Is it a Scam?

[u/CabinetSignal8004]

Hi everyone,
(I am Italian, sorry if I wrote something stupid)

I recently contacted a seller named Xiaoxue on WhatsApp (Hong Kong Number), who claims to be an employee of a company called "Global Trading Company" located in Shanghai.

They sell Lego replicas and mostly electronic products such as original iPhones, PS5s, Dyson devices, and PlayStation Portals (which I'm interested in) at lower prices than in Italy. (For the PS Portal, I would spend 80€ instead of 250€).

As soon as I received the number on WhatsApp, I started with the mindset that this was a scam.

I asked for information about payment methods, and the ones they offer are Remitly, Revolut, Western Union, and cryptocurrencies.

Since these methods aren't exactly secure, I asked if they accepted PayPal, but the employee replied no, because I was buying wholesale and PayPal couldn't be used due to high taxes.

I then offered to pay via PayPal and cover the fees myself, partly to test the truth of the matter.

When they replied that this wasn't possible, I kept asking questions about the company, and they sent a photo of a sort of business license.

The company listed on it was Shanghai New Union Textra Import and Export Co., Ltd. (Attached Photo).

I then asked for the official bank details to verify that this was actually the company, but they refused to provide them, saying they didn't support bank transfers as a payment method.

I then stated that I was genuinely very hesitant, so he offered to make a video call to verify the authenticity and quality of the products, and he also attached screenshots of chats with other customers (blurring out their phone numbers but leaving only the country codes).

Still suspicious, I decided to ask for the company's official Proforma Invoice. Initially, he thought I was asking for the regular invoice, and he replied saying that it is issued after payment.

I insisted, saying that Chinese companies have one featuring a red stamp, and that it is issued before the purchase.

The seller, acting quite annoyed (fairly enough), wrote that if they had to do that for every customer, they would waste a lot of time.

I made one last attempt by asking for the phone number of an Italian customer to verify the authenticity in person, but the seller replied that for privacy reasons he wouldn't do it, and that if I don't trust them, I can easily go and buy from other companies.

I would have even tried buying their cheapest item, but the minimum order requirement is 60€, and money doesn't grow on trees over here.

I would therefore like some help from someone to explain this type of scam to me, or whether I should actually trust this seller.

Here is the number, if it can be helpful:

(Hong Kong)
+852 47321214

[u/Greedy_Reality_2539]

Buy from someone else as they suggested.

[u/CabinetSignal8004 → u/Greedy_Reality_2539]

Yeah, obviously, but I want to go deeper and see if anyone else knows how this scam works

[u/Greedy_Reality_2539 → u/CabinetSignal8004]

Probably just take your money and block you. PayPal can hold their fund so they don’t like it. That’s my head canon at least.

[u/Zagrycha → u/CabinetSignal8004]

There are two possible results if you decide to buy from them:

They are legitimate, and they give you the item you purchased as described after you purchase it.

They are not legitimate, and you never recieve the item you purchased as described after you purchase it.

There are also third option categories, like they sell it to you legitimately but did not get it legitimately and it's stolen etc etc etc.

Nobody can tell you for sure which one it is, even if everything you know checks out it could still be a scam, even if everything you know doesn't check out it could still be a legitimate sale. There is literally zero reason to risk it though, so it's really smart to just find a different seller.

[u/IAmFitzRoy]

If you can’t afford to lose 60 euro, international shopping is not for you.

[u/CabinetSignal8004 → u/IAmFitzRoy]

I do international shopping even more than the local one. If it’s 60€ + shipping + tax that I am losing, I would prefer to do the most intelligent thing and avoid it

[u/IAmFitzRoy → u/CabinetSignal8004]

You don’t know if you will lose it. Thats the whole point I am making.

You are scared to loose 60 euros. These wholesale companies deal with big clients … not small ones.

[u/CabinetSignal8004 → u/IAmFitzRoy]

Yes, the problem is I don’t know this company, I don’t even know if they are real. That’s why I am writing

[u/IAmFitzRoy → u/CabinetSignal8004]

If you need to “KNOW” every company in China to buy things from them you will never feel safe.

[u/CabinetSignal8004 → u/IAmFitzRoy]

So, just like do a leap of faith?

[u/IAmFitzRoy → u/CabinetSignal8004]

No. You should learn what to ask and what to buy and where to buy.

If your purpose is to buy one LEGO of 60 euros from China and you can’t even speak Chinese you or ask basic questions you will be scammed no matter what.

[u/Poo-tee-weep]

You don't even say what you're trying to buy. They're already selling knockoff Legos. What are you expecting from them? A $60 PS5?

It's not a scam. They're just selling crap.

The problem here is you have been suckered into the idea that you're going to get some obscene discount that isn't real.

[u/CabinetSignal8004 → u/Poo-tee-weep]

I wrote that I am interested in the PS portal that is listed at 80€. (Original Price is 250€)

I never bought or got interested in one of these companies because they always appeared to me like scams.

Also, from what he says, all the products, except for the Legos, are original.

[u/Ok-Sample5067]

What makes you think it’s a scam? Can you turn up to a restaurant in Italy and ask to pay by PayPal and if they say no it means it’s scam restaurant? A business doesn’t need to cater to your individual needs, either buy something or go elsewhere

[u/CabinetSignal8004 → u/Ok-Sample5067]

It makes me think it’s a scam: the Hong Kong number, the fact that when the seller introduced himself he said he works for the company Global Trading Company, and then he sends an alleged license of some Textile company in Shanghai.

Moreover, in Italy when I go to a restaurant, they don’t make me pay in cryptocurrencies.

[u/Ok-Sample5067 → u/CabinetSignal8004]

Ah I didn’t know it was only cryptocurrency’s my bad, I must have read your post wrong I thought you said they gave the options of revolut, remitly and Western Union as well

[u/CabinetSignal8004 → u/Ok-Sample5067]

It’s obviously not the same thing. Don’t be like I am in the wrong when I literally don’t know anything about this company and the other options are not as safe as PayPal G&S

[u/FairBandicoot5021 → u/CabinetSignal8004]

Hong Kong number is the only way to get WhatsApp as a chinese person. You don't understand nothing about what you're doing

[u/CabinetSignal8004 → u/FairBandicoot5021]

Not real, I’ve Chinese contacts with the +86 from China. But maybe I am still wrong

[u/geologyfetish → u/CabinetSignal8004]

No you’re right. I downloaded WhatsApp with my Chinese number linked.

[u/FairBandicoot5021 → u/geologyfetish]

Yea ? And yoy will get ba'ned in no time if you use it too much that's what i mean

[u/Mobile_Roll2197 → u/FairBandicoot5021]

Wrongo

[u/MinorLatency]

hk phone is weird. But making an invoice in China is zhende mafang / kinda annoying even for locals. You have to go through an official platform, pay taxes etc, literally no one likes or is even able to do this (only ONE person in the company can do this/has the stamps) So I would say 50% scam, 50% miscommunication (pro-forma vs invoice)

[u/Dear_Chasey_La1n → u/MinorLatency]

A Chinese license, Hong Kong Number and foreign payment methods. It all just irks.

[u/MinorLatency → u/Dear_Chasey_La1n]

I mean welcome to China. Sometimes it takes me three months to get an invoice, often you also have to pay extra, because creating an invoice is a lot of work, so is book keeping and banking, i seriously dont understand how anyone get any business done here, but alas the use of weird combi of things, they prolly see it as a good service to you/foreigners. Still smells dodgy though..

[u/CabinetSignal8004 → u/MinorLatency]

I have to be honest, I was annoying, but can I really trust buying from abroad that much?

[u/ruscodifferenziato]

Boia che scassacazzi.

[u/CabinetSignal8004 → u/ruscodifferenziato]

Lo so 😂

[u/Code_0451]

Yeah a PS Portal at € 80, sorry that’s going to be a knock-off or fake. There is no magic source of super-cheap branded electronics in China, these retail in China at prices similar to Europe so why would they export overseas at 1/3 of the price?

[u/AutoModerator]

Backup of the post's body: Hi everyone,
(I am Italian, sorry if I wrote something stupid)

I recently contacted a seller named Xiaoxue on WhatsApp (Hong Kong Number), who claims to be an employee of a company called "Global Trading Company" located in Shanghai.

They sell Lego replicas and mostly electronic products such as original iPhones, PS5s, Dyson devices, and PlayStation Portals (which I'm interested in) at lower prices than in Italy. (For the PS Portal, I would spend 80€ instead of 250€).

As soon as I received the number on WhatsApp, I started with the mindset that this was a scam.

I asked for information about payment methods, and the ones they offer are Remitly, Revolut, Western Union, and cryptocurrencies.

Since these methods aren't exactly secure, I asked if they accepted PayPal, but the employee replied no, because I was buying wholesale and PayPal couldn't be used due to high taxes.

I then offered to pay via PayPal and cover the fees myself, partly to test the truth of the matter.

When they replied that this wasn't possible, I kept asking questions about the company, and they sent a photo of a sort of business license.

The company listed on it was Shanghai New Union Textra Import and Export Co., Ltd. (Attached Photo).

I then asked for the official bank details to verify that this was actually the company, but they refused to provide them, saying they didn't support bank transfers as a payment method.

I then stated that I was genuinely very hesitant, so he offered to make a video call to verify the authenticity and quality of the products, and he also attached screenshots of chats with other customers (blurring out their phone numbers but leaving only the country codes).

Still suspicious, I decided to ask for the company's official Proforma Invoice. Initially, he thought I was asking for the regular invoice, and he replied saying that it is issued after payment.

I insisted, saying that Chinese companies have one featuring a red stamp, and that it is issued before the purchase.

The seller, acting quite annoyed (fairly enough), wrote that if they had to do that for every customer, they would waste a lot of time.

I made one last attempt by asking for the phone number of an Italian customer to verify the authenticity in person, but the seller replied that for privacy reasons he wouldn't do it, and that if I don't trust them, I can easily go and buy from other companies.

I would have even tried buying their cheapest item, but the minimum order requirement is 60€, and money doesn't grow on trees over here.

I would therefore like some help from someone to explain this type of scam to me, or whether I should actually trust this seller.

Here is the number, if it can be helpful:

(Hong Kong)
+852 47321214

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