Warning: Avoid Swipe Auctions (swipeauctions.com) Scam

marleyboy

Well they certainly do stand out like a beacon, at least to us MSErs.

purplepardalis

It's just a shame that so many people will fall for it. Outfits like this make my blood boil. Taking advantage of the desperate and those without the ability to understand that they are being taken for a ride.

competitionscafe

Here are more of Swipeauctions scammy ads leading to a fake news site and then on to swipeauctions.com:






Ad on Facebook for SwipeAuctions scam - more here, including one using an image of Stephen Fry!

The "newsreader" on the first ad and on the fake news sites is French newsreader Melissa Theuriau whose image has been used (no doubt without her permission) for work at home scams, acai berry scams, teeth whitening scams, colon cleansing scams - and now for swipe auction scams!

See newspaper articles: : The face that launched a global advertising scam and Netting web scammers.

and also:
http://trialsandtribulationsofanaverageguy.blogspot.com/2010/02/scam-news-websites.html

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/06/fake_news

competitionscafe

hernanSA wrote: »

Being a top manager of the company, I can guarantee that we are doing our very best to achieve the highest levels of customers service, along with becoming a BBB member.

Really - interesting how there are 2612 complaints to the BBB regarding your parent company and it's associated businesses:
http://www.bbb.org/edmonton/business-reviews/health-and-medical-products-scientifically-unproven/1021018-alberta-ltd-in-sherwood-park-ab-153474

In any case BBB membership seem hardly worth the paper it's not written on:
"A former journalist who has been sounding an alarm about the BBB's A to F letter-grading system signed up a fake company named Hamas -- a hard-to-miss reference to the "terrorist network" -- by paying $425 to the Better Business Bureau in Los Angeles. The bureau gave the non-existent company, which said on its site that it provides "educational programs for troubled youth," an A- rating."
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/09/14/better-business-bureau-risks-losing-credibility-over-ratings-co/

Swipebids/SwipeAuctions already has over 150 complaints and a B- rating (ie lower than the fictional company Hamas!)

I would love to see independent verification/proof of SwipeAuctions claimed 1 million users as well as of your claimed "winners" particularly of high ticket items (cars, ipads etc).

competitionscafe

Another ad for the Swipebids / Swipeauctions scam, this one targeted at the UK with UK prices and using BBC, ITN and Sky News logos:



(Of course Swipe Auctions has never been seen on BBC, ITN or Sky News) but that's no problem for the swipe auction scammers who even claim that their site is "endorsed by the BBC, New York Times and Rolling Stone magazine" ! :
http://i915.photobucket.com/albums/ac355/scamscreenshots/swipebidschat2.jpg

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krucker

HarnaSA - (supposed Head of Public Relations for SwipeAuctions.com)

If you are willing to stand behind your words, then please answer the following two complaints:

1) It is apparent to me that your company is intentionally deceptive about charging membership fees to bid on items from your website. The order form I filled out did not have any disclosure that I was being charged a membership fee. I was under the impression that I was simply registering to be able to submit bids. There was notification elsewhere that I could pay $159 for up to 300 bids, but that was on a different part of the web page. When I was told that I had just paid $159, I clicked on a customer service link that said "Billing Questions", which pulled up a graphic of an order form showing where the disclosure had been made; however, that was a different order form than the one I filled out. Further, when I made a complaint via your LIVE CHAT, I was provided with a link to yet another order form graphic that was different than the other two noted above. So, I was presented with 3 different order forms that were all differenet specifically with respect to the disclosure of any membership fees. How can this be viewed as anything other than an attempt to deceive potential customers. This is fraud.

2) When I requested a refund from your company, I was told that I would need to download and mail in a form, and then wait 15 days after you receive it before I would receive any refund. I was told that you needed an actual hand-written signature. I explained to the customer service representative that I had not provided an "actual hand-written signature" when you fraudulently processed a payment on my behalf for $159, and so you would NOT need to get an "actual hand-written signature" from me in order to process a refund. The customer service agent was completely unhelpful and unable to do anything whatsoever to help me.

Can you respond to these please? I have the screenshots as well as a transcript of the LIVE CHAT session to prove my accusations.

KevInChester

we are able to achieve such low prices because our members have to pay a registration fee, before been able to take advantage in our auctions.

Should have paid more attention at 'Scamming University'!

competitionscafe

krucker wrote: »

Can you respond to these please? I have the screenshots as well as a transcript of the LIVE CHAT session to prove my accusations.

I doubt 'Hernan' (or whatever his/her real name is) will be back to respond - even if they do return they will just ignore any "awkward" questions such as why they don't accept paypal or mastercard (paypal users can dispute charges more easily, mastercard blacklisted/closed their merchant account?) or why they use a UK Ltd company name and address when they are in Alberta Canada; or why Swipe Auctions use fake (doctored photoshop) photos and testimonials in their advertising:
http://strangelyperfect.tv/7955/facebook-msnbc-jesse-willms-swipe-auctions-and-doctored-photos/

extent

KevInChester wrote: »

Should have paid more attention at 'Scamming University'!

lol

perhaps similar to all the genuine mobile companies out there with their "unlimited" usage deals, its probably going to get harder and harder to take any action upon all scam sites, if they are able to state any lies they wish in the advertising in order to entice customers with false claims and avoid ever having to refund :mad: as long as they state the truth in the very small print that most new customers wont read in full. I almost fell for swipe auctions too, its too good to be true in what it offers, yes, but some of its advertising looked pretty genuine- with some well-done fairly professional video 'news reports' from 'the times' etc, stating how much you could save if you became a member. This company operates under more than one label, but you only have to enter "swipe auctions scam" or "swipe bids scam" into youtube to find out the truth.

krucker-in being able to make payments without needing a hand written signature, yet need one in order to obtain any refund, I would talk to someone working in law to find out what your options are. if the company had anything in their small print to be able to work their way around any refund possibilities when you clicked on "I agree" in first signing up, you may be stuck, but good luck

BenEvans

Doh! I almost fell for this lot but thought I'd have a quick check on them first....

I thought that as they advertised on Google and Facebook they would be legit (I've advertised on Google myself and know they can be very stringent when reviewing sites they allow to sign-up). Oh well; yet more proof - as if it were needed - that if something seems too good to be true it invariably is.