Keystone / Gaetan Bally
SRF’s consumer show “Kassensturz” has received numerous complaints about online providers posing as Swiss companies. They offer good quality products, but then send cheap Asian products or nothing at all.
This content was published on
December 18, 2024 – 11:00
Claudia Spörri was looking for a turtleneck sweater for winter on the Internet. She found a seemingly interesting offer: a cashmere sweater from a “traditional Zurich company”. The price was surprisingly low, but the website seemed credible – the legal notices listed an office in Glattbrugg.
A few weeks later, Claudia Spörri received an email stating that the goods had left China. “I said to myself, what the heck! “, she remembers. When she received her package, there was a sweater, but it wasn’t cashmere. According to the label, it was made of 95% polyester and 5% spandex.
Dropshipping: the business model of fake stores
“This is a violation of the law against unfair competition; it is prohibited to advertise a product with characteristics that it does not have,” declares Lucien Jucker, of the German-speaking consumer protection organization. However, there is no shortage of offers of this type.
The business method used by these stores is called dropshipping. They sell goods from Chinese trading platforms such as Ali Express. Orders are placed directly in China, with the supposed Swiss online store acting as an intermediary without its own warehouse, offering the products in its online store and passing on the orders. “Customers pay a lot for products that are much cheaper in China,” explains Lucien Jucker.
In the show “Kassensturz”, viewers who have been deceived by such companies come forward every day. Helen Heim Huber, for example, has been waiting for months for a delivery from chiccasa.ch. Melanie Gasser received cheap dresses instead of the elegant evening wear as advertised.
Tips for recognizing fake stores
Attractive offers: Prices that look too good to be true are often a sign of a scam.
Legal notices: Missing or incomplete information is a red flag.
Payment methods: Pay through companies that offer customer protection, like PayPal or credit card.
Domaine: Incorrect spellings or unprofessional URLs are suspicious.
Ratings: Research reviews posted on independent platforms to avoid deception.
Respect SSL encryption: Pay attention to “https://” and the padlock symbol – both are required for secure stores.
Language and design: Many fake stores are distinguished by poor quality translations and an unprofessional appearance.
Reimbursements are difficult
Claudia Spörri wanted to return her sweater and get a refund. But the retailer Wilhelm Wald only offered him a 10% discount on the sweater or a voucher for his next purchase. For Claudia Spörri, this is unacceptable and unfair.
Wilhelm Wald’s headquarters in Zurich was abandoned. The owner of the company, Jorge Oesterle, wrote to “Kassensturz”: “Unfortunately, the delivered products did not meet the quality standards. The business was closed.” Defective products will be refunded. Chiccasa.ch and Stella-Zurich.com did not respond to the “Kassensturz” survey.
Lucien Jucker advises those concerned to report these companies to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). And specifies that credit card payments can be canceled in certain circumstances. But many customers remain hungry. After the intervention of “Kassensturz”, Claudia Spörri was reimbursed for her sweater.
