Tips and Trips for Identifying Scams When Online Shopping for Fedoras
Over the last several months, it has come to our attention that there has been a growing concern with a rise in fraudulent apparel websites advertising online. The aforementioned websites are advertising the products of established brands and hat makers and "selling" them for a fraction of the cost, however, the items they list a.) will be different than the items shown on their websites b.) ship from China and take weeks to deliver c.) are poorly packaged and will arrive damaged d.) are non-refundable.
It is an extremely long and arduous process to have these websites taken down by regulators, so in an attempt to help consumers avoid such scams, we have compiled a list of current sites and will continue to monitor and update periodically.
Below we have also included some helpful tips and best practices you can use to verify the legitimacy of websites when online shopping.
Fraudulent Headwear Websites
- MyHatHaven.com
- HatIndy.com
- Sweetearing.com
- Colorloox.com
- SlickDapper.com
- CraftsmanHat.com
Examples
- Different businesses advertising the same products with the same exact pictures. These photos were stolen from Etsy. The real hats are handmade and retail for $375.
- Items take 3-15 business days to ship and another 10-20 business days to be delivered, which means it could take 35 business days to receive. Always check the Shipping Policy page.
- Phone number and address are based in China. The same fake address is also listed on several of the scam websites. Always check the Contact Us page.
Additional Best Practices
- Check third party review websites, such as Trust Pilot. Several of the websites listed above have a 1 star rating and many detailed reports.
- Check the product reviews. If the website does not have any customer reviews, or the reviews seem fake, it is likely a scam.
- Look at their social media accounts. If they do not have any social media, it's usually a strong indicator that the website is not legitimate.
- Lastly, and probably the biggest indicator, if the price seems too good to be true, it probably is. Every item on the websites listed above is being "sold" at a fraction of the true cost.
We hope this helps,
The Team at Dope Headwear