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Falsche deutsche Online-Shops: So erkennt man sie

Fake “German” online shops: how to spot them

Falsche deutsche Online-Shops: So erkennt man sie

Based on reporting by tagesschau (ARD). Independently rewritten from the facts into graded German by Mitlesen — not a translation of the original article.

Many online shops look German. They have a German name and a German web address. But the companies are often based in China. The German Retail Federation (HDE) is now warning about these shops. The HDE is an association for retail in Germany. The goods are often bad. There is another problem. Sending things back to China is very expensive. That is why many people keep the bad goods. This way they lose money. Be careful when shopping online.

Falsche deutsche Online-Shops: So erkennt man sie in English

Immer mehr Online-Shops sehen auf den ersten Blick deutsch aus. Sie haben einen deutschen Namen, eine Internetadresse mit .de und deutsche Texte. In Wirklichkeit sitzen die Firmen aber oft in China. Der Handelsverband Deutschland (HDE) warnt jetzt vor solchen Shops.

More and more online shops look German at first glance. They have a German name, a web address ending in .de and German texts. In reality, however, the companies are often based in China. The German Retail Federation (HDE) is now warning about such shops.

Viele dieser Anbieter halten sich nicht an europäische Regeln. Die Ware ist oft schlechter als versprochen. Besonders Kleidung ist häufig schlecht verarbeitet und fällt kleiner aus als erwartet.

Many of these providers do not follow European rules. The goods are often worse than promised. Clothing in particular is often poorly made and turns out smaller than expected.

Wer die Ware zurückschicken will, hat ein Problem. Der Rückversand nach China ist teuer und kostet manchmal mehr, als die Ware wert ist. Viele Kunden behalten die Ware deshalb, obwohl sie ein Widerrufsrecht haben. Genau davon leben viele dieser Shops, sagt der HDE.

Anyone who wants to send the goods back has a problem. Return shipping to China is expensive and sometimes costs more than the goods are worth. Many customers therefore keep the goods, even though they have a right of withdrawal. That is exactly what many of these shops live on, says the HDE.

Der Verband empfiehlt einen Blick ins Impressum: Dort steht, wo die Firma ihren Sitz hat. Liegt der Sitz oder die Rücksendeadresse in China, ist Vorsicht angebracht. Warnsignale sind auch lange Lieferzeiten, Hinweise auf den Zoll und Fehler in der Sprache. Vorsicht gilt, wenn man nur mit Kreditkarte, Vorkasse oder Kryptowährung bezahlen kann.

The federation recommends a look at the legal notice: it shows where the company is based. If the company's seat or the return address is in China, caution is advised. Warning signs also include long delivery times, references to customs and mistakes in the language. Be careful if you can only pay by credit card, prepayment or cryptocurrency.

Hilfreich ist eine kurze Suche im Internet mit dem Namen des Shops und dem Wort „Erfahrungen“. Die Verbraucherzentralen warnen außerdem vor Shops mit extrem niedrigen Preisen, vor allem in sozialen Medien. Die Verbraucherzentrale Hamburg führt eine Liste mit Shops, die man meiden sollte.

A quick internet search with the shop's name and the word “reviews” is helpful. Consumer advice centres also warn about shops with extremely low prices, especially on social media. The consumer advice centre in Hamburg keeps a list of shops that are better avoided.

Der HDE sieht das Vertrauen in den Online-Handel in Gefahr. Er fordert deshalb, dass die Behörden gegen diese Anbieter vorgehen.

The HDE sees trust in online retail at risk. It therefore demands that the authorities take action against these providers.

Source: tagesschau (ARD) — all-rights-reserved. Facts adapted into graded German by Mitlesen.

Cover image: "Middle-aged woman holding a credit card and smartphone on the laptop" by Shixart1985 — CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons) — source.

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