Be careful of fake shops when buying bikes online

Be careful of fake shops when buying bikes online

With spring, many people's desire to take their bikes out of winter storage and upgrade them increases. But caution is advised when looking for new bikes or accessories, warns the Hamburg consumer advice center. Fraudulent online retailers lure consumers with supposedly cheap offers for high-quality bicycles, e-bikes and accessories from brand manufacturers. After payment, however, the rude awakening comes: the ordered goods are not delivered and the online shop is suddenly no longer accessible. The suspicious shops include eradprofi.com, gravelbikede.com, fahrradmeierigm.com and bikeboys-onlineshop.net.

It is recommended not to place orders with these questionable merchants as payment is usually made by bank transfer or credit card, which makes it difficult to recover the money. Consumers should be particularly careful when buying seasonal goods and check potential fake shops carefully. According to Julia Rehberg from the Hamburg Consumer Center, it is advisable to check the shop particularly carefully if there are attractive offers.

To recognize fake shops, a superficial look at the imprint is no longer enough, as many fake online shops are professionally designed. It is recommended to check the company's commercial registration number in the commercial register portal and call the telephone number from the legal notice. It can also be helpful to consult the Hamburg Consumer Center's list of fake shops. If goods have already been ordered from a fake shop, it is recommended that you contact the credit institution and try to get the money back and immediately file a criminal complaint with the police, for example with the police online station in Hamburg.