irish website - scam or not???

kieran75

hi

has anyone bought anything from this website...and do they know if its a scam or not.

it seems to be an irish website but looks a bit dubious...

thanks...

http://www.thechiqueboutique.vpweb.ie

PCPhoto

I dont think its an irish site..... it has a double extension at the end (dodgy) IMO

Tipsy Mac

There's a mobile number to contact and the site looks like it was designed by a 5 year old, if it's not a scam I would be very worried

jor el

I don't think it's a scam (as in they'll take your money and you'll get no products) but I'd nearly put money on the gear being knock-off or fake. The site looks terrible, and having a mobile number as a business contact is just shoddy. Also, contact email is through Hotmail. Very, very dodgy.

The site itself is a sub-domain, of vpweb.ie, so they don't even have their own domain registered. vpweb.ie redirects to Vistaprint. This all looks very strange.

Looks about as legit as a nine-bob note. I'd stay away.

edit
Just noticed, Vistaprint now do free webspace setups, like Geocities. Even more dodgy.

Judgement Day

More amateurish than crooked I would say but don't touch with a barge pole!

thechiqueboutiq

Hi All I am the owner of the chiqueboutique in response to your comments about my site I designed it myself on vistaprint to save money. It is an Irish website and I do not put in a landline as I work from home to keep costs down and would prefer not to have my personal home phone available for all to see. I have many many loyal & happy customers. If customers are anyway unhappy with there purchase I will refund or exchange the goods. Anyway thanks for the free advertisment.....The Chique Boutique

egan007

thechiqueboutiq wrote: »

Hi All I am the owner of the chiqueboutique in response to your comments about my site I designed it myself on vistaprint to save money. It is an Irish website and I do not put in a landline as I work from home to keep costs down and would prefer not to have my personal home phone available for all to see. I have many many loyal & happy customers. If customers are anyway unhappy with there purchase I will refund or exchange the goods. Anyway thanks for the free advertisment.....The Chique Boutique

Well done on finding this thread and replying.
However this is a perfect case study on why professional webdesigners are value for money. I always maintained that making something available to buy online won't necessarily sell it.

thechiqueboutiq

Thanks for that In the coming months I will be doing just that I am trying to start up a small business from home as I lost my job recently and was trying to keep costs down in having a vistaprint website. However I do agree that It would be better for myself if I paid for a proper webpage and in turn this would attract more customers.

mcaul

thechiqueboutiq wrote: »

Thanks for that In the coming months I will be doing just that I am trying to start up a small business from home as I lost my job recently and was trying to keep costs down in having a vistaprint website. However I do agree that It would be better for myself if I paid for a proper webpage and in turn this would attract more customers.

OK, so the site is very basic and that will lose some business, but prices are good, so that will allow many people see beyond the layout (high street example = TK Maxx)

What you absolutely must do is put your name & postal address on the site and maybe a bit of information as to whay the products are priced at such a level - end of line, previous season, surplus stock etc etc.

Once people have confidence in you, they can see beyond a basic website.

jor el

You should also register a business name with the CRO, and do everything above board (pay tax, etc). It's all fine an well to say you're starting a business from home, but if it's not actually a business, then you're just a private seller. Proper contact info is also a must have, otherwise you look like a scammer.

kacey boo

I have just discovered this site while searching for dresses online and i have to say it looks well dodgy! I wonder would this place let people come and collect the goods in person? I very much doubt it as i think its a total scam. If something looks too good to be true it usually is... :eek:

sohappy

on the contact page they have their location as "just outside limerick":D

princess1981

does anyone know anything about http://www.boutiquechique.com/

Ive purchased a dress from these on 03/06/10 and have had no word or contact since. :mad:
Any comments much appreciated.

Judgement Day

princess1981 wrote: »

does anyone know anything about http://www.boutiquechique.com/

Ive purchased a dress from these on 03/06/10 and have had no word or contact since. :mad:
Any comments much appreciated.

Pity you weren't on Boards earlier - hope your dress didn't set you back too much.

91011

princess1981 wrote: »

does anyone know anything about http://www.boutiquechique.com/

Ive purchased a dress from these on 03/06/10 and have had no word or contact since. :mad:
Any comments much appreciated.

Have you tried to contact the website themselves?

Has the amount being deducted from your card?

Possibly it has been lost in transit?

Possibly you entered a slightly incorrect e-mail address. (it happens so often)

There seems to be both a physical address, email address & contact numbers on the site. - Best to try these methods before making comments on a public boards site.

princess1981

91011 wrote: »

Have you tried to contact the website themselves?

Has the amount being deducted from your card? YES ITS BEEN TAKEN OUT

Possibly it has been lost in transit? NO.... UNABLE TO REACH THESE PEOPLE AFTER EMAILS AND TEXTS EVERY DAY THIS WEEK

Possibly you entered a slightly incorrect e-mail address. (it happens so often) I GOT AN EMAIL CONFIRMATION OF MY ORDER SO EMAIL ADDRESS IS CORRECT

There seems to be both a physical address, email address & contact numbers on the site. - Best to try these methods before making comments on a public boards site.

ALL THIS DONE AND TRIED SO IM BEGINING TO THINK IVE BEEN DONE> BEAWARE ALL

91011

princess1981 wrote: »

ALL THIS DONE AND TRIED SO IM BEGINING TO THINK IVE BEEN DONE> BEAWARE ALL

I doubt it.

The person who owns the site has posted earlier in the thread.

As she seems to be a sole trader there are plenty of reasons why there has been no contact.

Holidays, Illness, Accident.

Reasons why it won't be a scam -

Its a .ie website which is a lot safer than other domains as you need to prove who you are to get a .ie extension.

A physical address, matching phone number & mobile number is on the site.

Payment accepted by credit card - In Ireland you have to go through credit checks by the bank to accept credit cards.



From the website - - why not call the 069 number now?

The Chique Boutique
Ardagh
Co. Limerick
Online Only
087 0647071
**********

If you have placed an order remember to include your order number.

All emails will be responded to within 3 hours.

Help desk services available Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm

All weekend emails will be answered Monday

jor el

91011 wrote: »

Its a .ie website which is a lot safer than other domains as you need to prove who you are to get a .ie extension.

It's not an ie website though. The OP linked the old shop, which was just a sub-domain of a free webspace host. No ID required to set this up.

The new site is registered through a proxy in the UK, a web developer by the looks of it. The business name "The Chique Boutique" has been a registered business name since 1989, in Kerry.

Whoever is running this site has not registered the business, so it's not really a business at all. You're effectively buying off someone in a private sale. No comeback, no statutory protection, nothing.

91011

sorry - didn't realise it was a .com

But still I don't see it as a scam. A poor site, but enough detail to give credibility.

AS the owner of the site said in a previous post - it came about from losing a job, so yes its sort of buying privately.

Herself indoors claims the prices are very good. (I wouldn't know as I still don't understand €130 hair dos when minme costs a tenner:D)

okidoki987

I wouldn't know as I still don't understand €130 hair dos when minme costs a tenner

It's the chat that costs all the money!

thechiqueboutiq

Hello all yet again thanks so much yet again for the free advertising.



So much about no ID required are ye honestly silly enough to think that
a business gets a merchant account from an irish bank with out ID ??

Just to let you know that getting a merchant account to accept credit card payments is a similar process to getting a mortgage.

I am pretty sure who person whom left this thread was and I would request that she contact me, As I am sure that her purchase has been despatched and I will be refunding the cost as a gesture of goodwill to her.

Relating to the design of the website Its a cheap & Cheerful one I refuse to pay 7000 euro for something that can be done just as well for a fraction of the price. Maybe I would be better to do what a hell of a lot of businesses have done in the past few years and spend more than I am making and then go Bust!!

I just love the fact that people almost always go on these sites to complain. Hardly ever do they go on to say how great a product or service is.

thechiqueboutiq

jor el wrote: »

It's not an ie website though. The OP linked the old shop, which was just a sub-domain of a free webspace host. No ID required to set this up.

The new site is registered through a proxy in the UK, a web developer by the looks of it. The business name "The Chique Boutique" has been a registered business name since 1989, in Kerry.

Whoever is running this site has not registered the business, so it's not really a business at all. You're effectively buying off someone in a private sale. No comeback, no statutory protection, nothing.

just to let you know the site is actually boutiquechique.com
not the chique boutique

And yes you do have protection as the website has a merchant account

jor el

thechiqueboutiq wrote: »

So much about no ID required are ye honestly silly enough to think that
a business gets a merchant account from an irish bank with out ID ??

You have no proof of this at all. You accept Paypal payments on your site, which anyone can do, and you use a 3rd party to operate your credit card processing, which anyone can do. There is no registered business in Ireland called boutiquechique.com, Boutique Chique, or any variant of that apart from the one I previously mentioned in Kerry. I take it that this is not your business.

thechiqueboutiq wrote: »

I am pretty sure who person whom left this thread was and I would request that she contact me, As I am sure that her purchase has been despatched and I will be refunding the cost as a gesture of goodwill to her.

It seems she's tried this and you haven't responded. If you know who it is, then surely you have her contact details too. You could also PM her through this site. This kind of advertisement (bad reputation) will not do your business any good.

thechiqueboutiq wrote: »

Relating to the design of the website Its a cheap & Cheerful one I refuse to pay 7000 euro for something that can be done just as well for a fraction of the price. Maybe I would be better to do what a hell of a lot of businesses have done in the past few years and spend more than I am making and then go Bust!!

A functional website is fine, and your new one is a marked improvement on the old one.

thechiqueboutiq wrote: »

I just love the fact that people almost always go on these sites to complain. Hardly ever do they go on to say how great a product or service is.

Seeing as how the only people on this thread who've actually had dealings with you are saying you don't answer the phone or respond to emails, that doesn't seem to be a great service.

thechiqueboutiq wrote: »

just to let you know the site is actually boutiquechique.com
not the chique boutique

Your website says the name of the shop is The Chique Boutique, on just about every page. If that's not the name of the shop, then you should really fix that.

yop

thechiqueboutiq - I think you are been found out on here in fairness to jor el, considering that your boards username is thechiqueboutiq I would suspect that a quick check out on the domain name would see a name change recently?

Also with the newbie "bumps", complaints or not, I think some of this could be self advertising on the shops part.

jonmor

Those Christian Louboutins are very cheap, I reckon they have a 95% chance of being Chinese knockoffs...

ghosttown

My OH would love a pair of CL, and am subscribing to this thread to see if site owner comes back and comments on above post. €110 for peep-toe Laboutin shoes - i just don't think so !!!

rosie 11

princess1981 wrote: »

ALL THIS DONE AND TRIED SO IM BEGINING TO THINK IVE BEEN DONE> BEAWARE ALL

I too purchased a dress and shoes in early June from this website and just like you I have tried to contact them on numerous occasions by email, by phone, by text, by letter but no reply!It certainly appears now that this is some sort of scam and we have been done.Im sure the Joe Duffy Show would be interested in this scam:mad:

tz1981

was just about to buy a dress on this site and said i'd do a boards check first. Glad i did now. If it seems too good to be true..........

rosie 11

Just to update everyone, owner contacted me and refunded the full amount.:cool:

mollcat12

Hello

Has anyone bought anything form Boutique Chique (website) in Newcastlewest lately. I bought a dress on the 22/05/2012 and I still havent recieved it, the money was taken from my account under the name of her boutique in limerick, she is not answering her calls or emails (on the websited she said she will reply with in 3 hours) I needed it for a wedding yesterday(bit late now) Is this a scam because as the last thread went I wont hesitate to call Joe Duffy or the small claims court, :mad:Please help thanks

jor el

Read the thread, it says everything you need to know.