Urgent warning to shoppers about online ‘ghost stores' scamming unsuspecting Aussies
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) received more than 360 complaints about 60 retailers that operate as ghost stores in this year alone.
The ACCC alleges ghost stores operate by claiming to be a local Aussie business claiming to see high-quality items, often in a closing down sale, offering bargain prices.
However, they instead offer low-quality items.
Appearing on Sunrise on Friday, retail expert Gary Mortimer explained the goods are often just shipped from China, India, Pakistan or Bangladesh, or other countries with a large textile base.
'They're really difficult to identify,' Mortimer said.
'I guess the first one is there is no physical location. So, having a brand name with the words Sydney, Melbourne, Byron Bay or Adelaide in it. When you go to Google Maps you will find the brand doesn't have a physical location.
'You will notice on the website has no phone number only email address or a box that you can ask questions from. You can take the brand name and put it into the ABN search.
'You will realise quickly it doesn't have an Australian business number or alternatively put it into Scamwatch to see what Scamwatch detects, whether it's a dodgy site or not.'
The commission specifically issued public warning notices about everly-melbourne.com, willowandgrace-adelaide.com, sophie-claire.com and doublebayboutique.com.
Ghost stores also refuse refunds or only offer partial refunds to consumers who complain about the inferior quality of the goods compared to what is advertised, or do not respond to complaints at all.
Mortimer said to be careful if the prices are too good to be true.
'They also seem to put big sales on,' he said.
'They infer its Italian shows or a French-made product.
'They use story telling. there will be an AI image. They're low cost. Significant savings.'
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