Is this website a scam?

[davkoz]

During Black Friday I went to look for a salmon rod to buy online. I stumbled upon a store that is called fishingtackle-store.com I found a good deal on a rod and ordered it. This site seemed legit. They are located in Malaysia and I hoped it wasn’t a scam. I’m just wondering if anyone here knows that site. It’s been over 2 weeks and they say delivery takes 3 weeks. I feel like I got scammed. 

[MN Fisher]

International shipments are VERY delayed in some cases because of COVID...which is why I'm not ordering anything from overseas.

 

They may be legit...they may not be - hard to check companies like that as they don't have something like our BBB.

[newapti5]

I don't know about this one, but I stumbled upon several scam sites from Southeast Asia countries before. They all include the following features (but not limited to):

1. They have almost every major fishing brands, hottest items in stock

2. Their prices are very competitive worldwide. 

3. They don't accept PayPal. 

4. They don't sell cheap bait with little money, but rods and reels with big money.

5. They are located in Southeast Asia countries(no intention of prejudice, just my personal experience)

 

[swhit140]

Looks like a scam site to me looking at the prices are about half-price of normal products. I'll be amazed if you ever receive anything. You might check your credit card account also.

**Red flag when you see cheap/half-price websites.**

 

[garroyo130]

Yeah this is probably a scam ... they talk all scam like

 

"In selling products, we always make sure that the products we sell are the products of choice. and we always provide the right advice for your needs"

[FishTank]

My initial thought is that this is a scam.  

 

They do have a number you can call and an email address.  There is a ton of fishing equipment that is made in Malaysia but I don't think some of the vendors would be OK with their pricing.  Also, the website is pretty extensive and I find it hard to believe a scam site would go to that level.  I could find little info on it but it does have a secure signature.

 

I would contact them and see what they have to say.   As far as shipping goes, it's not uncommon for something from that area to take 2-3 months.  

[Bankc]

1 hour ago, MN Fisher said:

International shipments are VERY delayed in some cases because of COVID...which is why I'm not ordering anything from overseas.

 

They may be legit...they may not be - hard to check companies like that as they don't have something like our BBB.

There are a ton of companies out there with A+ BBB ratings with long histories of scams, lawsuits, and even some with their owners in prison for fraud.  BBB ratings don't mean anything anymore, other than that the company is willing to pay money for a membership.  I personally know of a few companies that routinely defraud customers and have terrible reputations in their communities that have excellent BBB ratings.  There are a lot of news articles published out there that go into detail on stories this.  

 

Your best bet these days is forums and FB groups.  Not that opinions can't be bought, because they sure can.  But you're much more likely to get honest opinions from online communities, especially if you can check in multiple sources.  If no one's heard of it, it's probably best to avoid being the Guinea pig.  It also helps to look up a "whois" on websites you've never heard of.  That will at least tell you how long the website has been around, and perhaps some other information.  For instance, fishingtackle-store.com was created on 10-15-2017.  So they're about 3 years old.  

 

On a personal note, I'd avoid any website that uses a dash in the name.  That's usually a bad sign, as it means that they're not able or willing to invest in the same name without the dash, or that they're trying to make their site look like another, more reputable site.  Also, the website itself is pretty poorly designed and ugly.  That doesn't mean that it is a scam, but it at least means that it's not a website that has invested much money into assuring the general public that their site is safe.  

 

But the only sure-fire way to know if it's a scam or not, is to try it.  I hope it works out for you.  But this is one site that I would avoid, as it currently stands.

[garroyo130]

@davkoz

 

***THIS IS A KNOWN SCAM COMPANY. CONTACT BANK/CC COMPANY NOW***

 

https://www.alanhawk.com/blog/zmb.html

 

 

[davkoz]

Thanks guys for the help! I’ll assume it’s a scam and check if anything is wrong with my bank account. 

[bulldog1935]

When shipping first got tough after April, I was searching the web for a Century Stealth surf rod - OOS everywhere, as most tackle became, most places.  Found two websites, one Malaysia, one China, with prices that looked way too good, though the shipping costs they listed sounded realistic for rods.  Both sites had perfect English, testimonials, site maps, and photos of brick, mortar, and inventory. 

Looking at both websites and especially prices, easy to convince yourself both were from the same source.  

I e-mailed both to ask how they were shipping.  When neither replied, I went elsewhere and had Rich Hedenberg build me a custom - RH Composites.  

 

back with a record to report.  I placed an order with Hedgehog for Air Bearings and trim parts, late Sunday night, and it was just delivered - that's something like 36 hours.  Fed-Ex is no longer stopping in Anchorage, but non-stop from Japan to Memphis.  

Edited December 22, 2020 by bulldog1935
news

[Boomstick]

Good luck! I generally avoid ordering from overseas because most of the time when I do, I never receive what I paid for so at this point I move on.

[BigAngus752]

On 12/21/2020 at 1:26 PM, Bankc said:

There are a ton of companies out there with A+ BBB ratings with long histories of scams, lawsuits, and even some with their owners in prison for fraud

An example please?  

[Gary_Snyder]

Yeah, there are definitely some scam website stores out there, I've seen some fraud before.

 

These days, when online shopping, I only buy from trusted companies, or use paypal.

[Scapegoat]

Did you receive your merchandise?

I bumped into this place also found a rod I’ve been looking for.

was wondering if it was a scam.

[dam0007]

On 12/21/2020 at 12:17 PM, MN Fisher said:

International shipments are VERY delayed in some cases because of COVID...which is why I'm not ordering anything from overseas.

 

They may be legit...they may not be - hard to check companies like that as they don't have something like our BBB.

Got a Scorp from JLS in 4 days. The good sites are still doing good. 

[iabass8]

On 12/21/2020 at 11:17 AM, MN Fisher said:

International shipments are VERY delayed in some cases because of COVID...which is why I'm not ordering anything from overseas.

 

They may be legit...they may not be - hard to check companies like that as they don't have something like our BBB.

Overseas shipping is only delayed if they only offer EMS. Dhl/fedex will be at your door faster than most US retailers. I buy most reels overseas