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.
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 isCheck for signs of a newly created websiteWatch out for poor spellingSee if the website lists a physical addressCheck if the company’s website lists a shipping and returns policyLook at reviews across several sourcesYour rights when returning a product overseas
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/shopping-scams-know-how-to-spot-a-rogue-retailer-afdhE9s1S8F3