Is Sentinel Vinyl Legit or Scam? Sentinelvinyl.com Review

Do you want to buy Vinyl records from Sentinel Vinyl? Beware! Sentinelvinyl.com is a scam website that sells Vinyl records for massive discounts but fails to deliver the records after collecting payment.

In rare cases when they do deliver, it takes weeks or months even, with a total terrible customer service.

We investigated Sentinelvinyl.com, here are reasons why we consider it a high risk and potential fraud threat.

Sentinel Vinyl Red flags: Suspicious Reasons Why You Should Not Shop From Sentinelvinyl.com

No Physical Business Address

There is no business address provided on its website or mentioned on its social media page. This indicates that the people behind this store are hiding its true nature. This is worrisome as customers wouldn’t be able to contact the store when any issue arises. Also, there’s the problem of not knowing where the items are coming from.

Customer Complaints

There’s a whole thread on Reddit from people who shopped from Sentinel Vinyl. 90% of customers didn’t receive the records, and had to request for a refund from their credit card provider. See complaints below –

I ordered from them over a year ago. The record was on back order, but after a year I emailed with my receipt and asked for a refund. They emailed back ‘are you sure?’ And I said yes. Then they ghosted me. I have emailed 3 times to follow up over the last few weeks and no response…. Not sure what to do. They’re obviously a scam but I guess I’m out that money.

Reddit

No Real Customer Reviews

The store has not provided an option for customers to leave a review on the website. This is worrisome and an indicator that the owner of Sentinelvinyl.com do not have genuine intentions.

Recently Registered Website

The domain ‘Sentinelvinyl’ was registered on January 2022. This means the website has been open for barely few years. Interestingly, the store already has a bad reputation online.

Poor Customer Support

One of the major complaints from customers is the lack of an active customer support. Mails take hours or days to be replied to. Feedback from the store is often delayed.

How The Sentinelvinyl.com Scam Store Operates

Displays Unrealistic Discounts

Sentinelvinyl.com uses massive discounts as a bait to get customers. People are always spurred to make a purchase when they think they’re getting a great deal, especially when the discount is higher than elsewhere.

Convinces Buyers with Pictures of Records In Stock

Sentinel Vinyl often convinces buyers that there are unlimited stocks of records available, but once order is placed. The store changes the availability to ‘Out of Stock’ ‘Back Order’ ‘Pre Order’

Fails To Deliver The Records in the Expected Time Frame

After getting people to place an order, the scammers behind Sentinelvinyl.com fail to deliver the records in the expected time given. When customers try to reach the store, their emails are not responded to.

Scams Customers and Absconds

Refunds are not granted by Sentinel Vinyl store. Customers either take it up with their credit card provider or sacrifice the money to the store.

How To Get a Refund From Sentinelvinyl.com

The only way to get a refund from this merchant is to request a chargeback with your credit card issuer. Many card issuers let you dispute transactions by phone, mail or online. You may also be able to submit a dispute directly through your card issuer’s mobile app.

When you submit a chargeback, you may need to include supporting documents, such as copies of a receipt, invoice, contract and any communications you had with the merchant. Anticipate that the dispute can last up to 90 days or two billing cycles, whichever is shorter.

Consequences of Shopping From Sentinelvinyl.com & How To Protect Yourself

Exposes You To Identity Theft & Credit Card Fraud

When you submit your name, address, and credit card details on Onechill24.com, your identity and financial details is at risk. In order to avoid this, update your passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and monitor your bank statement for any unusual activity. If you detect any suspicious transaction, contact your bank and place a credit freeze on your account.

Might Install Malware on Your Devices

Malware are often disguised as sales and promotion links. Clicking on the link infects your device which steals your data. This could lead to credit card fraud and identity theft. If you notice slow performance, overheating, random reboots, unusual high data usage or battery draining fast, then you’ve been infected with a malware. In order to avoid this, take the proactive action of scanning your device with an antivirus tool immediately.

Reporting Sentinelvinyl.com For Fraudulent Activities

Report the scam to relevant authorities and organizations. This includes:

• Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): If you are in the United States, you can file a complaint with the IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov/.
• Your Local Consumer Protection Agency: Contact your local consumer protection agency or the equivalent regulatory body in your country.
• Better Business Bureau (BBB): File a complaint with the BBB if the online store is based in the United States.

How To Easily Identify a Scam Website

Aside from the obvious too good to be true discount sale, here are other ways to identify a scam website;

Recently Registered Website

How old is the website? The domain age of a website tells a lot about a store’s legitimacy or transparency. Websites below 6 months old are often considered unsafe. You can find out a website’s age by checking on Who.is ( a free domain checker tool)

Website Lacks SSL Encryption

find out if the website is secured with SSL encryption. (https and padlock symbols). If the padlock symbol doesn’t appear near the website’s URL, then it means your personal and financial information is at risk at the store.

No Business Address/ Fake Business Address

Does The website provide return address? If Yes (Copy the address and paste on your browser. Google map would show if it is a real warehouse address or a residential address) If the address has also been used by other websites you’d see reviews in search results.

No Reviews Online

Are there customer reviews online? (It is advised that you sit it out if there are no customer reviews of the store. However if you’re not patient enough to wait you can send a mail to us to verify if the store is legit)

Shady or No Returns and Refund policy

If the policy isn’t available or if it isn’t clear, you should quit shopping.

Unsecure methods of Payment

When an online store’s payment methods lack the necessary encryption and security measures to protect customers’ sensitive financial information, it puts you – the shopper at risk of unauthorized transactions.

Conclusion

Sentinelvinyl.com is a scam website that you should avoid at all costs. It lures buyers with massive discounts on records, but fails to deliver items after being paid. The scammers behind this website do not have any real product to sell. Their goal is to fleece unsuspecting buyers.

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