Shopping scams: know how to spot a rogue retailer
Adverts on social media platforms are tempting shoppers to buy items that don’t exist, are of poor quality or aren't as described.
Which? has warned about dodgy and scam online retailers several times in recent months. We've seen a range of cases where people have been misled into purchasing counterfeit and dangerous goods, as well as items that simply never turn up.
There seems to be no end to these rogue retailers popping up and conning innocent shoppers. This week, Which? has been alerted to another seemingly rogue online retailer called Bristol Threads. This appears to be yet another clothing company using slick social media adverts showing tempting offers, but what arrives are low-quality alternatives shipped from China. To make matters worse, if you've been lured in by a rogue retailer, then your chances of getting your money back are low.
Below, we examine the typical tactics of a rogue retailer and explain how to spot and avoid a shopping scam.
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Rogue retailers
A disappointed recipient of a pair of 'leather' sandals contacted Which? after finding the shoes were actually made of cheap plastic, as well as being sent in the wrong size and nearly a month after ordering them. Despite the order being wrong, not as described and of poor quality, they've been unable to secure a refund.
This shopper had seen an appealing advert for these shoes on Instagram. After clicking on the advert to the website, they were led to believe they were buying from a UK-based family business.
Bristol Threads claims to sell clothing, swimwear, accessories and shoes at affordable prices. Which? researched the images of some of the items being sold on the website and found them being sold on several other shopping websites. We also found some images that appear to be AI-generated.
The website claims that the company was founded in Bristol in 1988, with a full description of its rich history, questionable images of its store and adverts for shop assistant job roles which we believe to be fake.
Many reviews of Bristol Threads share similar experiences of ordering items that were delivered in the wrong size and then only being offered a percentage of a full refund.
Reviewers also stated that they were asked to pay to ship unwanted items back to Hong Kong, although Bristol Threads claims to be UK-based on its website and offer a '100% return guarantee' and 'always free shipping with Royal Mail'.
Which? contacted Bristol Threads, but it hadn't responded by the time this article was published.
Seven ways to spot and avoid a shopping scam
Sometimes, a rogue retailer can be hard to spot, especially as freely available AI tools can be misused to create convincing images and product descriptions.
If you're tempted by an offer you've seen online, you should follow these steps before you part with any money:
- Assess how reasonable the offer is Prices that sound too good to be true usually are.
- Check for signs of a newly created website Use a domain checker, such as who.is, to see when the website was created. If it's recent, then you should avoid it.
- Use TinEye or image search on Google to see if images in adverts and on websites have been used anywhere else on the internet.
- Watch out for poor spelling, bad grammar and phrases that don’t sound right.
- See if the website lists a physical address Businesses should have this, as well as a phone number or email address to contact them.
- Check if the company’s website lists a shipping and returns policy If it's legitimate, it should have this.
- Look at reviews across several sources to get a sense of the experience of other shoppers.
Your rights when returning a product overseas
When shopping online, you still have UK rights regardless of where the item is located. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, you have a right to a refund if an item isn't as described, isn't of a satisfactory quality or isn't fit for purpose.
This also includes a 14-day cooling-off period for online orders, so you have a minimum of 14 days after receiving your items to decide whether you want to keep your order or not.
However, if you buy an item that ends up being shipped from overseas, it might be difficult to apply these rights. Therefore, it’s always best to pay via credit card so you have extra protection under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.
If you pay via debit card or by credit card and the goods were less than £100, you can make a chargeback claim. If you paid via PayPal, you have Buyer’s Protection, which allows you to request a refund.
On social media, adverts can be reported to the platform by selecting the three dots in the top right-hand corner of the post and pressing ‘report’. Suspicious websites can be reported to the National Cyber Security Centre.
If you lose any money to a scam, call your bank immediately using the number on the back of your bank card and report it to Action Fraud, or call the police on 101 if you’re in Scotland.
