As a natural handmade soap maker or Etsy business, you work hard to create your product, take great photos, spend time marketing by writing amazing product descriptions and rejoice as each order trickles into your business...then something wonderful happens!! You receive an amazingly huge order from overseas...YES! But NO...it may not be what it seems. Unfortunately, fraudulent orders and scams often target small handmade companies, hoping to taking advantage of a small business owner’s excitement and dedication to growing their business. This happened to me only recently and I want to share my experience with you...just in case you too are targeted! I felt so excited when I saw the following email from the contact page on this website. Name Schuyler Bedge Comment Hello, I want to order from you company to my store in Spain, And do you accept credit card as form of payment? i will be waiting to read back from you at your earliest convenience. Schuyler slinashoppe@gmail.com I replied ... Hello Schuyler thank you for your enquiry. I do offer payment via credit card. I would be happy to hear more from you and hope to be able to offer you what you need. best wishes Janine Sounds good so far:) My main concern was how much I had in stock and postage costs. So I awaited a further response, and it was then that my alarm bells went off! You know those metaphorical alarms that reside somewhere inside your brain or gut or both...well they just began to have a party! This was the email response I received... Hello, Thanks for your reply back. Its a pleasure receiving your reply back. I want to order for the below items for my customer's here, I want you to reply back with the total cost plus shipping quote. We're ready and can't wait to receive these wonderful products of yours here. Your utmost reply back with the total quote will be highly appreciated. THE ITEMS I'M INTERESTED IN ORDERING FOR IS LISTED BELOW AND ALSO MY ADDRESS FOR THE SHIPPING QUOTE::: Chocolate soap gift box QTY ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::20 Australian Eucalyptus Soap with Lavender flowers, Eucalyptus soap, Lavender flower, Vegan Bar Soap, No Palm Oil, etsyau, Australian soap QTY ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::20 Castile soap,Castile soap with Lavender, Lavender soap, Pure Olive Oil soap, natural vegan soap, etsyau, Australian seller, bar soap QTY ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::20 Vanilla Body Lotion, Mothers Day, Vanilla Body, Vanilla body moisturiser, etsyau QTY ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::20 Organic Antioxidant Facial Oil,Organic facial serum,organic skincare,Organic Antioxidant Radiance Oil, Certified organic oil QTY ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::20 Gift box 3 Soap Set, Christmas Gift, Teacher' Gift, 3 Soaps in a gift box,Sampler soap Gift Set, Soap Gift Box, Australian seller, etsyau TY ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::20 Damask Rose Handmade Soap Bar, Damask Rose soap, Vegan Handmade soap, Rose Soap QTY ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::20 Coconut Soap,Natural coconut cream soap with organic coconut, handmade natural soap, bar soap QTY ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::20 ...ADDRESS FOR THE SHIPPING QUOTE........ Calle de Atocha, 415, 28012 Madrid, Spain Hope to read back from you with the total cost and we can proceed and finalized my order. God bless you, Schuyler. My first reaction was panic!! I can't possibly supply this much product in less than six weeks!! What to do? Then...my brain kicked in! On re-reading I noticed what should have been immediately obvious...the grammar, spelling and punctuation, the cut and paste form, and the overly eager nature of the request. So I did a bit of detective work. Here is some information from the Modern Soap Making website that will help you, like me, be able to identify and avoid the scammer! Interestingly, the information below dealt with this exact same fraudulent scammer!! Here’s some red flags you should look out for before you get too excited about large international orders:
Before fulfilling a large international order, you want to make sure that:
So, how do these scams and fraudulent orders play out? Scammers use stolen credit cards to purchase your items, and pressure you to ship quickly. In the end, the scammer receives your products, while you receive no cashola (or worse, a giant chargeback.) Ouch. Scammers may also request you to overcharge a credit card and pay a third party shipper or freight company (a fake one, at that.) When the chargeback on the card comes through, you are out your product AND the money you sent to the fraudulent third party. When it comes down to it, listen to your instincts. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! Well, I had a happy ending and did not fall into the too good to be true dollar trap! I replied to the above email with some strict guidelines as to how I would proceed with the order, stating I would only consider payment through direct deposit and tracked shipping with Australia Post...needless to say, all has been quiet from this scammer:) Have you received any fraudulent orders? Or worse...did you find out when it was too late? I would love to hear your experience. Thank you to these websites for their information and help in identifying this Fraudulent Purchaser.
http://steepster.com/discuss/12498-does-anyone-know-a-private-shipping-company-x-press-freight-forwarder-inc-dot?page=2&post_id=197303 http://www.modernsoapmaking.com/about-modern-soapmaking/ http://eepurl.com/bmTubr
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JanineHi! Welcome to my Soapy Conversations about Soap and AllSorts of other Topics! I live in NSW Australia and I am a mother of five, Grandmother of Five and I sponsor seven children through Compassion Australia. I love making soap, reading, teaching English, and being an Advocate for children and women living in poverty. Archives
April 2016
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