If you are in the market for some new tyres, make sure they are from a genuine retailer. This might sound like obvious advice, but it is the subject of a press release from tyre company Schwalbe after multiple cases of customers being defrauded by fake shops.
The German manufacturer, behind such tyres as the Marathon and the One, said that it would be taking legal action against any such fraudulent shops, and reminded customers that products can only be purchased through official wholesalers and retailers in Europe, while in the US they can also be bought on the official site.
It also advised potential Schwalbe customers to carefully check online payment methods before buying tyres, to call the number provided on the retailer's site, as if they are fake they often do not connect the call, and to check the shop's commercial register numbers.
Alternatively, you could just buy from a popular retailer like Wiggle, Sigma Sports or Tredz - sometimes deals on other sites are too good to be true, it turns out.
The press release, sent out on Wednesday, reads: "Schwalbe warns against online stores that falsely refer to the Schwalbe brand without actually offering Schwalbe products.
"In recent months, several cases have occurred in which e-commerce sites make reference to Schwalbe in prominent places: with the logo, product photos or even entire item descriptions. This suggests that it is an official Schwalbe store. These deceptively genuine-looking fakeshops [sic] are used to defraud buyers, who pay money but never receive any goods.
"To protect its clientele from fraud, Schwalbe has taken various measures. Firstly, a permanent domain monitoring program is underway, which searches the Internet for sites that make reference to Schwalbe and thus create the impression that they have a business relationship with the brand. At the same time, the family-owned company takes legal action against all fakeshops. Several cases have already been successfully concluded in this way and the sites are no longer accessible.
"Schwalbe's official website can be found at www.schwalbe.com. In Europe, products from the tire manufacturer can only be purchased through wholesalers and retailers. In North America Schwalbe tires and tubes can be purchased additionally over the official Domain www.schwalbetires.com."
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