Sorry for the rubbish heading. My H has boguht some jewelrey on the interent, he's not that great on the computer and i wish he'd spoken to me first. He's ordered 2 items from the website in the heading, paid by credit card money eft bank account days and days ago, both items have arrived today and are undoubetdly counterfeit. I want to try and return them but suprise suprise there is no tel number or return address on their website.
(sigh) The only number i can find is a fax number for people to place orders by fax - Ill cut and past it here:
FAX:  ++44 (0870) 121-5435 ( UK )

Ive tried using the search facitlity on this site and came up with a blank - ive tried searching google and again nothng. Ive even treid getting the return address via Deutsche post, which is who delivered the package this morning.

Does anyone on here know or recognise the above 0870 number?

Sorry to say but I was misled by the Google search that I did & got the same screwed up info.

The link they give takes you to what looks like a Russian Hosting company because it's wrong. It should be www3.tiffany-on-sale.biz/shop_content.php?; note it has www3 at the start.

If you enter www.tiffany-jewellery.co.uk, it redirects you to the supposed USA host site www3.tiffany-on-sale.biz, where they also mention contact phone numbers on the FAQ page.

Notice that the spelling of Jewellery in www.tiffany-jewellery.co.uk and the spelling on the host site are different.
Also that the www.tiffany-jewelry.com website looks A LOT different, smarter, more refined, expensive and dare I say COSHER !!

Therefore, because the Fax number given is shown incorrectly and various other inconsistencies such as they don't seem to be able to write proper english, the site layout quality is inferior, I suspect the site is a SCAM.

The only other way I could see of contacting them is the Contact Us form on the website so you could just be stuck with that, although there may be additional methods of contact in the members area after logging on (but as I'm not a member !).  :-/

I suggest that you contact the Credit Card company & report this to the Fraud team.

If you believe it to be counterfeit, then I suggest that you contact your local Trading Standards.

If you're returning the items to a company that knows that items are fake, they're not going to say "Sorry about that, here's your money back and we won't sell these things again."

A check of the registration information for the web address (see here) gives an address in Hungary:


Quote:

Domain name:         tiffany-jewellery.co.uk     Registrant:         Tiffanys Shop     Trading as:         Tiffanys Shop     Registrant type:         Not supplied     Registrant's address:         Vaci ucai 43         Budapest         1056         Hungary     Registrant's agent:         Global Registration Services Ltd [Tag = GRS]         URL: http://www.globalregistrationservices.com     Relevant dates:         Registered on: 11-Sep-2006         Renewal date:  11-Sep-2008         Last updated:  16-Sep-2006

The site address was registered a few months ago, so it's quite new.

Don't know what UK Trading Standards can do if it's an international retailer. There is a fax number in the USA: +1 601 510 8526

Pages on the site are hosted on www3.tiffany-on-sale.biz (note the 3 following www)
Visiting [url=www.tiffany-on-sale.biz[/url]]www.tiffany-on-sale.biz[/url] (without 3 following www) forwards to an error 403 page on www.majordomo.ru a Russian site.

The registration information for tiffany-on-sale.biz leads back to Keresy I Istvan at the above address, tel +36.19542342184

The only saving grace is that your husband has used a credit card, rather than a debit card (Switch/Maestro). You have more protection with credit card transactions should you have a problem with the items./retailer You might be able to get your bank to refund the money. Contact them and see what they say.

Also see this thread on MSE.

Just to reinforce the almost certain supposition that this was a SCAM:

I did a search in the Budapest telephone directory. There is no one by the name of Keresy (but of course it could be XD).

There is no telephone number +36 1 9542342184. The country code for Hungary is 36, the area code for Budapest is 1 and all Budapest landline numbers are seven digit and start with 2, 3 or 4.  Mobile numbers are also quite different, they don't have 1 area code.

The registrant's address is given as Vaci utca 43. This is the address of a school http://vacisuli.freeweb.hu/foodal.htm.  They occupy the whole site, there is no one else there. I spoke to a teacher and the name Keresy is not known. The telephone number of the school is +36 1 318 9835.

I agree with other postings that the most promising course to take would be to claim from the credit card company.

I phoned trading standards who in turn passed me through to Nominet - Nominet gave me the address (vaci ucai 43, in Budapest)
I really appreciate the effort you guys have gone to for me - hubby will just have to put this down to experience im afraid. I took one look at that site and knew straightaway that it wasnt genuine - i wish he had spoken to me first but he wanted it to be a suprise.  ::)
It goes from bad to worse really as i have since found out that he used a business debit card and not a credit card to pay for it.  :-/
Anyway, you have been great. Many thanks for your help
sarah xx

ALso check the FAQ's, it does say "all sales final", which does mean exactly that, a bit like "sold as seen" in the UK, in the US I normally find a lot of "bargin" shops do this, in other words: dry your eyes mate! if you don't like it or it's not right tough. But there are laws to protect you as well, but at 5000 miles distance, using them is difficult

I'm not being horrible, but the US does allow in law for this, the site also have stark warning about getting chargebacks raised, but if you have paid by credit card for anything, it is worth contacting them for advice.

Quote:

The registrant's address is given as Vaci utca 43. This is the address of a school http://vacisuli.freeweb.hu/foodal.htm.  They occupy the whole site, there is no one else there

Does anybody know if giving a fictitious address when registering a .co.uk domain name is an offence which can be reported either to Nominet or to the registration agent who in this case is Global Registration Services?

lompos wrote on Dec 30^th, 2006 at 9:27am:

Does anybody know if giving a fictitious address when registering a .co.uk domain name is an offence which can be reported either to Nominet or to the registration agent who in this case is Global Registration Services?

Nominet's terms and conditions of domain registration are here.

Quote:

Cancelling or altering the domain name 16     We may cancel or put the domain name into a special status by notifying you if: 16.1            we receive independent proof that you have provided significantly inaccurate, not correct, unreliable or false contact details (including names), failed to keep your contact details up to date, or failed to give us those details at all;

The following email sent to Nominet:


Quote:

Please note that the following registrant has given a fictitious address when registering through Global Registration Services: http://www.tiffany-jewellery.co.uk/ The address given is: Vaci ucai 43 Budapest 1056 Hungary This address is that of a school and there is no one else at the address. Clause 16 of the Nominet conditions would seem to apply. The website of the school is: http://vacisuli.freeweb.hu/foodal.htm. Although the website is incomplete the name and address appear at the bottom.  Their phone number is: +36 1 318 9835 and when contacted they confirmed that only the school is at that address.

will post reply if and when received

Here is the reply received from Nominet:


Quote:

.... as stated in our terms and conditions we will indeed act upon any evidence received, however we will need further evidence that the registrants are indeed operating illegally. If you wish to provide us with any evidence please inform us in writing we can then assess the information provided and consider which options are appropriate.

Poppet, let us know if you want to pursue this.  I can give you the contact details of the person at Nominet who sent the reply and further details on the fictitious registration address in Hungary which is a school (I have spoken with the school) . You said in the original post that the items bought were "counterfeit".  I am not sure if by this you meant the design, i.e. the use of the Tiffany name, or the actual items not corresponding to the description on the website.  With regard to the latter I note that most of the gold jewellery on their website is described as "gold plated" which means that it is not solid gold but only coated with a thin layer of gold.

Trading Standards have advised me that you can always claim your money back regardless of all sales final.  No retailer can deny you your money.  You have a cooling off period by law for seven days and can then request a refund on returning the goods.  The company are obviously fraudulant and I have made a statement to the police and they are passing it on to Europol as there is a link to Hungary.  Also if you have paid by credit card then under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act your credit card must refund you. :-[

Unfortunatley Poppet used a debit card and cannot claim the money back using this route (see earlier post).

Doesn't the 7 day cooling off period mean that the claim for a refund must be made within 7 days, not after 7 days as you imply?

Apart from Interpol, which is likely to be a lengthy process and may not produce any results, the fraudster could be dealt with closer to home:

a) via their UK registered website through Nominet (see my earlier post) and

b) through the UK telephone number on their website: 0870 121 5435 which the police could trace even if the members of this forum cannot.

The link to Hungary is rather tenuous. The website has been registered using the address of a school in Budapest which may indicate some local knowledge but no more.

I have just ordered 3 bracelets from these people and only one arrived. Now i cant get onto their website - it doesnt exist.

Can anyone advise what can be done. I paid with a debit card so i know i cant get my money back. I have read the previous postings and wonder if anyone has had any success in reporting them or getting their money back.

The parcel came by recorded delivery from Deutschland.

Thanks  

Quote:

The parcel came by recorded delivery from Deutschland

Do you still have the recorded delivery label from Germany? If you do the registration number could provide some clues, suggest you post it here.

Thank you for that... It came recorded delivery via "Deutshce Post" - number RG 04 963 789 2DE
I find it strange that they did send ONE of the THREE bracelets that I paid over £200 for, AND indeed sent it recorded delivery.
Does anyone know who specifically I can complain to? I have found this very upsetting, as they were gifts for my bridesmaids. This has never happened to me before, and their site certainly looked legitimate, including the secure payment logo that you usually associate with it being safe to pay on such sites.
Any advice will be much appreciated. Thank you

The German Post came up with the following information which is clearly wrong since you have received the parcel:

RG049637892DE:
It was not possible to reach the recipient; the mail item was scanned on 08.02.2007. The mail item is currently being delivered respectively held at a retail outlet for collection.

Is there any other information on the recorded delivery label, such as the sender's name and address, date of posting, etc?

By the way, was the one bracelet you received OK, i.e. in accordance with the description and your expectations? I suppose one cannot exclude the possibility that the other two bracelets may still arrive in separate packages.

Hi there and many thanks for the above.
The postmark on the parcel is 2nd Feb , but other than that there is absolutely no markings, senders details etc on the package, other than 'signature required' and 'luftpost' stickers. The postman did indeed attempt to deliver it on Wed 7th Feb, and I collected it on Friday 9th Feb from the post delievery office. (maybe this is where the details about it being held for collection come from). The bracelet is OK in so far as it matches the description on the site, but I suspect it is a fake, ie NOT silver but cheap substitute.
thanks once again..your help and advice is much appreciated.
Is anyone else able to get on their website as I can't for some reason, and yet WAS able to access it AFTER other victims on this posting had fallen foul of the same scam and seemed likewise THEN not to be able to access the site once they had been ripped off.
Teresa.

Teresa K wrote on Feb 9^th, 2007 at 7:23pm:

I paid with a debit card so i know i cant get my money back.

You can if your debit card has the VISA logo, see this article  
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/working_lunch/4082599.stm

Teresa

I couldn't get on the website either, they probably shut it down.

The following ways of redress could be tried:

a)
if your debit card had the VISA logo on it see Derrick's previous post;

b)
approach to Trading Standards with the 0870 121 5435 fax number which they may be able to track down.

c)
approach to the website registration company Nominet with proof that the address given by the company at the time of registration was fictitious (see my post further up) - but if the company already disappeared this won't be much help.

I don't know how the bracelet was described but keep in mind that there is "solid silver" and "silver plate", the latter being only a thin veneer of silver on top some other metal.

I love This tiffany jewelry webiste.

They are in a new guise now but I suspect it is the same lot of fraudsters. This time it is not a school in Budapest whose address they gave when registering the website but an individual (real or fictitious) by the name of Jack Gogle in Chicago: http://www.whois.net/whois_new.cgi?d=tiffanyin.com&tld=com