Trades-mate.com.au Slammed as Scam: Dubious Online Store -

Want to buy Trades Mate auto ratchet straps? Don’t! The online store is not really legit. There’s a lot of fraudulent practises happening behind the scene.

As a Cybersecurity analyst actively fighting cybercrimes, I’ve taken my time to investigate Trades-mate.com.au, and my findings revealed it’s a scam.

Below are my findings, with images, reports and links to back up my verdict.

Exposing Trades Mate Scam

The website runs Ads on social media promoting its auto ratchet strap which is sold for discount prices.

However, after placing an order, customers do not receive the ratchet straps. The tracking does not work, and every effort to contact the store turns out futile.

The scammers behind Trades-mate.com.au bait buyers with low prices, and immediately go silent after collecting payment.

Below are reports from victims of this scam –

This entity is definitely a scam. Do not interact with this company/person. My order did not arrive & any attempt at contacting them failed. All emails failed to deliver & was advised it was a permanent error.
Emmy

Pretty certain it’s a scam. Product never arrived The tracking doesn’t work on theye website and they are not answering any emails once money is taken
Matty Jay

Spot The Red Flags:

Here are some of the hidden red flags of trades-mate.com.au;

No Business Address

The online store fails to list any physical address. Yet, they claim to be an Australia based company. Where’s the evidence backing the claim?

Shady Refund Policy

Trades Mate claims to offer a 30 days return policy. However the Refund Policy and Privacy Policy are generic content. They were copied from another website(s). As you can see below, it’s a Shopify template.

Recently Launched Website

trades-mate.com.au isn’t up to 6 months old. According to Who.is data, the website was registered on December 2023 and would expire December 2024. This makes it easily disposable.

No Customer Support

The contact information is an email ‘[email protected]. However, mails sent to the address do not deliver. They bounce back with an error warning.

Steps To Take For Possible Refunds

The only way to get a refund from this merchant is to do the following;

Report the fraudulent transaction to your credit card issuer
request a chargeback
Include supporting documents, such as copies of a receipt, invoice, 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.

How To Protect Yourself From Charges From Trades-mate.com.au?

When you submit your name, address, and credit card details on the scam store, 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 cancel your credit card or place a credit freeze on your account.

Reporting Trades Mate Scam To The Right Authorities

As a victim of this scam, take proactive measures of nabbing this scammers by reporting them to;

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 Avoid Online Shopping Scams

Steer clear from social media Ads offering too good to be true discount
Check online for real user reviews. You can also do this by adding ‘scam’ ‘complaints’ to the website name before searching
Avoid websites that lack SSL encryption (padlock symbol on the URL link). They are unsafe
Check the domain age of the website using a domain checker tool (Who.is). Websites below 6 months old are often considered unsafe.
Verify the website business address. you can do this by pasting the address on Google. The result would either show if it’s a warehouse, residential quarter, or if it has been flagged as scam.
If the return policy isn’t available or if it isn’t clear, you should quit shopping.

See Also; Stickgolfpro.com, Peacemane.com.