Electronics & Tech
Electronics are in high demand, the brands are well known, and many buyers know the regular price. Fake shops therefore lure with a conspicuously low price. Affected above all are smartphones, headphones, games consoles, graphics cards and branded electronics.
- January
- February
- March
- April
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October
- November: peak
- December: peak
A surge before Christmas and around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, when many people are looking for electronics offers.
Two price patterns in electronics
The pattern is in the profile. Shown here as a sketch: the top bar is the usual price at well-known retailers.
Profile
- Typical products
- Smartphones, games consoles, graphics cards, headphones, TVs, robot vacuums and large appliances.
- Price pattern
- Two patterns: the blunt bait price far below the market, and the tightly calculated price just under the cheapest known retailer. The second barely stands out in a price comparison.
- What is faked
- The retailer’s identity, often using the legal notice of a real electronics retailer, plus availability notices for scarce devices and warranty promises.
Recently listed in Electronics & Tech
Directory: ElectronicsAll shops in the directoryWarning list
Typical scams in Electronics & Tech
- A cloned or short-lived shop advertises current branded devices at a price conspicuously below the market level.
- The ads run via social-media adverts or Google Shopping and disappear again after a few weeks. The shop is then no longer reachable.
- Payment is by advance bank transfer only. After paying, no delivery arrives, or a much cheaper fake or grey-import device is sent instead.
- Product photos and description texts are visibly copied from the manufacturer’s or a well-known retailer’s site.
What to watch for in Electronics & Tech
The general warning signs with examples- Current high-end devices (iPhone, PlayStation, graphics cards) are offered well below the usual price level.
- There is no manufacturer-warranty information or serial-number detail for the device.
- According to the imprint/domain registration, the shop has only existed for a few weeks.
- Payment methods with buyer protection (credit card, PayPal buyer protection) are missing.
Check a shop from this category
The shop check runs 39 check modules and explains every finding. No sign-up, no cost.
More categories
All categoriesFurniture & Home
Designer furniture, sofas and home furnishings. Long delivery times are normal here, so missing goods are noticed late.
Shoes & Fashion
Sneakers, branded clothing and accessories. Fake shops advertise them as a sale, stock clearance or remainder stock.
Tools & DIY
Branded tools from well-known manufacturers: heavily discounted and with no traceable warranty.