As suggested here, this thread will be a megathread to ask whether a particular site is legitimate.
Any individual posts will be merged into here, in the future.
[Megathread] Is This Site Legit/Real?
hamza23 on 02/09/2021 - 12:18
Comments
Thanks for checking that. It's looking dodgy.
Question is though, is a (most likely fake) ABN and store, with address enough to trick JB or Bing Lee into giving me a price match 🤣
@swoit: Yep! The Good Guys said they couldn’t match it but they could offer $799. $50 more at time of posting for what I was looking at.
Yep only payment method is direct transfer of funds which you would never see again or the item purchased. It's appearing on front of google searches for a Hisense tv I was looking at. These scamming little ….
This store has been banned on Ozbargain.
Merged from https://ontreegold.com.au/ any good?
hi all,
A family member asked me if they could purchase a Necklace from this site.
Not sure if there enough red flags to avoid shopping there ( yahoo email for contact us page). Is there anything else i need to consider?
Thanks
Looks like a dodgy dropshipper of cheap tat. Wouldn't spend $10 there.
thanks
Perhaps OPs family member likes cheap tat?
It's not even a real website, just a shopify store that anyone can set up.
Oh come on man…
Forget it.. save your hard earn $.
Do you really have to ask?
Even if it was a website selling $1 items, I would have nope'd out of there in an instant. Let alone $500 necklaces and bracelets.
But, is there enough red flags?
Depends how many you really need to say no. One should be enough but some require Alibaba warehouse quantities.
Merged from Anyone heard of Doddsby.com Appliance Store?
Anyone heard of or dealt with [Doddsby] (www.doddsby.com) located in Molong (near Orange NSW)? Their prices are 30 percent less for a TV I'm looking at and they offer free delivery Australia wide but I'm hesitant to pull the trigger because the deal seems to big to be true.
Someone else asked the same question yesterday.
I would agree with the earlier assessment that it is definitely not a legitimate store. I mean, their supposed address is for the Molong Newsagency and an Australia Post LPO, and there is no evidence they’re also running an appliance store or a drop-shipping operation from that same location.
Thanks, when I searched to see if any previous posts had been made about this business, nothing came up for me. Will be steering clear of them.
Merged from Bano Financial - Dodgy or Legit?
This company popped up on an Instagram ad offering 2% interest rates and 1.8% cashback on all transactions but the website seems pretty dodgy. Limited information and they don't hold an AFSL, no reviews either and their "most innovative fintech" award seems to have been given by a no-name company that writes blogspam (https://www.wealthandfinance-news.com/issues/fintech-awards-…).
Anyone heard of them or have further info?
It's ok. It's regulated.
Bano Regultory Governance
Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)
Australian Transaction Analysis and Reporting Center (AUSTRAC)
Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA)There’s no shortage of get rich quick fintech schemes on the market. They pop up every day. They might be legit but might also not exist tomorrow.
That review website looks like the fake “this is the best VPN” review ones. All self serving by one of the companies.
Does anyone know if the below website is real/ has anyone bought a e gift card from them?
https://seniorshopper.ambassadorcard.com.au/results.php?stat…
Looking to buy a coles e gift card which is 4% discount
However at the payment page it says "If lost in transit, Gift Cards cannot be replaced or cancelled."
Thanks
Merged from How to Figure out if a Website Is a Scam
Hi,
I was doing some online shopping and came up on something that looks like a good deal but too good of a deal.
However the website looks legit and it even has paypal (which makes it fairly simple to refund). I'm not super tech savy, so I looked it up on who.is but it says WHOIS data currently unavailable. Any tips on how to spot an scammy website from a real oneit's overstoc(k).com.au but without the k or brackets
(Also not sure if I can name the website or if that's doxxing)
Here's their ABN from the WHOIS… A sole trader, registered for GST for a couple of years which suggests legit:
https://abr.business.gov.au/ABN/View/87823526320No contact info on the site which is annoying… Either a backyarder or a drop shipper I assume…
interesting. might purchase a smaller thing with paypal and find out.
thanks!Paypal would be wise…
@FLICKIT: so the t shirt was fake, i wonder if they'll uphold their refund policy or if I'll have to do a paypal refund
@fishingfordeals: That sucks, expected from this type of retailer I guess… If you need to ship it back make use of the Paypal Refunded Returns system, they'll cover return shipping costs up to $45 (you have to activate refunded-returns on your account first)
A sole trader with a shopify store. That's a pretty low bar for legitness imo.
I also look at the domain dates. Scam sites are usually new and don't last long. A recent date would make me wait a while.
From what I can tell, looks like their facebook is:
https://www.facebook.com/overstoc/
With a response from a week ago, of someone asking where's their stuff and the owner replying back.
I did see one review in:
https://www.scamadviser.com/check-website/overstoc.com.au
Regarding smell a mould.
So it seems like people are getting their orders, good or bad. So as the person above said, I'd imagine its a drop shipper or package forwarding.
I've ordered a tshirt just to test it out (hopefully no mould) but interesting they've got some sort of online presence and it still feels scammy. Could defs be a drop shipper.
Probably as legit as Guci. Com
Personally I wouldn't go for it. Buying from a dropshipper means either you're not getting the brand you think (knock-off), or shipping could take ages, or you're paying too much
Find the same thing on AliExpress and it's likely half the price
yeah their t shirt was fake, time for a refund lol
Merged from Are Bundi Pet Supplies a fraudulent company?
I've been looking into Bundi Pet Supplies and something seems fishy. Struggling to find any positive information about them.
Then why are you buying?
Pet supplies… Fishy… Lol
This is the ABN linked to the site
So many business names from only 2020 onwards, with Bundi being barely 12 months old…
Wouldn't touch it
https://bundipet.com.au/pages/contact-us
Call centre is temporarily closed due to Covid-19
Lol…
They've posted here before but no reports of anyone ordering and receiving their stuff
Low feedback on eBay
What do you mean, their website says 2018 ;)
© 2018 Bundi Pet Supplies
They also have a rep here who has posted using OzCat Pet Supplies and Bundi Pet, with mixed votes.
Edit: Ahh, you edited! :D
Merged from Is It a Scam Site? - https://clickhomeexpress.com.au/
I may have been sucked into too good of a bargain.
Has anyone had any experience with this "Australian" shopping site?
I made an order over a week ago which is yet to be fulfilled and the contact number gets sent to an overseas call centre that just gets details and "passes on the info".
Email correspondence is a generic type, "we'll look into it and get back to you", "it takes 5 days to confirm a credit card payment"
It seems to be a legit company but they only started Aug 2021:
https://abr.business.gov.au/ABN/View?id=23652677284Looking over their website they look like one of those typical borderline shonky ebay type sellers selling cheap chinese crap.. Chances are you'll get your goods…
Personally I wouldn't shop with them due to no Paypal…
- Facebook page created in April
- Looks like email only contact
ABN/ACN registered in 2015, surprisingly
Goodmayes Online is Australia's leading online computer, Laptop and accessories store. Buy Best Computers, Servers, Laptops at best Price with Industry Experts. - Lol then why has no one ever heard of it…?!
- Bogus address listed on Google - Address: Suite G03 Aero Building, 247 Coward St, Mascot NSW 2020
I'd stay away if I was you. How the hell did you come across them?!
Merged from Nab-Coins Crypto Trading
I have recently signed up with nab-coins trading platform.
They claim they use their arbitrage software for trading so we are not at loss anytime we place a trade/contract.Have invested ~3000USD , and the expert person I am in touch with helped me gain some profits.
Deposited money through FTX exchange.However, this so called expert states they operate from London, not a registered business under FCA when I checked.
I am from Melbourne, Australia and they have been calling me using an Australian number everytime they contact me.
Person's name is very English but they do not sound like an English when they talk
The times they ring me in Australian time, normally odd hours in London time.
Please advise if anyone has had experienced nab-coins trading platform, is this a scam??? I am not sure
is this a scam??? I am not sure
Test by taking your Principal money out, and report back.
Australian number everytime they contact me
Its not hard to use Aussie numbers these days, call centres been doing this for years. I have even noticed calls from Aussie mobile numbers but from overseas.
Looks pretty scammy based on Trustpilot reviews. https://au.trustpilot.com/review/www.nab-coins.com
All the positive reviews sound like ads.
I can look into this for you, but I'll need $50 for some expenses to get started.
So nothing to to do with NAB (National Australia Bank) then?
There's no shortage of these me-too get-rich-quick Fintech companies popping up promising the world. They are not regulated and your money is not safe if they disappear overnight.
Having a multiple timezone call center and redirecting calls through a local number should not impress you.
This looks so dodgy that the forum post should come with a warning.
They claim they use their arbitrage software for trading so we are not at loss anytime we place a trade/contract.
If you believe this then you need to get out.
100% it's a scam. If they were genuinely able to make an arbitrage profit they would make the trade themselves. Also they're not regulated in the UK or anywhere else.
Their MO will be to guide you through some 'trades' which are successful, then encourage you to deposit more money.
Guess what happens when you try to withdraw? They'll ghost you and you've got no recourse
thanks. Any tips on how I can withdraw my capital money?
say bye bye to your monies :)
Maybe OP didn't put $250K into building their dream home, seem to have ghosted from that post too.
EDIT: the only person OP replied to is now DisabledUser100949, it seems to be baity too - lol…
Dream home is built. And yes under 250K. :)
Mate, iM just frustated at my stupidity in investing 3K into this scam site.
Appreciate any help re: getting this money backThank you
I swear to god if I don't get my $50 I'm going to neg you all into oblivion.
This is spam.
God I hope this is a joke post. The only thing they are nab-bing is your money.
Forgot to check the associated box …
Creation Date: 2022-01-24T19:59:15
Dumping US$3k into a 5 month old website… that's gonna end well
This is a completely SCAM WEBSITE. Please don't transfer any money to them.
First, the address online is a fake one, you cannot find a store on google map.
Second, the phone number online is a fake one too, you cannot reach them.
Third, I made an order online, and they asked me to transfer the money to a weird bank account - This is a red flag already! Normally, the website can directly make the payment.
And it has been 2 months, they haven't post any thing to me and I try to find them, but no one reply to me.
Please bear in mind, this is a completely SCAM WEBSITE, I dont' want anyone more to be scammed!!!This is the scammer's information!!!
- Holder: Despina Gagaridis (exactly like that)
- Account number: 459613193
- BSB: 193879
- Reference : Order Number (only the order number)
- Description : Order Number (only the order number)
- Bank: Bank of Melbourne
And what website is that?
Kinda pointless to register just to post this comment without advising what the website is 🤦🏽♂️
Merged from Is Umart Legit and Reliable
Is Umart legit and reliable to buy items from since I'm interested in buying an RTX 3070ti from them tomorrow??
Yes.
They're definitely legit. Many deals of theirs have been posted here and they have physical shops you can Click and Collect from. I got my monitor from them
umart is good, been around for yonks
Yep and yep.
Merged from Has Anyone Purchased Software from Live Tech?
I'm looking to buy a copy of ESET NOD32 and noticed that live-tech.in from a Google search sells it much cheaper ($6.33 1 PC/3 years vs RRP $50 for 1 yr) which seems a little too good to be true.
But has anyone ever bought from here and were they okay?
https://live-tech.in/product/eset-nod32-antivirus-latest-ver…
Eset Authorized Partner
Lol I highly doubt that
Merged from Smerq.com - Scam of Deal of the day?
anyone used the site smerq.com before?
there doesn't appear to be much about it online
they are having a ridiculous sale on at the moment but you might be buying a fantasy
https://smerq.com/search?q=smartphone&options%5Bprefix%5D=la…
"Met West Communications" are listed at the address given on their website.
https://www.yellowpages.com.au/nsw/woolooware/met-west-commu…
merge death
called the number and got a machine re met west communications, looks like a business focused communications infrastructure supplier
don't appear to be a drop shipper at all
im going to put it down as "definitely a scam", surprisingly someone voted "i've used them before without issue" lol
i guess we'll know in about an hour when their currently sale expires, if it's a scam it'll just loop
just used TOR and the sale counter reset haha
Looks like a scam to me too.
yeah, it's definitely a scam
i was so looking forward to buying a cheap mobile to hold me over until the pixel 7
they come up often enough here on OzB mate, you'll get one.
Looks pretty dodgy but a lot of gym equipment sites are poorly designed. It's only a couple hundred cheaper but maybe that's to make it seem legit? Cheers.
The website is 19 days old.
There is no address on the website (only suburb, not matching registrant info).
There is no ABN listed.The domain is listed with the following registrant:
Registrant Name: christine Meyer
Registrant Organization: sydney rowers
Registrant Street: 10 lincoln road
Registrant City: sydney
Registrant State/Province: vic
Registrant Postal Code: 2010
Registrant Phone: +61.41098098716 (how many numbers?!)(10 Lincoln Rd, Port Macquarie, New South Wales 2022 vs 10 Lincoln road, Sydney, Victoria 2010)
Aside from the potential issues you pointed out, purposely false contact info = scam.
Thought so cheers mate. They really are branching out these days. Was so much easier when scams were mostly electronic products.
Merged from Is This Site Legit for Electric Bikes in Ireland?
I am interested in this e-bike store. The store is based in Ireland.
This bike looks like a good deal:
https://www.pogocycles.com/products/engwe-ep-2-pro-upgraded-…
Hoping they ship to Australia.
You'd never buy something like that internationally… There appears to be an Aussie store selling them, info here:
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/675361(Damn heavy and I wouldn't put too much faith in their claimed range)
Edit: there's also:
https://engwe-au.com/The store is based in Ireland.
Website was registered in Iceland, and only in October last year
Must be a scam?
It appears they don't even ship to Australia so it's odd you'd be asking about them, and even if they did ship to Aus, once you add shipping, GST, and the likes, the price would be significantly higher than the advertised price..
Or was this a bit of a dodgy backdoor way of advertising the Aussie seller?
Can someone check further https://www.ozbargain.com.au/deals/bluettipower.com.au
This store is currently BANNED on OzBargain.
Reason: Lack of business details - Displays GST-exclusive prices, unknown overseas telephone number, no ABN, no address, e-mail address goes overseas, broken social media links Expiry: permanentIt was last checked in march 2022.
I've done a partial check at https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/12440220/redir
It's a .com.au which needs have an abn/acn to register the domain.
If you use whois.auda.org.au you'll see an australian company owns it - acn 603238722
TOPNETS TECHNOLOGY PTY LTD
and it also has an australian business address now - https://www.bluettipower.com.au/pages/contact
I've done a partial check at
You're already running a discussion there with Neil, you don't need it here too
acn 603238722
It's odd that ACN doesn't come up on the Gov register:
https://abr.business.gov.au/ABN/View?id=603238722and "TOPNETS TECHNOLOGY PTY LTD" doesn't come up either…
And the TOPNETS TECHNOLOGY PTY LTD Fakebook page
https://www.facebook.com/Topnet-Technology-Co-Ltd-1375535372…
Gives this website which seems to be for a chinese casino website:
http://www.topnetlink.com/I suspect Bluettipower has used any old ACN to get their .com.au address and the reality is they do not have a physical presence in Australia…
and I'd put money on it if you went to their claimed address you would find no sign of them there:
Unit 15, 25 Gibbes Street Chatswood NSW 2067
(google show that address as a clothing outlet but that info is a couple of years old)It all seems shady and the ban here appears justified to me…
FYI the ACN comes up on an ASIC search, though yes they usually have a matching company name on an ABN
Name: TOPNETS TECHNOLOGY PTY LTD
ACN: 603 238 722
Registration date: 5/12/2014
Next review date: 5/12/2022
Status: Registered
Type: Australian Proprietary Company, Limited By Shares
Locality of registered office: CHATSWOOD NSW 2067
Regulator: Australian Securities & Investments CommissionThe rest of your comment, 100% agree
Not even sure how this member came across fhe site to the point of registering for referral
Registrant Contact Name: WeiQun Wen
Registrant Contact Email: [email protected]
Tech Contact ID: WMW34494946328
Tech Contact Name: WeiQun Wen
Tech Contact Email: [email protected]This looks like a Chinese ISP from what I can tell
No…