Fake shops target Oktoberfest shoppers with cheap traditional clothing

Fake online shops are offering heavily discounted Bavarian traditional clothing ahead of Oktoberfest, but customers risk receiving no goods or poor-quality products, BR24 reports.

Advertisements for dirndls and lederhosen often use Bavarian brand names, images of mountain scenery and discounts of up to 70 percent. The offers can appear to come from established traditional clothing retailers, but many are scams.

“We receive many complaints from consumers who say they bought very cheap dirndls or other traditional clothing, received no goods or were sent products of significantly inferior quality,” said Ann-Kathrin Edinger of the Consumer Advice Centre in Bavaria.

In some cases, customers pay but receive nothing. Others receive clothing that looks different from the advertised photos, is made from cheap fabric or has an unpleasant smell.

The fake shops often look highly professional. Their operators sometimes copy the entire online presence of established retailers, including photographs, products and names. Artificial intelligence makes it easier to create convincing websites quickly and tailor them to customer preferences.

Genuine businesses are also affected. Traditional clothing retailer Angermaier discovered an online shop with a very similar name that was advertising steep discounts. “We have actually already had customers send us returns of goods they bought there, which of course do not fit at all and are also of very, very poor quality,” said managing director Nina Munz.

Munz’s company reported the website to several platforms, where it is now identified as a fake shop. However, the business has been unable to take direct action against the operator because the website remains online. The operators are often based abroad, making legal action more difficult.

Consumers should check several warning signs before buying:

1. Check the legal notice. In Germany, an online shop must provide a verifiable company name and address.

2. Check the return conditions. Returning goods to a provider outside the European Union can be expensive.

3. Be cautious if advance payment is the only option.

4. Look for independent reviews outside the shop’s own website.

5. Use the Consumer Advice Centre’s free Fakeshop Finder, which checks websites for typical signs of fraudulent shops.

Anyone who has paid a fake shop can contact the Consumer Advice Centre and have the case examined. Banks and payment providers may also be able to help recover the money, particularly if the payment was made by credit card or PayPal.

Online purchases can generally be cancelled within 14 days without giving a reason. Customers should document the cancellation and all communication with the retailer, for example with screenshots. Returning goods can still be difficult with fraudulent shops because a return address may be missing or return costs may be high.