Jones & Smith "scam" - do not order til you read

[LemonLass]

Hello
I saw an advert for Jones & Smith (clothing) on here before New Year. Simple warning: DO NOT ORDER from them. Read on if you would like to know why...

I sometimes but rarely order online. The item looked appealing and "sale" price Inc post so ordered, having checked it had a UK address in case the item didn't suit me or something wrong.

I had a notification a few days after order confirmation about it being flown in. First red flag. Why (if they are in UK)? I wouldn't have ordered otherwise.

I waited patiently for delivery and emailed the business about "the flight" and they evaded my question about returning if not suitable . They simply hoped I liked it...

It arrived, is not "soft and warm", it is itchy - probably polyester but item has no identifying "front or back" of the jumper. It has no label to indicate counter of origin or fabric used, care instructions.

I contacted the company for a refund (repeatedly) and keep getting "offers" eg spend £9.95 more and choose something else) or have to pay for "expensive" (their words) return to Netherlands.

It seems the UK address on their website is part of a scam. They won't allow returns to it. The only way I would get a refund would be send item to Netherlands at my own expense, despite item being poor quality and not matching description. They need to accept and check before refund. I smell another scam that they will not receive it (allegedly) or something wrong with item (to avoid paying a refund).

Save yourself the hassle. AVOID. Item quality could be from a market stall in the 1980s. Cheaply manufactured and something nobody would buy in person.

Edited to amend a typo

I hope you paid via PayPal of credit card. I always use amex for anything dubious in case I need to do a chargeback. It saved me a couple of times in similar circumstances

I have ordered a coat from them and want to return it but have heard nothing back! It looks nothing like the photo. I payed via debit card so I guess Im at a loss now...

You can do a chargeback from a debit or credit card payment. @Larose123

A reminder to always use Trustpilot to check out brands you’ve not heard of before, to see if they’re legitimate.

As in this example, you can see plenty of other people who have had the same negative experience.

You have exactly the same chargeback rights
credit card has the additional S75 protection but that isn’t needed here

Yes, I did that once awful item arrived rather than the item online. Trustpilot all the way now!

I used a credit card so have started claim with them but as someone says, you also have some rights with a debit card - tell your bank about the breach of contract (not supplying items matching description)

I think I may have just been similarly scammed. Ordered 2 lovely looking jumpers from Faye and Rose yesterday that appeared on FB. Stupidly didn't look at reviews till I saw your post just now. They're virtually all 1 star. I've just emailed them to cancel as it's not shipped yet but if that doesn't work, can anyone explain how chargeback works? I paid with amex.

A question about the advertisement aspect.

Do we all see the same adverts? A lot of the ones I get popping up do seemed to be based on my recent internet activities. If I was searching for a new vacuum cleaner for example, then the ads in here might be for Dyson or Shark etc.

I assume MN gets paid for allowing adverts to appear, but has no input into what actually appears on my screen.

Is this right?

With Amex I believe you can log into your account and dispute the transaction online, you will need to make attempts to resolve the issue with the merchant first though. If you request a chargeback the bank will typically credit you whilst they look into the issue. You must request a chargeback within 120 days. If this fails you can request a section 75 which effectively puts your credit card provider jointly liable for the transaction. However depending on which Amex card you have they have joined this scheme by choice rather than being legally obliged to.

Yes, adverts are tailored to the content of the recipient often based on what you post on here too. I was discussing 'laundry' scent perfumes on style and beauty and in minutes adverts for washing machines come up!

Trustpilot all the way. I avoid unknown brands now and stick to either better known ones or use a platform like Amazon with buyer protection. Also use klarna for buyer protection.

It's shit for independent businesses ( the decent ones)

I work within Fraud for a bank and we see so many scams from Facebook and Instagram adverts. I wouldn't touch them with a bargepole

Thank you, that's what I thought.

I was picking up on the OPs statement that she has been scammed by an ad "on here".

The implication being that because she saw the ad when she was on MN, it should be OK.

In reality, it's no more trustworthy than if you were scrolling through scammersRus.com.

Same with Mabel and Daisy. Avoid! I paid debit card and have done charge back via the bank. Anyone know how long it takes?

Radio 4 Scam Busters has a whole episode on this type of scam

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002h40x?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

I nearly fell for the “owners retiring from the family run knitwear business” one that was on Facebook a while back - so easily done!

This sounds like one of the companies I saw on the news recently. There has been a spate of online shops on social media, always named as if they are a traditional British co (hence Jones & Smith) of longstanding reputation, some even show photos of the founders (usually AI or stolen photos). The clothes seem to take a long time coming, often accompanied by weird emails about flights, clearing customs etc and when they arrive they are of Shein/Temu quality.

There are constant 'family business shutting down' type ads on FB - complete with fake comments of alleged loyal customers. All scams.

I wouldn't buy a single thing advertised via FB, and certainly not via clicking straight through. They should do more to get rid of this crap - but of course they won't.

My FB is awash with ads for clothing, that I’m sure are scams. They usually have a classy looking name - supposedly U.K. based - and the blurb typically says something about ‘with sadness having to close our much-loved family business…’

The attractive looking clothing, often jumpers, is typically WAY too cheap for what it’s supposed to be! Also, although the business is supposed to be U.K. based, they often use American spellings such as ‘cozy’.

A R4 podcast called ‘The Knitted Cardigan scam’ features one such, and is well worth a listen.

This happened to my Mum before Christmas. She saw an ad online for a company called Charlotte Bristol. She asked my Dad to order her a coat for her Christmas gift https://charlottebristol.com/products/emma-check-coat
it took weeks to arrive and when it did it was nothing like the picture, the material was like a thin felt and the check pattern was all out of alignment down the back seam.

I almost got caught last year with a Facebook add for a similar name but did a Google lens search of the photo and it popped up on Amazon Italy.
Advert had a "trust pilot" image but it didn't link anywhere. I was very close to ordering before I just thought I would check. (DH got caught by a fake Fat Face sell off site which has made us both more cautious)

There is no set time and it depends on the bank. I did one with Halifax and they credited me straightaway whilst they investigated but my friend who was making the same claim as me with Santander had to wait 5 months!

OP I could have written your post exactly. I normally check reviews, but instead just checked their website and address and now I have a shit jumper I have to pay to return to the Netherlands. I actually saw the jumper through a link on here, so not FB ( not that where it was matters). I'm cross with myself and really pissed off about losing the money.

I never order anything that advertises on social media. Been burnt once. Never again!

These are all over the place- generally they are fronts for some crappy Temu sweatshop somewhere and they rely on the fact that most people just chalk it up to experience when a rag arrives in the post after 3 months. A few tips for spotting them - these dont always apply but often a few of them do.

• Is there a UK phone number and a proper email address rather than a gmail account? Google the registered address- in this case a slightly run down terraced house in Bognor with rubbish piled up outside. Call the customer services number.
• Check the returns policy - is there a UK returns address? If not, don't do it.
• Trustpilot.
• Is the copy on the website a bit shit / sounds like generated by AI or the English is clunky?
• X&Y name- designed to sound posh.

HTH. I am constantly auditing these as my teens put this stuff on their bday/christmas lists.