In general
On the internet especially, some offers are too good to be true. Be careful when you decide to buy a branded product at a knock-down price. Very often, they are counterfeit, especially on the sites of “unofficial” retailers.
There is a high risk that the counterfeit goods you order will be seized by customs and destroyed. Not only will you have lost your money, but you may also have to pay damages.
So, if you have the slightest doubt, before clicking on “Order”, get information from the manufacturer (e.g. from their customer service department) and examine the website very closely (site address, spelling mistakes, dubious contact address, etc.).
Tips
- If the price is considerably lower than from the official distributor, it may be a fake.
- Always check out the site from which you would like to order. Be wary if the address of the site is unconventional, if there are spelling mistakes or if no real address is provided under contacts.
- Search engines like Google or www.who.is also make it possible very often to find out if the seller is reliable, simply by searching for the address of the site in question. Then you just have to read any comments or warnings. And if you do not find any information, this is a bad sign and you would be better off not placing your order