Scammed for a Starlink device from a company called Bonk?

Payments + Shipping & Fulfilment

Topic summary

A user purchased a Starlink Mini device for £39 through a Facebook advertisement, paying via Shopify to a merchant listed as “SP BONK Manchester” on May 1st, 2025. After payment, they received a tracking email from [email removed] but without the necessary “view order” link needed to report the suspected scam through Shopify’s system.

Key Issues:

  • The Facebook ad and merchant information have since disappeared
  • Online searches for “SP BONK Manchester” yield no results
  • Shopify support and emails to the CEO have gone unanswered
  • The £39 price appears suspiciously low compared to the official £189 retail price

Suggested Actions:

  • Contact HSBC Business account to attempt stopping or reversing the transaction
  • Search browser history to recover the original Facebook link
  • Report as fraud even without the order number

The discussion remains unresolved, with the user considering writing off the loss as a learning experience.

Summarized with AI on October 27. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

I was foolish enough to order a Starlink device using a Facebook link and was invited to pay via Shopify which I did. I received an email from noreply@shop.app asking me if i would like to track my order. However, there was no link to “view my order” which apparently I need if i want to report a scam to Shopify online. I mailed Shopify but they didn’t respond ad I have mailed their CEO (Tobi??) twice and he hasn’t responded (which is pretty poor imo) - any suggestions? Thanks :slightly_smiling_face:

2

HI @NigelParkinson

Welcome to the community, even though the cause is a scam.

First, could you share more information on that company? Bonk does not help much? Maybe the link you got for payment, or Facebook Link.

It could help others, maybe to get warned before making a purchase.

Also, I’m interested, what Starlink device it was and at what price, if you want to share that?

For reporting owner, yes, you would ned the order number, but if you report it as a fraud, maybe you do not need that info. Though you will need all the info you can.

Also, for CEO, Tobi, you really expected a reply? It is like I ask something, I do not know, Taylor Swift, and expect an answer :slightly_smiling_face: All you get is AI chat and a Human representative or Support advisor https://help.shopify.com/

3

Hi thanks for your email. In the past when I have had problems with Vodafone or Virgin or BT after I have exhausted all channels to resolve I mail the CEO and they always respond – or at least their office does.
I genuinely wish I could find the ad – they have mysteriously disappeared….
I paid £39.00 for a Starlink Mini – the payment was made to SP BONK Manchester on 1st May 2025 from my HSBC Business account. When you Google SP BONK Manchester there is nothing…..it’s like it doesn’t exist… :frowning:

1 Like
4

Yes, you are right, I apologize. Someone from the office could have seen it.

I tried to search “SP BONK Manchester”, but like you said, it is hard to find any info. If you could try to search your browser history on that day, it would be hard from this distance.

£39.00 sounds too good to be true, even if it is used, maybe. Just saw the new is £189.00 on the Starlink website. But I guess they present it well and with some urgency to trick the brain.

You could try with HSBC to stop the transaction, a bit hard again with no solid proof but they definitely could see the transaction and try to stop it as it is fraud.

Good luck.

5

Thank you so much for your input – I may just have to write this off.
Have a super weekend :blush:

1 Like