More red flags than I can count. Y'all, I'm so done. I just wanted a costume for the ren faire. Anyway, you can go report these f*cking ai scammers too if you want.
Storenvy is an online marketplace which allows aspiring artists and retailers to set up their stores in a couple of easy steps, however it also is a huge playground for scammers. It’s becoming less diverse, more and more resellers are opening stores, and often, these are the stores that will scam you.
But, if you keep your eyes open you can help prevent becoming a victim of a scam, which is why I’ve written this little guide.
What is a scam store?
It's a shop which is set up to take your money. Even if you order a product, more than likely it will never arrive, and if it does, I truly doubt it will be what you ordered.
It’s easy for scammers to set up these stores and get away with it mostly due to the overly simplistic reviewing system that Storenvy has. You cannot comment on stores, you can’t write reviews either, all you can really do look at the customer feedback under the product and assume it hasn’t been rigged.
It is a shame that this has happened to Storenvy, there are a lot of unique artists and sellers on the site but they have unfortunately been washed out by resellers. But, that being said, it doesn’t mean that reseller = scam. There are lots of perfectly decent stores out there, don’t let a handful spoil the rest.
〰️ Spotting a Scam Store Guide 〰️
Is the store new?
How many sales does it have? How many watchers do they have?
These questions are important when trying to gauge the age of a store.
It’s hard to recognise scammers on Storenvy because on surface it seems like everybody is trying to sell the same merchandise. I guarantee that the same shirt is trying to be sold on Storenvy by 10 different stores at 10 different prices. So what do you do in this case? Go for the lowest price? No, that’s usually where the scammers lie.
Go for the store which already have a solid amount of sales, usually something ~50 is good but the higher the better.
How much information is on their page?
Even if you never have before, it’s important to check out the ‘FAQ & Contact’ page on all Storenvy shops. There is also a description box underneath the header of the store, this should have at least some sort of text which gives you a basic rundown of the store. If neither of these are filled out, or look very bare then don’t bother with the store. Somebody who is legitimately trying to sell items will care enough to fill these out, it’s just common knowledge to do so.
What is their profile picture?
While it doesn’t seem like much, a profile picture can go along way. After all, it should be the logo of the store and what people recognise first.
Photos such as the owner (as long as it’s not obviously fake) are usually a pretty good indicator that it’s a legit store, but icons which are custom and have the store name in them are great too.
What you want to keep away from is store with stock photos, models, stolen art, or simply having no photo at all. Now, when it comes to stolen art work what you need to keep an eye out for is ‘pastel goth’ themes. CamiFortuna, saaki-pyrop and DrawKill are great examples.
Where do they say they’re located?
If the store is clearly reselling goods be sure to check the FAQ and read the subtitle that asks ‘Where do these items ship from?’ If the answer is anywhere but China, I advise you to leave the page. If they say they are based in another location, that’s okay, as long as they mention that their products are shipped from China.
Most often though, store owners would rather if you didn’t know that they are reselling products to you. A lot of the time these products are all shipped directly from China to you, and the owner will never touch the product themselves despite them giving you an accurate shipping estimate.
This doesn’t mean it’s a scam though, it just simply means that they are ordering the item for you which will be shipped directly to you.
Do they have social media?
Serious shop owners will usually have some form of social media for their store, even if they are resellers. I’ve found that it’s usually Instagram, but often isn’t linked to their store. It’s not a huge guarantee that they will have one, but it is a major plus, especially if it is active. So before buying, try giving their store name a search on Instagram! This is also a great way to look for reviews, if they are on instagram go to their tagged pictures and see the fan photos. It also doesn’t help to type ‘Store Review’ into Google and see what you can find.
How much are their products selling for?
This is where scammers get you, they will usually have some of the cheapest products on Storenvy. Usually, a few dollars or cents different shouldn’t give off warning signals unless you’ve already flagged them for other reasons. Scammers will usually drop the prices by $5 or even $10 to draw you in.
How do they make money like this? Well, they take yours and never ship the item off to you.
Can you pay with Paypal?
While not a huge red flag if it is not available, I am always more trusting to stores who accept PayPal. Why? Because you are protected by PayPal’s 180 day buyer protection service for every purchase you make on Storenvy. So, if you do run into any issues they can help to recover and refund your money.
TL;DR:
Be careful of new stores
Double check their FAQ
If they’re resellers, be sure that they mention their items ship from China
Check for social media
If the prices are too cheap, it’s usually a scam
Pay with PayPal
E-Mail the stores first to gaguge their response time
Shop from reputable stores
Read reviews
Check the Storenvy Scam tag
It is hard to spot scammers, despite keeping an eye out for all these red flags many still slip through the gaps. So what can you do?
Well, you could stop using Storenvy all together, but this disadvantages you and besides there are still many legitimate stores which are both reselling or posting their own unique products.
So, that’s what you can do. You can buy from reputable stores which are known for their excellent communication and product quality.
Legitimate Stores:
(marked with * have discount code of LittleAlien)
Harajuku Fashion *
FE Clothing *
Hhotaru *
NEW ARRIVAL
Cute Kawaii
Brat Box
Fashion Store *
Harajuku Fashion Style *
Moooh!!
foreveronline
Graphic Workshop Store
MILK CLUB *
tittybats
Sandysshop
Knee Deep Denim
LA With Love
Known Scammers:
Chloe Micallef (Caramel Syndrome Storenvy)
Kirsten Amanda/coconutbabydoll
Shop Inu Inu
Tiffany Mays (Starpowerrr)
Please note that all stores in which I have affiliate partnerships with have been researched and I’ve even personally bought from them before to double check the quality of their goods.
If you know of any other stores which are scams, or have tips on how to avoid falling victim to scammers please feel free to add on to this post or message me so I can edit it.
