These days everyone wants to save money and catch the best steals, but it's easy to get scammed. Here I'll give you some tips to help you recognize and avoid fake sites.
Step One: Prices
Once we have found a great offer of something we like, it is worth checking the prices and availability of other things in the store. If we come across a Yeezy 350 in full sizes for PLN 500 or a Supreme Bogo sweatshirt for PLN 1000 in high availability, then a red flag should already go off that the store is most likely fake. Just check the prices for comparison on legitimate websites, such as StockX or Grailed, and if we see limited shoes for 30% of the price and in all sizes, then something is definitely wrong.
Step Two: Rules
If we have already looked through the store's offer and the prices and items do not look suspicious, it is worth taking a look at the regulations for a few points, such as: the country of registration of the business, the shipping method or information on returns and deadlines, and finally the available payment methods.
The country is important because a Polish store registered on the outskirts of London does not look good. If we have doubts, we can always look up the address on the Internet to see if they have their headquarters or office. It often happens that these are bush companies, registered in false places (e.g. 100 companies at one address) and do not have physical warehouses or premises and are only a machine to make money from unsuspecting users.
However, if the company is registered in Poland, it still does not give us 100% certainty that it is a real store. It is worth paying attention to the shipping time and country of origin, because, for example, Dopestore.pl uses loopholes in the law to legally send people counterfeits. The so-called: dropshipping, i.e. someone in Poland orders counterfeits directly from China using your details and is not responsible for the goods, because they do not even have them in their hands. Therefore, all Allegro stores and auctions that have China or other Asian countries in the country of origin/shipment should be avoided. The same with the deadline, because the country does not have to be indicated everywhere, but you cannot skip the long shipping from China. Therefore, for example: shipping 15-20 days should make a red flag go up.
Payment methods are another form of verification. If the site only supports Western Union or PayPal, then we should be careful, because getting a refund in case of problems can be very difficult or even often impossible. The safest are payments by bank transfer or card (but here you have to be very careful with your data!), because getting a refund or opening a dispute is much easier.
It may also turn out that the regulations will contain illegal points, e.g. the impossibility of returning goods without giving a reason, which is guaranteed by, among others, the European Union. The lack of such a point or an attempt to evade the possibility of returning should be another red flag.
Step Three: Opinions
If we have already reviewed the regulations and everything seems fine, it is always worth entering the name of the store/company in Google to search for other people's opinions about authenticity. It is worth paying attention to whether the number of opinions is large, the more the better, because with 10 opinions it is easy to post them all yourself. If there is silence in Google, it is always worth turning to groups such as LCATS or Hajpbestie Wujaszka, because there are concentrations of people interested in the topic there. It is worth starting by entering the name in the magnifying glass on the group, because if you found a super steal, there is a good chance that others have also noticed it and asked about the legitimacy of the site. However, if you are the first, do not be afraid to post a link to the site and ask questions, because people should quickly reply whether the store is L or F.
With these 3 steps you should be able to avoid the vast majority of fake sites with great deals, so take care and happy shopping!
Image: https://pl.depositphotos.com/28192573/stock-photo-fake-stamp.html