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Tyre manufacturer Schwalbe has issued a warning over online stores that falsely claim to stock its products.
The German brand has issued a statement alerting consumers about fake online stores that have been defrauding customers, who may pay money but never receive goods.
Schwalbe said it has taken measures to try to combat these fraudulent sales, including monitoring websites that contain the name of the company, and also taking action against fake online stores.
The brand said that several cases against fraudulent online sellers have already been successful, with the sites being shut down as a result.
In a statement shared with the media, Schwalbe said: “Schwalbe warns against online stores that falsely refer to the Schwalbe brand without actually offering Schwalbe products. In recent months, several cases have occurred in which e-commerce sites make reference to Schwalbe in prominent places: with the logo, product photos or even entire item descriptions. This suggests that it is an official Schwalbe store. These deceptively genuine-looking fakeshops are used to defraud buyers, who pay money but never receive any goods.
“To protect its clientele from fraud, Schwalbe has taken various measures. Firstly, a permanent domain monitoring program is underway, which searches the Internet for sites that make reference to Schwalbe and thus create the impression that they have a business relationship with the brand. At the same time, the family-owned company takes legal action against all fakeshops. Several cases have already been successfully concluded in this way and the sites are no longer accessible.”
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Schwalbe said its official website can be found at www.schwalbe.com, and in Europe products can only be purchased through retailers and wholesalers.
The brand issued three tips for consumers to ensure online stores are genuine:
- Checking the payment methods (be careful if only prepayment is possible).
- Test call in case of doubts, since fakeshop numbers often go nowhere
- Checking commercial register numbers
