Cath Kidston Sale - Too good to be true?

[theothersideofmidnight]

I came across an advert for CK on Facebook, and clicked the link to find this.

A search on Google led me to the same, eventually, but not by any stretch as the first hit as one might expect of a brand name. Surely it's too good to be true?
https://www.cathkidstonuk.com/collections/best-sellers?page=3

I fell for the Joules clearance outlet sale

What an idiot lol

Thankfully the bank refunded me in full and a lesion learned

If it seems too good to be true it probably is

This website is still online and functioning. I fell for it completely as I’d been quite sad to find the Green Park store closed down without realising that Cath Kidston had stopped trading. I was blocked from putting in any payment details by a ‘payment error’ message.

I attach some screenshots below of the dodgy info that PPs have mentioned, so hopefully it bumps the thread for other fans of the brand. (Sadly the Next items aren’t as nice as the fake site!)

Yes it's a real shame

Her stuff was lovely especially the crockery

What is it exactly that makes people fall for this? They're easy to spot a mile off purely by the grammar, the syntax, the layout etc - and that really is just at a first glance, let alone a deep dive.

Some people need further training in matters of the internet tbh.

The layout is always a dead giveaway. I glanced the page a while back and the products on the front page had no real layout or order to them - a baby onesie for sale next to woman’s coat, next to a homeware item etc. It was all completely random and haphazard, even a legit closing down sale would bother to categorise items, rather than just dumping them all on the front page.

The one I fell for was very similar in layout to the genuine site and actually the spelling was good. I was tired, wanted some clothes and didn't pay enough attention until I got the emailed payment receipt when I immediately froze my card and called the bank.

I've been using the internet without incident since the mid 1990s but this time I was stupid and it just didn't cross my mind it was a scam. Prior to this I'd have posted something very like you just did. It's easier than you imagine to make a mistake but hopefully you never will.

Agreed - after having shared this experience I shan’t shop online late at night when I’m tired (except Amazon….)

I have seen high fidelity Amazon clones that phish accounts and credit cards. The problem is not really whether you're tired or not, but whether you reach Amazon via a link or via a safe bookmark.

The problem is twofold:

1. Browsers are built the wrong way, a lot of emphasis placed on authenticating the website (against MITM attacks, which never actually happened to commoners like us, we are not Snowden) rather than the company running it.
2. Credit card companies use the same flowchart when you complain about a bad merchant who sucks at their job, and about a merchant who simply doesn't exist as a legitimate entity. The two phenomena are in fact very different, and the latter should be dealt with swiftly and robustly. Not "wait 14 days".

@ClarkWGreaseball This is very, very unhelpful as most victim-blaming tends to be, and probably reflecting a bias that will be your undoing. Someone will spear-phish you with good grammar and layout and you'll fall for it.

I think I’ve been caught too, do you know what it showed as on your statement?

I think my mums was something like *Annabelle.

We waited the 15 days and then contacted the bank and it was refunded as no goods arrived.

It's a scam!

There are a lot especially on Facebook the latest is Jo Malone advent calendar for about £36 I don’t seem to be able to comment to say it is probably a scam. All there are are good comments saying how good it is.

How is this website still active?!?

@purser25 contact Jo Malone and tell them. they are likely to try to take steps to get it taken down

It’s so bad that spams like this are allowed to continue. I know my auntie would unknowingly fall for something like this as she has done in the past and it can be hard to get a refund, which isn’t great in the cost of living crisis.

Report to facebook or instagram or where ever site you see it on, they will take it down

Thanks for your messages, I've just seen the advert on Facebook pretty sure it was too good to be true 🙄

Cath Kidson scam, I think they have me? I spent £200 on goods for Christmas and says it’s out for delivery. That was on 16th December.
I emailed them and they replied ( Andrew). The company it has gone under is called “Tanaon” and I’m gutted! I’m going to contact my credit card provider to see if I can get a refund, anyone else heard of them? 😯