German name, Chinese goods
The tricks of the cheap shops
They seem like small German labels, with a touching history and high discounts. But many of these online shops come from China and disappoint customers.
They are called “Hermann Modehaus Hamburg”, “Fjorden Mode Berlin” or “Anna and Felix Juwelen”. Reputable-sounding German names, a professionally designed website, often with a touching story about an alleged family business. The advertising is with an older couple who are about to close up shop or a single mother whose little son is her great inspiration to design very special pieces of jewelry. In addition, there are supposedly incredibly large discounts of up to 80 percent and supposedly scarce goods.
Only if you scroll down to the legal notice or small print will you notice: “Anna and Felix”, “Hermann Modehaus” or “Fjorden Mode” are not based in Germany, but in Hong Kong or China. And if you research even more closely, you can find many of the pieces for a fraction of the price on Chinese sales platforms such as Ali Express. The promised “German quality” turns out to be cheap mass-produced goods.
In one NDRResearch turned up a supposedly handmade “ring made of silver with gold threads”: regularly 120 euros, for Black Week for 40 euros. The exact same product including the identical photo is offered on AliExpress for 0.99 euros. Similar with thermal leggings, which cost 34.99 euros on the supposed German site, but can also be found on AliExpress for 0.99 euros.
Disappointment in the package
The Hamburg consumer advice center is familiar with these shops, and complaints are piling up again during Black Week and Black Friday: “Many people think they are ordering from a German shop. In fact, there is a rude awakening when the goods arrive,” says Julia Rehberg from the Hamburg consumer advice center, describing the problem. Thermal leggings, jackets or bags arrive, but they smell chemical, look different than in the pictures or feel inferior.
Anyone who then wants to send the goods back will end up in the next trap. “The return shipment to China must be made at your own expense. And that doesn’t make any economic sense at all because the postage costs exceed the value of the goods,” continues Rehberg. Returns can cost 50 euros or more. Many would reluctantly keep the goods and be left with the damage.
Fake stories, real impact
Evaluated for the research NDR-Reporters visit the websites of numerous shops. Advertising often uses emotional elements: a long-established family business, a retired couple that is supposedly closing, or a small start-up that is asking for support. There are also appealing AI-generated photos, sometimes mother and son, sometimes the supposed shop owners or founders. “This personal approach makes a lot of difference,” says Rehberg. “Many people want to support small shops, and that’s exactly what is being taken advantage of.”
At the same time, discounts create pressure: countdown timers, “last chance!” or “only three items left” it says on the pages. The shops also play with the trust of payment service providers such as PayPal or Klarna. But that doesn’t automatically protect you. “There is no entitlement to buyer protection because I have to send the goods back,” says Rehberg. Only in exceptional cases would payment service providers step in and refund customers the money as a gesture of goodwill.
AI as a driver of mass online fraud
Visually, the pages appear deceptively professional. This is made possible by shop building blocks and AI tools that generate complete websites and advertising texts. The operators use this to produce massive amounts of new pages, especially around big sales days like Black Friday. Many people order impulsively after seeing relevant ads on Instagram or Facebook.
Consumers report on social networks like TikTok about their failures: One user reports how she ordered a pair of pants whose appliqués would look “like grandma’s curtains,” completely different from the photos. She paid 40 euros “for such garbage pants.” The shop’s customer service came up with different “lighting conditions”. Another user writes: “What I ordered was a dream. What arrived was an absolute nightmare.” Their conclusion: “Pure rip-off. Don’t be fooled.”
How you can recognize the fakes
Actually, prevention is the best means. A shop often becomes noticeable when you look at the imprint. If there is an Asian address there, this is a clear indication that returns can be expensive. The return rules also reveal a lot: If it remains unclear where you should send the goods, if a return label must first be “requested by email” or if no address is given at all, it is better to stay away from it, advises the consumer advice center, whose website has a “Fake Shop Finder” and other concrete information and a list on which such dubious online shops are listed.
There are also price drops: If every single product is supposedly drastically reduced, that is also a warning signal. In addition, unclear contact details; in the research, several supposedly German telephone numbers could not be reached. On NDRThere has so far been no response to email inquiries from the affected shops.
