How to tell if an international online marketplace seller is a scam
Buyers struggle to verify whether overseas online shops are legitimate due to fears that orders will be misplaced or turn out to be fraudulent. Lacking clear proof of a seller's reliability leaves shoppers questioning whether it is safe to place an order or if they are walking into a scam.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Check reviews carefully
- 2Reverse image search shop photos
- 3googling for local appliance part stores
- 4Using reverse image searches to check if photos are stolen or reused from elsewhere online
- 5Checking actual shipment records linked to the company name
- 6Relying on video tours and references
- 7Checking review counts and user feedback
- 8Inspecting listing photos for signs of AI generation or stock imagery
- 9Asking for recommendations on online discussion forums
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I see more posts in this sub about scam shops in India than any other country.”source ↗
“I just got my first dog as an adult. I love supporting smaller businesses and have been looking at etsy for handmade items (a collar, leash, beds, etc) but Etsy has gotten very untrustworthy.”source ↗
“Spent almost a month talking to a supplier who had clean photos, reasonable MOQs, and kept insisting they owned the production line.”source ↗
“Video calls looked fine, samples arrived on time, everything felt legitimate.”source ↗
“Then I started checking actual shipment records linked to their company name.”source ↗
“It saved me from a bad contract, but it also made me realize how easy it is to get fooled by a polished profile.”source ↗
“I’m looking to buy some parts for my Maytag dryer for the first time. Recommendations? Hopefully ones with quick shipping.”source ↗
“Can someone tell who has ordered anything or has knowledge about this .Is it safe to order or are there chances of getting order misplaced”source ↗
“currently hunting for a foxy cosplay, I barely use Etsy so I don’t know if this is legit. I did reverse image searching & the results all lead to Etsy, can someone confirm?”source ↗
“i have never bought from etsy before. No idea if this is legit ?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 12Why is every online artisan marketplace full of fake and AI items?
- 4How do I spot scams as a new seller on online marketplaces?
- 5Seller gave me a fake tracking number with a thank you card
- 4How to stop sellers from harassing you to change reviews
- 2Is this remote job offer from a big company a scam?
- 5Why hasn't my online order shipped yet?