Is this website a scam?

The_Machine

Looking into buying a new lens for my camera and came across this site which seems suspiciously cheap and suspiciously absent from Google searches.

www.wells-cameras.com

Some points which arouse suspicion:
Street address is in Tunbridge Wells and Google Streetview shows Adams Photographic shop front.
Telephone number has a Cardiff area code.
www.Redboxcameras.com also lists the same street address as Wells-Cameras, but the prices on its website are relatively expensive (even compared to Jessops) and roughly double those at Wells-Cameras.

All seems too fishy to trust. Common sense screams "SCAM" but I don't know how to check to find out for sure. Does anyone know this retailer, or can anyone confirm it is a scam?

alanobrien

It all looks a bit to shiny and new for my liking..........


Registrar: FastDomain Inc.
Provider Name....: Netfirms, Inc.
Provider Whois...: whois.fastdomain.com
Provider Homepage: netfirms.com

Domain Name: WELLS-CAMERAS.COM

Created on..............: 2011-07-22 09:55:14 GMT
Expires on..............: 2012-07-22 09:55:14 GMT
Last modified on........: 2011-07-29 14:54:45 GMT

Registrant Info: (FAST-12785284)
Fastdomain.com
Fastdomain Inc
1958 South 950 East
Provo, Utah 84606
United States
Phone: +1.8017659400
Fax..: +1.8017651992
Email:
Last modified: 2010-12-06 18:57:03 GMT

Administrative Info: (FAST-12785284)
Fastdomain.com
Fastdomain Inc
1958 South 950 East
Provo, Utah 84606
United States
Phone: +1.8017659400
Fax..: +1.8017651992
Email:
Last modified: 2010-12-06 18:57:03 GMT

Technical Info: (FAST-12785284)
Fastdomain.com
Fastdomain Inc
1958 South 950 East
Provo, Utah 84606
United States
Phone: +1.8017659400
Fax..: +1.8017651992
Email:
Last modified: 2010-12-06 18:57:03 GMT

Status: Locked

Domain servers in listed order:

NS33.DOMAINCONTROL.COM
NS34.DOMAINCONTROL.COM

Coopdivi

I can confirm that the website is a forgery so thanks The_Machine for bringing this to everyone's attention.

This is how I found out: When I clicked on the Shipping tab my status bar showed me that I was actually connected to a website called Best-technology-shop.com. It's a dormant website but when I looked at the Google listings for it, Scamchecker.com (which itself has a poor reputation but that's another story) said 'They are collecting credit card numbers. They advertise ridiculously low prices for camera gear, and get you to put in a credit card number which they refuse. They then email asking for bank account numbers so they can "save you 17.5%" in credit card fees!'

When I looked at the Terms and Conditions it had an address in Totton, Hampshire and the name Red Box Computer Solutions Ltd. This is actually a computer repair shop. The Ts and Cs also say 'Read the terms & conditions of purchase and for the use of ht.com.au.' Ht.com.au is a legitimate Australian camera retailer. There is a reference to Best Technology's returns policy as well as one to Wells Cameras privacy policy.

The email address for sales @ wells-cameras.com is actually for sales @ best-technology-shop.com

The proof of the pudding though is in the buying process. I used a load of made up personal guff from a very useful website called Fake Name Generator.

http://www.fakenamegenerator.com/gen-random-en-uk.php

But before I could enter my credit card details I got a screen which said:

Please transfer full amount of you order International Bank Transfer Details

---

Bank Barclays Bank Address 403 Holloway Road, London, United Kingdom, N7 6HL Account WELLS CAMERAS LTD SWIFT/BIC BARC GB22 IBAN GB37 BARC 2046 5703 3782 25 Sort Code: 20-46-57 Account number: 03378225 Please transfer full amount of you order

---

Important! Please notify our billing department by e-mail:[email address removed][/email] on the day you wire your payment. Please reference you Order Number when making a payment via Wire Transfer. This information is very important in order to properly credit your account.

http://www.wells-cameras.com/index.php?route=checkout/success

Clicking the Continue button at the bottom just took me back to the start. Oh well.

In conclusion this is a fake website which has stolen much of its content from elsewhere. No verifiable contact details and the only way of paying is by non-traceable bank transfer.

AVOID AVOID AVOID

The_Machine

Thought so; it seemed too good to be true. Is there some organisation or authority to report it to to make sure people aren't scammed? Their (ridiculous) price for the camera lens I was looking for came up in a Google Shopping search, so there's every chance others will stumble upon it.

MacChap

Confirming Coopdivi's findings.

The phone number belongs in Cardiff. Redboxcameras is listed at the address given in Tunbridge Wells & has a genuine site: www-dot-redboxcameras-dot-com - I'll be contacting them to warn them, if they don't know already.

bethanp

Unfortunately i have fallen fowl to this scam, having found it on google shopping, it was offering a £40 discount, which i thought was reasonable so transferred the money, genuinely expecting to receive my camera lens. I have not been able to contact them by email or phone, and spoke to a very disgruntled employee at red box cameras, who says they have stolen their postal address. Does anyone know where this leaves me? Am i covered in any way??

moutchy

I have been fooled as well. I haven't been cautious and transfered the money for a camera lens. Haven't heard from them since. I just realised this was a scam, reading these forums. And I'm afraid there's not much we can do about it, bathanp. That's the trick with money transfer. Now I feel like such a fool...

competitionscafe

Probably also worth contacting that Barclays branch and letting them know that that account is being used fraudulently?

MacChap

This site, and others are now listed on www-dot-scamwebsites-dot-co-dot-uk ..... it's time we started to get as organised as these muffins and fight back.

kizkiz

I'd report them on 419eater.com too
They take down fake sites like this

bazzjedi

Just to let anyone know the web site went down on the 29th December, lucky for me I was going to place an order for a camera when I started to look around to see if I could access another way, I thought they had realised their mistake and had been making alterations to the prices. But I then found remarks about: wells-camears.com.
The web site is still working and I have found a quote from the poor camera shop who's address they have been using.

Trade Member: RedBox Cameras
Join DateJul 2011LocationTunbridge Wells, KentPosts43
Warning (although a little late...)

There is a website out there which is using our shop address as its address!! as far as we can tell this site is not legitimate as we have fielded several calls from customers asking where products are, or if we are them!

i wont post the web address here but just know that they are offering EVERYTHING really cheap and wont send out your items.

they take your credit card numbers, and then ask for a bank transfer of the money (suspicious in itself).

OUR address is :

REDBOX CAMERAS
5 Monson Road
Tunbridge Wells
Kent
TN1 1LS

so if you end up on the site and that is the contact address and its not our site (there is a link that goes here) then would probably be best not to order anything from them.

Oliver

the remark comes from Real Photographers Forum
regards Bazzjedi