2009
The Metropolitan Police’s Central e-Crime Unit (PCeU) has today announced that it has taken down 1,219 websites purporting to sell designer goods.
Many shoppers may have been duped into making what appeared to be bargain purchases. However, they may now receive either nothing at all or counterfeit products.
Please see below the advice from Consumer Direct:
I have purchased an item from one of the websites closed down by the police. What happens now?
It is possible that you won't receive anything, and if you do, it may be counterfeit.
What should I do if I do not receive the goods I have paid for?
If you paid by credit card, contact your card issuer immediately in writing. Under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, the card issuer is jointly liable for the failure to provide goods or services, provided that the cash price of a single item is over £100 (but not more than £30,000).
If you paid by debit card you are not covered by section 75 and there is no legal obligation on the card provider to reimburse you. You may though be able to ask for money back under the 'chargeback' procedure operated by members of the Visa and Mastercard schemes - speak to your bank to see if this is possible.
What should I do if I've received the counterfeit goods?
Be aware that counterfeit goods may be poor quality and could potentially be unsafe. Particular care needs to be taken with electrical goods – the best advice is to stop using them.
If you paid by credit card, you may be able to claim a refund from your card issuer, if the price was more than £100 (but not more than £30,000).
The police have said that there is a risk that my identity credit card and banking details have been stolen. Should I change my bank account/ credit card?
You should keep a close eye on your bank and credit card statements to check for unauthorised transactions, and speak to your bank or credit card provider if you have concerns.
How can I check if a site is genuine?
Professional fraudsters make it difficult to spot a scam site. It is easy to set up a fancy looking website that looks genuine, or has a name similar to a genuine website.
The following are a number of things that you should consider:
- Is the site selling brand name items at too cheap a price?
- Check where the website is registered, how long it has been registerd and who it is registered to. You can search for domain name registrant information using an online search tool, such as www.whois.com and www.nominet.org.uk (for.uk domain names).
- Always check for feedback, both positive and negative. Enter the website name into a search engine.
- Find out about the company you're buying from and where they are based. Companies must supply the full geographic address where their business is established, not just a P.O. Box or mailbox number. Check out the address using a search engine – you can often find out if it is just a mail forwarding service.
- Find out how to contact the company and look for a landline number. Find out if the number works or whether it is just an automated message or an answerphone. Be wary if only an email address or mobile phone number is provided.
Why shouldn't I buy counterfeits?
People who buy counterfeits may think they are getting a good deal, but the items they buy may be of poor quality and unsafe. You may also be damaging legitimate businesses, putting yourself at risk of identity theft, and could be helping to fund the illicit activity of criminal gangs.
