of office supplies and stationery. And simply use our product catalog! (Not just ours; if you look closely, you'll quickly see that these Chinese copiers also know our "competition"... ;-) )
It should be obvious that products made exclusively for us aren't available anywhere else. Nevertheless, I'd like to take this opportunity to show you how to spot fake or simply dubious shops!
- Do you know who's behind the shop? In other words, is there an imprint? No? Then stay away immediately!
There's an imprint , but it doesn't point to a German address? Yes, the shop could be reputable, but if you return the item, you'll definitely have to ship it back abroad—at your own expense! - Read the important legal information ! Are the terms and conditions structured correctly? Is there a privacy policy? Are the shipping costs listed completely transparently? Do you really know at all times how much shipping you'll actually have to pay?
- Pay attention to the overall impression of the site! Are all the offers supposedly bargains and come with a discount? According to the police, that's a clear indication that this shop doesn't actually have the product and just wants your money...
- How much is the discount ? Does it offer 5, 10, 15, or even 50%? Yes, the price ranges can vary for different products. But I'm happy to share my experience and tell you that with a 50% discount, every writing instrument retailer is losing money. If, as in this case, Montblanc writing instruments are being sold for just €400 when the original price was €25,000, then something must be wrong.
- Let's stay with the prices... Do you even know what the discount refers to? There are many dubious shops that take advantage of it! In the EU, you're only allowed to advertise with strikethrough prices if they're the lowest price within the last 30 days! Shops that constantly advertise cheap deals and advertise a supposed discount on that coveted fountain pen for several months are just trying to deceive you! It's certainly possible that such a strikethrough price stays the same, but there are plenty of fine writing shops out there that systematically make this mistake!
If you come across a fake shop offering our products, please report it to us! We will try to take all legal action available to us. There aren't many, but we do have a few tools available to combat these anonymous (this time Chinese) scammers.
