Fraud Activity

[TracyB123]

I have purchased an item from a site that uses Shopify.  My credit card was charged the same day.  The shopkeeper is not responding to any attempts to assist in locating the item, hasn't provided any status updates or responded to any emails.  The phone number that he has listed on your site does not even exist.  Is there some kind of criteria Shopify requires or uses to verify they are supporting legitimate businesses?  How can a consumer feel comfortable purchasing from one shop owner linked to Shopify if there is no

[Victoria]

Hi, @TracyB123.

Welcome to the Shopify Community.

I understand you placed an order online however, you're unable to receive a response from the merchant and haven't received your order.

Shopify is an e-commerce platform that enables merchants to manage their online businesses. However, it's important to note that Shopify does not conduct business on behalf of merchants. This means that Shopify does not oversee any aspects of the merchant's business, including orders, products, shipping, or day-to-day activities. Shopify provides the tools and infrastructure for merchants to run their businesses independently.

That being said, you mentioned that you have tried to email them directly with no response. Another option for contacting the merchant is by searching the website for a contact form or an "about us" page. Another alternative is to contact them through social media channels, as these platforms are often closely monitored by merchants. If you have not received an update after several days you can submit a complaint using this form. 

Additionally, if you haven't received a response from the merchant and haven't received your product within 4 weeks, I recommend contacting your bank/payment provider depending on how you paid for the order. This is because most banks have built-in security measures to protect you as a buyer and they will be able to provide you with the appropriate next steps. You can find more in-depth information on our Online FAQ Resource.

I want to emphasize that we absolutely do not condone any type of fraudulent activity on Shopify. If this does happen to be a Shopify store, filing a claim with your bank will trigger a notification internally at Shopify. We can use this information to investigate a store as needed. We will take a look into the stores’ activity and take action where appropriate. For legal and privacy reasons we will not be able to share the results of this investigation with you. 

Lastly, I'd like to share our Smart Shopping - How To Shop Online Safely And Effectively resource where we've shared online safety tips and steps to take after placing an order online.

I hope this helps!

[TracyB123]

Unfortunately, I do not have a way of getting an Order Confirmation URL.
All I have is an email confirmation. I've attached it to this email. If I
can at all file a complaint without using this form, I'd like to do so. I
have already submitted 5 different emails and used their "contact form" as
well. I've also tried calling numerous times and the phone number provided
is not the same number you end up speaking with. There is no way to
message this company on Facebook. They don't provide that option. I've
even contacted the Secretary of State offices in California trying to get
more information but this company is not registered to do business in the
State of California. The mailing address to contact is a PO Box. Again,
I've done my part and yes, my next step is to contact my credit card
company. However, I was hoping to give this business owner the benefit of
the doubt and perhaps my order is lost in the mail. I can't even tell you
HOW it was shipped. I would assume through the Post Office considering the
weight of the item, however, I have no idea.

Again, if I can continue to file the complaint any other way, I would like
to do so. It's not about the $$ as much as it's about the principle of
doing business in this country IF in fact, this place is even in the
country.

I appreciate your assistance,
Tracy Blalock

[Victoria]

Thanks for your reply, @TracyB123.

I appreciate you taking those methods to try and get in contact with the business/merchant. Could you also share the details of the date the order was placed and the website URL that you ordered from? As previously mentioned, the next best course of action will be to contact your bank/payment provider.