16GB 3G iPhone for £169 from ishopuk not on contract!

[Phil A.]

Hmm, there are two options when you checkout on paypal, one is to pay direct from your paypal account into another - in that case the person has no idea about your private data - but there is also the option of paying into paypal using credit card details. This must mean the site owner then gets a record of your credit card details, there is no other way the person running that site could have started using my bank account for withdrawl

Whatsmore I got a confirmation email back i remember from the guy's website with my bank details and account number with the last few digits crossed which suggests paying with bank card into a paypal account lets the site owner see your bank information

If you pay via credit card to PayPal, the funds go from your CC to your PayPal Account and then to the recipient's PayPal account - they definitely do not get your CC details. I don't know how you were scammed out of your bank details, but it wasn't through PayPal

 

[Phil A.]

Apple are not much better than the people who made this fake site up. They have prostituted their product for a mass mobile contract deal. You can't even buy an iphone on the apple site. I like apple products, I've spent several thousands on them in the last few years (even though there are problems with them all).

The issue here and I'm sure it is for many thousands of apple customers (the ones who aren't blinkered and defend anything they do) is that apple have purposefully withheld the most popular form of mobile phone use (pay as you go)
Why have they done this when they could sell the iphone at a higher price in their store without a contract?
Because they are making much more money essentially forcing customers to get into a 1 and a half year contract with the mobile companies. It is sad and cynical of them to do this. It means people who like apple products, but don't spend lots of time on the phone can't buy their product.

Apple know this and thats why they are resorting to releasing it with a pay and go option later this year - now that they have got a big old cynical slice of mobile contract dough

Please check your facts before making assumptions - Apple get none of the revenue from 3G phone sales - it goes to the carrier. It's O2's decision, not Apples, not to release a PAYG phone at the moment and as the exclusive carrier in the UK they have that right.

 

[ishopukisfake]

Please check your facts before making assumptions - Apple get none of the revenue from 3G phone sales - it goes to the carrier. It's O2's decision, not Apples, not to release a PAYG phone at the moment and as the exclusive carrier in the UK they have that right.

What? Apple knew the deal they signed and what it involved, and they were willing to sign away control of their product for a huge amount of money in a deal with the highest paying mobile network. Thats called selling out.

You may be right in saying apple get no money from the sales of the iphone - they have prostituted their product for a share of the 18 month binding mobile contracts clearly.

 

[di-diddle-di]

I am disappointed also, but more shocked that people do this and seem to be totally disconnected from their conscience to allow them to steal openly without remorse.

There are two cases now where people have paid for goods from "ishopuk.info" and gone to their banks and had the funds returned to them. So this is possible. Maybe you should contact a watchdog service about this as some banks are definitely reimbursing customers or re-transferring money out of the two fraudulent accounts owned by "ishopuk.info

To anyone who has transferred funds into the two fraudulent ishopuk.info accounts I know for a fact you can get your money back, so do at least contact your bank and try. They have two fake accounts one in a halifax bank and one in a abbey bank.

I too was taken in by it , i didn't think i could even try to get my money back , but i will try, lets hope that he gets what he deserve

 

[Rigsby]

Why did people risk it?

I ask this question seriously, rather than trying to bait. But why did you people risk buying anything from the website?

To me even a cursory glance at the site raised serious questions - not least that they claimed to be selling a product only the Apple Store, O2 and CPW can legitimately sell in this country.

So what was it that made people overlook the questionable aspects? Or didn't you even notice them? Or have you successfully purchased from similar stores?

 

[Moi un Mouton]

I too was taken in by it , i didn't think i could even try to get my money back , but i will try, lets hope that he gets what he deserve

Well, as you know their bank details, the very least you should do is inform THEIR bank that the account is being used for theft, and that they should block it to stop other people being robbed. They may have some sympathy for you, I don't know.

 

[ishopukisfake]

I risked it because the site looked professional and I thought the banks having the records of the transactions would be safe. Thankfully I was right in the case of my bank they are reversing the funds and have a fraud investigation team which are going to look into the accounts and probably contact the banks where the fake accounts are.
The prices are the same as in o2 and car-phone warehouse but he was supposedly selling them without contract, just the handset. I thought it was possible he could have gotten them imported from another country, I know new zealand and italy are selling the handsets without contract, and it was possible he could have got them from somewhere like japan.

 

[ishopukisfake]

I too was taken in by it , i didn't think i could even try to get my money back , but i will try, lets hope that he gets what he deserve

It seems some banks are doing it and others are refusing, I know for sure mine is doing it though, so worth a check

 

[ishopukisfake]

One great thing about this message board and others is the site owner has obviously been trawling them and now knows the game is up - He still has the index page down from the site, so no one else should be making the mistake of trying to buy from it.

 

[wreckshop]

Please check your facts before making assumptions - Apple get none of the revenue from 3G phone sales - it goes to the carrier. It's O2's decision, not Apples, not to release a PAYG phone at the moment and as the exclusive carrier in the UK they have that right.

How is that possible? Apple doesn't give iphones away for free.

 

[taylorwilsdon]

I still can't believe that anyone would pay money to this site. Might as well burn it on your fireplace, at least then you would get a little benefit (warmth) from it.

 

[Psyxologos]

checked the site owner info

could you please write here how someone can check this information? I would very much like to know for future reference. Thanks!

 

[Psyxologos]

By the way, judging from the guy's English he most probably is chinese. His style of talk reminds me many bogus sellers on ebay operating from china...

 

[Rigsby]

could you please write here how someone can check this information? I would very much like to know for future reference. Thanks!

Google 'whois'. If you look up this particular site you'll find it was only registered mid-July and when you Google the physical address you discover it's a central London hotel (someone had previously suggested it was a hospital, which it was years ago, until the hotel took the site).

 

[nazuk]

Credit Cards ARE safer form of payment!!

It seems hard to generate any sympathy in some - and yes in effect you are defending the frauds by mocking those who made the mistake

Actually, it's safer to pay for goods with your credit card. Consumer Credit Laws protect YOU the buyer. The Credit Card Company has to sort out the mess, and refund you. I ALWAYS, and ALWAYS pay by Credit Card. If a site does not accept Credit Cards, and only any other form of payment, I move on, and don't bother with it.

If your card details are fraudulently used, the CC Company will refund you anyway.

I knew straight away this site was a scam, the minute i read pay by 'bank transfer'

Sorry, but some people really are too thick to understand, so in my view, deserve what they get.

 

[Rigsby]

Sorry, but some people really are too thick to understand, so in my view, deserve what they get.

I think that is way too harsh. I struggle to understand how people fell for it, but even so, just because someone did not see the same warning signs as you or I does not mean that they deserve to be ripped off.

 

[nazuk]

Common Sense, and Basic Checks?

I think that is way too harsh. I struggle to understand how people fell for it, but even so, just because someone did not see the same warning signs as you or I does not mean that they deserve to be ripped off.

Common Sense tells me, that if I walked into Curry's or Asda, and they said: We only take Bank Transfers.... I know what I would do!

Yes I do have sympathy for people that are scammed, but please oh please, just do some basic research people - it's not hard:

1) does the site look legit, check!
2) what are the payment methods, check!
3) how many products does the site have, check!
4) has anyone else head of it, check!
5) google it, you may get to this forum, check!
6) is the offer too good to be true, check!
7) take a break, have a coffee, think for a minute or too before you start salivating at the price, check!
8) pay by credit card if you can, always, check!
9) 'whois', check
10) if you have ANY second doubts, or thoughts, move on, check!
11) add your own here..... etc...

Yes I am sorry to hear you guys lost money, or even if you got it back, the experience of it, but please follow some simple precautions as above, and from other people on this forum. Happy Shopping and peace!

 

[Rigsby]

if I walked into Curry's or Asda, and they said: We only take Bank Transfers.... I know what I would do!

I'd never walk into Curry's or Asda, but that's just a snobbery thing.

 

[Phil A.]

How is that possible? Apple doesn't give iphones away for free.

Sorry - it was a bit misleading. I meant none of the contract revenue (i.e. from the monthly contract fees)

 

[ishopukisfake]

Please check your facts before making assumptions - Apple get none of the revenue from 3G phone sales - it goes to the carrier. It's O2's decision, not Apples, not to release a PAYG phone at the moment and as the exclusive carrier in the UK they have that right.

Phil A, it seems you are the one who needs to check the facts before invented false information to defend apple at all costs...

"O2 is understood to have agreed a margin on the retail price - to be confirmed tomorrow - but will return to Apple as much as 40% of any revenues it makes from customers' use of the device." The Guardian Monday September 17 2007
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/sep/17/mobilephones.apple

"The agreement with O2 is reported to include Apple receiving a continuing share of the revenue generated for the network operator." - BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6272226.stm

The Guardian article is very interesting, it reveals the antics apple went to to get the best possible deal for the mobile network

 

[di-diddle-di]

It seems some banks are doing it and others are refusing, I know for sure mine is doing it though, so worth a check

went to my bank, who alerted the fraud dept and sent me to the police, and tomorrow i have to take anything i can find about this site.... didn't get my money back though still won't be doing anything so stupid again,

 

[di-diddle-di]

Actually, it's safer to pay for goods with your credit card. Consumer Credit Laws protect YOU the buyer. The Credit Card Company has to sort out the mess, and refund you. I ALWAYS, and ALWAYS pay by Credit Card. If a site does not accept Credit Cards, and only any other form of payment, I move on, and don't bother with it.

If your card details are fraudulently used, the CC Company will refund you anyway.

I knew straight away this site was a scam, the minute i read pay by 'bank transfer'

Sorry, but some people really are too thick to understand, so in my view, deserve what they get.

some people are not thick , just has too much faith in human nature

 

[OllyW]

Phil A, it seems you are the one who needs to check the facts before invented false information to defend apple at all costs...

"O2 is understood to have agreed a margin on the retail price - to be confirmed tomorrow - but will return to Apple as much as 40% of any revenues it makes from customers' use of the device." The Guardian Monday September 17 2007
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/sep/17/mobilephones.apple

"The agreement with O2 is reported to include Apple receiving a continuing share of the revenue generated for the network operator." - BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6272226.stm

The Guardian article is very interesting, it reveals the antics apple went to to get the best possible deal for the mobile network

Though what you are quoting was true for the original iPhone, O2 no longer pay Apple a cut of the monthly contract since the 3G iPhone is subsidised.

 

[nazuk]

Go

some people are not thick , just has too much faith in human nature

When it comes to the Internet, and in particular, Internet shopping - trust no one! ...and use commonsense and be "streetwise"

 

[ishopukisfake]

Actually, it's safer to pay for goods with your credit card. Consumer Credit Laws protect YOU the buyer. The Credit Card Company has to sort out the mess, and refund you. I ALWAYS, and ALWAYS pay by Credit Card. If a site does not accept Credit Cards, and only any other form of payment, I move on, and don't bother with it.

If your card details are fraudulently used, the CC Company will refund you anyway.

I knew straight away this site was a scam, the minute i read pay by 'bank transfer'

Personally I have had my credit card details stolen online when using paypal so I wouldnt agree credit card online is a fail safe measure, you still have to be careful of the site your getting involved with.
And if someone gets your credit card details online and uses it to withdraw from your bank the banks don't refund it.
In my case the bank transfer measure was safe and backed up as I have had my funds reversed and returned to my account


Sorry, but some people really are too thick to understand, so in my view, deserve what they get.

This is exactly the kind of attitude "Tim Blake", the owner of ishopuk and other frauds online have.

They justify their theft by placing the responsibility and blame on innocent customers "If people are foolish enough to fall for my site then I have a right to steal their money".
The site did look legit and professional, you can't blame the last few humans who have trust in humanity and aren't riddled with cynicism and contempt for the intentional fraud of others. Whatsmore some of the meathods of checking such as whois are something you have to be internet savvy to know about and a bit of nerd with no life, so I don't blame other normal functioning people for not knowing about it. In fact you also had to know about the addresses and be close to them to know they are fake addresses, and that is in the end the only true give away. I was only certain it was fake after I found someone confirm on a message board that the whois addresses were for hospitals and pubs, if you don't know the area you have no way of knowing.

Nazuk I hope no one is around to laugh in your face and call you thick the next time you make a mistake, or maybe they already do and thats where you learned it...