How can I verify if an online company is genuine?

Magenta

sonstream wrote: »

the uk address could be an accountants address if they use it as a registered address and not a trading address try having a look on companies house to see if there is a business registered with those details. I have had a look on the website and can't see a registration number so it could be a non limited business hth

Thanks, i have just been looking at Companies House and the equivalent Company in Ireland for registered businesses but nothing comes up......Oh dear..

Figment

Dave_C_2

I usually google <name of company> problems.
Googling headstonebroker problems doesn't reurn anything untoward.
Compare with pixmania problems

Dave

phoneguy

Dave_C wrote: »

Compare with pixmania problems

Well people really shouldn't buy a stone memorial from them then! :rotfl:

InsideInsurance

With the name headstonebroker.co.uk it sounds like they dont make or sell them themselves but are either a true broker or simply an aggregator in which case there is no reason why that sort of business couldnt be run from a home office.

The Irish company does exist and is registered contrary to what the previous poster said:

http://www.cro.ie/search/CompanyDetails.aspx?id=197101&type=C

The above shows they've been running for 20 years.

The fact they describe the location as a shop would concern me. If they were really that great I would possibly call the Irish company and check that it is part of them etc and see what they say. If your talking about saving pennies then go elsewhere

Magenta

Thanks Inside Insurance. I have been looking at that site and at another which tells me that before they were headstone brokers they were an Irish Craft Shop....
Two days ago i e-mailed them to discuss a few details and also asked them for their company's registration details.

No reply yet..

PS
I have been looking at that company as I have been doing something all of us dread. I have been buying my headstone in advance and having the engraving done.Unfortunately I haven't found anybody locally who does this. I have also organised and paid for my own funeral.
If I don't do it there is nobody left who will. Such is life..

wealdroam

Just for the record, here is the original post...

Magenta wrote: »

First of all I must apologise if I have posted this on the wrong thread, I am not sure which is the best thread for this question.

I have been in contact with an online company from whom I will eventually be paying out a very large sum for their product.

I have received a brochure from them which only has their name on it by the means of a sticker on the front cover with their details on, which has been added after.

The address on the sticker is in London but I notice that the actual brochure was posted in Eire - the postage stamp that has been bought and put on the envelope is one from Eire- the envelope has been franked as coming from ATHLONE MAIL, AMC.

The person I have been exchanging e-mails with also has an Irish surname.

Any help would be much appreciated xxx

Thanks xx

And here is the missing post #5...

Magenta wrote:

The name of the company is 'Headstone Broker Intl.' and their website is:

www.headstonebroker.co.uk

tonyh66

Magenta wrote: »

Thanks Inside Insurance. I have been looking at that site and at another which tells me that before they were headstone brokers they were an Irish Craft Shop....
Two days ago i e-mailed them to discuss a few details and also asked them for their company's registration details.

No reply yet..

PS
I have been looking at that company as I have been doing something all of us dread. I have been buying my headstone in advance and having the engraving done.Unfortunately I haven't found anybody locally who does this. I have also organised and paid for my own funeral.
If I don't do it there is nobody left who will. Such is life..

You should really find someone local, surely there will be a stone maker nearby. It will cost an absoulute fortune to get a headstone shipped, especially if its coming from Ireland and it might be faulty/rubbish/mis-spelt:eek:

You could consider finding a local stonemason or artist who could chip you something special.

Magenta

Avoid this company O'HARA & SONS MEMORIALS LTD (scam scam scam)

It's a SCAM, SCAM SCAM.:mad:

Their website is www.headstonebroker.co.uk

Thanks to everyone who posted on this thread and helped me find this out, before it was too late. :beer:

Simplistik

Maybe not an 'out and out' scam, but perhaps not all it seems..

There are some remarkable similarities between this site and another one called offerstone dot com
That site makes full reference to a Mr O Hara and gives the very same full Sligo address on some cached pages.
The website had a sub-domain ireland dot offerstone apparently aimed at the Irish market.
I now cannot get that to work, currently it is producing a Server Error,

500 - Internal server error.
There is a problem with the resource you are looking for, and it cannot be displayed.

Which is very odd, so it would be interesting to see if anyone else can reach that sub-domain.
The pages are still viewable via Google cache and archive.org and apparently were still being cached until very recently.

The offerstone website openly states the Chinese connection and although they are aiming their marketing at the U.S. , this makes interesting reading:

This Agreement and any sales thereunder shall be governed by the laws of China, etc etc...