UGG suede boots...lots in Toronto...scam?

[elle-tuxedo-cat]

My concern is - why are there so many sellers with no feedback for selling items - but about a 15 item buyer feedback - and when you check their feedback for those items they bought, they are like dollar items from Hong Kong.

Is this a scam? All these sellers are in my hometown of Toronto so I wonder if there is something weird going on - because all the sellers are here and have the same strange no-selling-history.

It's strange because here in Toronto a lot of homeless wear UGGs - genuine ones too! (I think the shelters and missions get them free from UGGs)  - wonder if these are coming off homeless people's feet?

Thoughts??? I'm scared to buy from these people.

[marnotom!]

I wouldn't be scared to purchase from these sellers, but I'd be extremely, extremely leery.  You've pointed out several red flags.  Good job in doing your homework.

[femmefan1946]

and when you check their feedback for those items they bought, they are like dollar items from Hong Kong.

The magic words here are Hong Kong.

The sellers are pushing counterfeit boots.

All these sellers are in my hometown of Toronto

And the fake boots will be shipped from China, although sellers are supposed to specify the location of the goods rather than the location of the seller.

There is an ad on many online sites advertising bargains on UGG boots and specifying Canada. I suspect that those sellers have been recruited through the ads.

If you see one of these, don't click on it. Because; malware.

I think the shelters and missions get them free from UGGs

Why would the makers of UGGS give real boots to one of the least 'aspirational' groups in society? That would be poor public relations. Still you could send the company a letter about this.

Also UGGs are an Australian company. Why would they be giving to Canadian shelters?

Some boot manufacturers do contribute end of line and deadstock boots to missions.

The ones on homeless people are probably counterfeits too. Nice to see them put to good use instead of being destroyed which is what usually happens when the RCMP seizes fakes.

[pjcdn2005]

Assuming that I'm looking at the same ones that you are talking about, I think those listings are all from the same person or company as the format is very similar on each one that I checked.

If you scroll down to the shipping tab the shipping method is economy shipping from outside of Canada so I bet they are being shipped from Asia.

Also, notice how in the titles the word UGG does not stand by itself. It has a * or # beside it and I'm sure that they do that so that the ebay bots don't realize that they are selling UGGS.

[femmefan1946]

Nice catch on the *UGG.

It just gets stinkier and stinkier.

[elle-tuxedo-cat]

Thanks a lot for all the replies! They're much appreciated!

I think I will be avoiding these sellers - forever! LOL!

When I said about homeless people in Toronto wearing UGG's - yes, they are real UGG's.

Funny story: I was walking down Queen Street West in Toronto recently and I saw a woman in front of me with the most beautiful burgundy-merlot UGGs. I thought that's exactly the color I want but impossible to get. Just as I was thinking about asking her where she bought her amazing boots, she bent over and picked a cigarette butt off the ground, calmly wiped it off and put it in her mouth. Really!

Torontonians are known for their generosity - there are some very expensive Toronto shoe shops that collect customers 'very lightly' worn boots for the homeless - so  at least they have warm shoes and apparel (and I've seen Canada Goose coats on these people too - those are probably confiscated fakes - but great idea to give them to the needy!)

Thanks again!!!

[hlmacdon]

I haven't viewed the listings you describe, but if it is an account that built feedback selling cheap trinkets from asia and they are pushing high price items at too good to be true prices, then this is generally the sign of an account that has been bought or built up for the purpose of fraud. These sellers target many higher priced niche items then trade off that feedback to get enough unsuspecting buyers to take a chance on the product, then they cash out and fold the account. In other cases they are selling counterfeit product, but generally those accounts don't build up feedback records via the sales of one to two dollar trinkets.