Recognising fake shops: seven checking steps before you buy

First: check the legal notice for complete particulars – company name, legal form, address, register court, register number and VAT identification number. Second: look up the register particulars independently in the commercial register. Third: check the age of the domain; shops only a few weeks old with a large range are conspicuous. Fourth: compare prices with the market level, bearing in mind that prices permanently far below it are not an offer, but a finding.

Fifth: look at the methods of payment. If only advance payment is offered – sometimes only at the last step, after buyer-protection options were previously displayed – that is a warning signal in its own right. Sixth: look for reviews outside the site, not on it. Seventh: test the contact channels; a shop without a reachable telephone number and with contact only via a form is practically unreachable if a dispute arises.