Hello, everyone, this is Mattake. (This page is translated by AI.)
Suddenly, I thought I’d try ‘reselling’ as a side hustle.
Then, I got caught up in a ridiculous situation, which I’d like to share.
Everyone, be very careful not to get tricked into buying counterfeit products like this.
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The Incident of Receiving a Fake Watch Cash on Delivery After Buying a Cheap Watch on Amazon with a Credit Card
Trying to Buy a Cheap Watch on Amazon
Reselling is a business where you buy cheap items and sell them at a higher price somewhere else. If you can buy items at a low cost, anyone can do it, so I thought maybe I could too.
I had been making some small change by selling things I no longer needed on Mercari, and during that time, I noticed that watches were being traded at relatively high prices.
So, out of curiosity, I started browsing Amazon and Rakuten to see how much those watches were selling for.
And then, I found a watch being sold for far less than the usual price!
I remember it was more than 30,000 yen cheaper than on Mercari at that time.
Making the Purchase Immediately
Since it was still a significant amount of money, I checked the reviews, and with around 10 reviews and comments that seemed okay, I thought it was safe.
I quickly proceeded with the purchase.
Since I had already made several purchases on Amazon before, my credit card details were already entered, so I hit the buy button immediately.
I received an email confirming the purchase, and all I had to do was wait.。
Receiving an Email from Amazon About a Problem with the Purchase
The next evening, I casually checked my phone and found an email saying there was an issue with my credit card information, so the purchase couldn’t go through.
I had never been told there was an issue with my credit card before, so I thought it was strange, but I re-entered my credit card and address details.
The following day, I got another email saying there was still an issue, and the purchase couldn’t be completed.
Switching from Credit Card Payment to Cash on Delivery
After a while, I received a message from the seller asking if I could switch to cash on delivery.
Since cash on delivery requires you to hand over cash in person, and it’s a hassle to withdraw money from the ATM, I emailed the seller to see if there was any way to stick with credit card payment, but they insisted on cash on delivery, so I gave up and canceled the order.
A Watch I Thought I Canceled Arrives Cash on Delivery
I had already given up on reselling watches on Amazon, thinking it was impossible.
But a few days later, a delivery arrived at my house, and they told me the charge was 81,680 yen for cash on delivery! I didn’t have that much money on me at the time, so I asked them to come back another day.
It was strange for something to arrive cash on delivery when I had canceled the order, but I was so excited about receiving the watch that I rushed to the ATM to withdraw the money.
The next day, I paid the cash and received the package.
The Contents: A Fake Rolex…
Right after receiving it, I was so excited to open the package that I didn’t notice anything strange about it.
Later, I realized the packaging was ridiculously sloppy, but at the time, I didn’t even think about that.
Anyway, I tore open the packaging to reveal the watch.
It was a Rolex! But I don’t remember ever ordering a Rolex. Oh well, I thought to myself.
Then, when I decided to take a closer look at the back of the watch…
It was completely blank.
I had been scammed… It was clearly a counterfeit.
Attempting to Return the Product
Since the product was a fake Rolex, I decided I had to return it.
First, I called the delivery company.
“Uh, I received a counterfeit product, so I’d like to return it…”
“If the issue was caused by the delivery company, we will handle it. However, this item was delivered to the address as per the order, so from our end, there are no problems. Please contact the store about the product.”
What?! They wouldn’t help me at all.
So, I decided to try calling the store that shipped the product.
I dialed the number written on the package.
“Brrr brrr brrr… This is AU. The number you have dialed is an international call…”
What the heck?! The number connected me to China.
When I got through, it was someone speaking Chinese… I gave up at that point.
So, I gave up on returning the product.
Mattake’s Analysis of the Incident
- The product is listed at an unusually low price on Amazon to entice buyers.
- The buyer’s credit card information and address are stolen.
- Since credit card payments can be canceled later, they switch to cash on delivery.
- They send fake products to the buyer’s address, hoping the buyer accepts them.
And I, Mattake, fell right into this trap…
Conclusion
How was that?
This incident made me realize how scary reselling can be, and I’ve decided never to do it again.
Right now, I’m focusing on my blog.
Looking back, I’m disappointed in myself for being overly confident that I wouldn’t fall for something like this, but I think it was a valuable experience.
From now on, I plan to build up my defenses so I won’t get scammed again.
Everyone, please be careful too. See you next time.
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