Don't Get Scammed When Buying Shoes Online. Here Are 5 Signs That Could Point to Fraud.

As Sneakers Joint, we operate in the world of limited and hard-to-get shoes, and we know there's more than one person lurking around the corner who will try to scam you by selling you your dream pair of shoes.

To protect you from fraud, we've prepared this guide especially for you. Familiarize yourself with these signs so you're ready for possible threats. The screenshot below shows just one of the common situations buyers run into online.

1. If you're buying shoes from a website, check whether the company is legally registered in Poland. A company running an online store is required to provide its details, such as name, address and tax ID (NIP). Entering this information into a search engine should bring up sites such as OWG or CEIDG, which show the current status of a given company. If you can't find the company by its NIP, it may mean that the company doesn't exist and the store you want to buy shoes from is fake.

Also, check the store's terms and conditions. If the store shows information similar to what's in the screenshot below, it most likely sells non-genuine shoes.

The terms and conditions of stores that are legally registered in Poland should look like this:

2. If, after making a purchase in an online or Instagram store, you haven't received proof of purchase, even after reminders to deliver it, it means the sale was conducted illegally. The seller should issue you a receipt or an invoice if you made a purchase for your business. To protect yourself from such a situation before you buy, ask the seller whether they will issue a sales document. If not, the transaction shouldn't go ahead, as it's risky for you as a consumer. Additionally, if the store is from the same city and the seller avoids meeting in person, that's just another reason for concern.
3. A very unrealistically low price on a product is a very common sign that the seller is trying to scam you. Even if the product you ordered actually does arrive, it will be inauthentic. On the shoe market, prices are variable, and the price often differs between sizes. In most cases it keeps rising. If you see the shoes you've been dreaming of at an unrealistically low price, you should give up on the purchase. This is a mistake often made by people unfamiliar with the shoe market. Which then leads to the proverbial ‘tears’.
4. Also watch out for people who pose as authentic stores with normal prices – often, after you pay, you may never see your pair. Check the store's reviews on sites such as Trustpilot, Google or Facebook.

5. Another red flag is Instagram profiles that have bought followers or bought likes.

We hope the knowledge we've shared will help you shop safely online. See you in the next blog!

See also: How We Verify Authenticity at SneakersJoint