Scams | “I ordered branded sandals, children’s sunglasses were waiting at customs” – Readers tell how they have been cheated in an online store

Finland online store sales fell by 24 percent in the second quarter, according to Vilkas oy’s July in the online shopping index. In a time of inflation-driven spending, consumers are tightening their purse strings in many areas of life.

In addition to savings reasons, the fear of scams can make buyers avoid online shopping places. HS told earlier in September how looking unmistakably authentic a scam site claims to sell Marimekko at a ridiculous price.

HS asked the readers what kind of scams they have encountered when shopping online.

There were a lot of experiences.

This is how one reader describes his experiences:

“I ordered two metal V8 engine assembly miniatures at a really affordable price from the link in the Facebook ad. I paid with the Paypal payment system. I received a package from China with a building set consisting mostly of Lego blocks. I contacted the seller and asked to either send the products I ordered or return the money. The seller refused. I made a complaint to Paypal and attached the email conversation. Paypal refunded my payment. I’ve seen similar ads on Facebook, but I learned the hard way: If something seems too good to be true, it probably isn’t.”

Other respondents to the survey had also received the wrong products:

“I ordered the sandals at a good price in my opinion. The branded product was on sale, so I bought three. After a month and a half, I received a notification from customs that sunglasses are coming to me by mail from China. I thought it was mislabeled and paid the customs charges. When I picked up the package from the post office, it was the size of a sunglass case. I started researching the online store on the computer, and it seemed more awkward than I thought when buying on the phone. I found an address in one of the e-mails to which I sent a message. They apologized and said that I shouldn’t return the product because it might not make it. I called the bank and they said the card needs to be closed. In addition, a criminal report and a complaint to the bank must be filed. I paid for the return shipping to Shanghai, knowing it was unlikely to ever make it there. The email that was previously answered has been closed. Google directed me to the page I used among the first. It seems that the first snow will fall in Finland this week, but I still haven’t received the summer sandals.”

Another reader had come across the sandal scam. The same elements are repeated in the story:

“I bought inexpensive Rieker sandals for myself and my wife. In the payment transaction, a completely different amount appeared than in the shopping cart. I set out to find out what happened. I received a receipt from the seller for the purchase, and a reference to the fact that due to currency differences, the amount to be charged may not be the same. I contacted the credit card company. I had to cancel my credit and debit cards and apply for new online banking credentials. Clearing up the mess required some energy and contacts. The company sent me tracking links for purchases, which again would have required bank credentials to log in. Finally, a package came from the seller. I got it through customs, and the package contained funny children’s sunglasses.”

Riekerssuomis.com–a third reader also warns about the site’s sandals. He had also woken up to the scam when he didn’t hear the package, and closed the credit card he was using according to the bank’s instructions.

In general a recurring theme in the answers was that the consumer thought he was buying products from a well-known and reliable brand.

“I ordered the Crispi telemark monos a year ago at a good discount from the Austrian company Crispi.at–from the address. The site looked similar to

Marimekko scam site

. The order went like in other online stores, but the confirmations came from a strange address. I googled the page and found that it was a scam site somewhere in China. I immediately tried to cancel the order, but the messages were not answered. I made a complaint to the bank and my money was returned. At some point, I received a notification from customs about a shipment coming to me from outside the EU. The weight of the shipment was stated to be around one hundred grams. I called customs and heard that there was a wallet in the package. I stated that I have not ordered such a thing and I will not redeem it. Later I read online that the operator in question used to send similar small items instead of the real ones.”

This is how another reader describes his experiences:

“There was a very credible Fjällraven ad on Facebook that led to the Fjällravenclearence pages. Many products were 80 percent off. The page had the Fjällraven quality standards logos and everything. There was no confirmation of the order. After that, I took a closer look at the ad, and the comments said it was a scam. Credit card closed and replaced with a new one. Fortunately, the account had not yet been debited for anything other than one backpack.”

Recently there was a scam in the name of a company called Niemi Putiikki, which claimed that the company’s brick-and-mortar store closes. HS readers had also fallen for the scam:

“I came across an announcement on Facebook that Niemi Putiikki’s brick and mortar store in Helsinki is closing down and selling its stock at a discount. So I imagined that I was supporting a Finnish entrepreneur. I was about to order a product that, when it finally arrived, did not match the picture. The size was completely wrong. The return to China would have cost 59.90, i.e. more than I had paid for the jacket. Since then, I have received offers from them every day and messages that sound almost profane, such as ‘We miss you…’.”

Another reader had similar experiences with the scam. The “Niemi Putiikin” jacket arrived from China and did not match the order at all:

“For example, the sleeves of the jacket reached just below the elbow. I asked about the possibility of returning it, but returning it would have cost more than the entire jacket.”

One reader said that he ordered clothes from China on purpose, but still got scammed:

“The Chinese Cotosen uses images taken from other people’s catalogs as its own products. I foolishly ordered five t-shirts from there. I did get them delivered to my home, and they were nominally the shirts from the online image, but really some printed fakes that you don’t dare to wear. They went straight to the waste collection.”

Multi the reader thanked his bank for rejecting the suspicious payment. Even though the payment cards were closed, the misuse of other given information worried readers:

“A couple of weeks ago, through a Facebook ad, I ended up in a fraudulent online store under the name of Haglöfs. The site looked really believable and there were incredible offers. Fortunately, Danske Bank stopped the payment. Scared if this has consequences; we entered the name, address and phone number on the form.”

A customer who visited Marimekko’s scam website describes the bank’s reaction as follows:

“On the 15th of September, I bought a handbag at a huge discount for 29 euros. I immediately received a notification from the OP that my card has been blocked and I should contact the blocking service. That’s what I did. It turned out that the bank’s information showed an American site. I have received two notifications about the mailing of the item I bought with a link. I have deleted the messages without opening them.”

Falling victim to a scam was also seen as a learning moment in some responses:

“I went to the Marimekko scam. I realized what had happened after ordering. I immediately killed my card. I hope it prevents the data from being used. I received a notification in the e-mail that the product is on its way; let’s see if anything comes. At least not Marimekko. This was not the first scam I went to. I’m considering leaving Facebook because I let myself be fooled so easily.”

Only the comments of the respondents whose contact information is known to the editor have been used in the story. The answers have been shortened and stylized in the editorial.