BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
If a deal sounds too good to be true it probably is. There have been a growing number of fake online bike shops cheating would-be bike buyers out of cash, and now Scott is taking action against some of the fraudulent websites.
Many of the fake sites advertise on Facebook, promising discounts on big-name brands of 80 percent or more. Scott is warning consumers those who make payments on such fraudulent websites will never receive the ordered goods.
"As an innovative brand, Scott has faced legal issues with product piracy and fake suppliers for a long time," said Scott’s brand director Reto Aeschbacher. "There is an emerging number of well-organised online fake shops with a criminal intent luring consumers – they look quite authentic at first sight."
The frauds open new ‘shops" by changing URLs but keeping the website layouts and designs. The fake sites usually use genuine graphics, but deeply discounted prices that lure in the unwary.
Scott, like some other brands, is warning consumers to only purchase via authorized dealers, sourced via the mothership website.
