Edward Murray Bikes (embikes.com) are Scammers
16th Apr 2009, 17:51:55
Having recently rented one and having enjoyed it immensely, I'm interested in buying a Tandem for my partner and I to ride together. Imagine my delight when I found a Cannondale Road Tandem at an amazing price. A little too amazing...
At £1,200, the tandem is around 50% of the RRP. I was instantly suspicious of this, but hey the economy's fucked, there's bankrupt stock around, just maybe this is plausible. Upon adding the item to my basket on the site I am informed that there is a limited time 30% discount available, bringing the price down to £895. This just left the realms of plausibility.
Upon further digging I find that:
- The checkout process does not use HTTPS
- Whilst the site bears the TRUSTe logo, when clicked it brings up a fake version of the TRUSTe site
- The seller does not accept credit cards but instead requires payment through Western Union Money Transfer.
To any eBay veteran, or anyone who has ever received a 419 email the words "Western Union" will scream SCAM! - you shouldn't ever use this service to transfer money to anyone you don't know. Furthermore, I found that every Cannondale tandem in every frame size and every colour appears to be in stock for immediate dispatch. I don't know of one bike shop anywhere in the UK that has more than one or maybe two tandems in stock, let alone a choice of sizes or colours!
Obviously, this is a scam. Maybe I'm a dummy for being momentarily taken in, but the site at embikes.com looks quite plausible at first, I've bought stuff from less professional-looking mom-and-pop bike shop sites before!
Feeling a bit foolish, I'm heading off to buy a second hand tandem, it won't by shiny-new, but it will be honest. At least I didn't part with any money. I hope whoever put up the site dies in a fire for raising my hopes. What a fucker.
| Update: As an eagle-eyed commenter points out, Robin at theboywonder.co.uk has more detail on this. | ||
8 Archived Comments
17th Apr 2009, 08:59:58 by Karen
http://theboywonder.co.uk/2009/04/13/embikescom-scam-site/
21st Apr 2009, 14:31:53 by robin
Thanks Karen :) The more posts made about this the better! Hopefully people thinking of ordering will google first and find our warnings!
30th Apr 2009, 15:46:31 by srgrost
30th Apr 2009, 18:53:03 by stocksy
Damn srgrost, that's not nice to hear. I hope that you are able to recover your money somehow.
Whoever is behind this site; I really hope that their bollocks shrivel and drop off like over-ripened figs.
1st May 2009, 15:12:14 by Dicky
The son's of bitches got me as well! I tried to do some research but i fell for it as it was my 1st ever internet purchase! They are so legit they even sent me a tracking number! Srgrost if you find how to get ur money back please let me know
4th May 2009, 18:34:50 by kingow
It happened to me as well - got sucked in by the professional website, but mostly by the fact that the were the 1st on the list of Google sponsored links. At least i chose a cheaper bike.
I see their website is still active :(
Dicky/ srgrost - did you 'trace' your tracking number?
11th May 2009, 19:42:46 by srgrost
The buggers now will not email me! They had the cheek to ask me to retract my statments to their bank so that the block would be taken off and then enabling them to refund me.... NOT!!! i have been a fool once already. My bank worked on my behalf and spoke to the bank in Spain. The Spanish bank closed the account down and offered me the balance of the account...£400. I had to except as that was all that was left of my £1400.
Yeah I was taken in by the site being on page 1 of google too and all the security tabs on the side etc. I have learnt a massive lesson and the police are investigating them. Yep the site is still active... surely someone is responsiable for closing the site down??
17th May 2009, 19:35:03 by kingow
Glad to hear you got some money back srgrost.
I was still fighting to get some money back, even though i didnt spend much, but now their email address is returning a permanent failure and their Webiste is gone (which is definately a good thing for other people).
If anyone was given a tracking number, i would be interested to see where it got delivered too. 'My bike' (or more likely a recorded letter) got delivered to Camebridge (nowhere near me!). I would be interested to know if others got delivered here as well?